My son has an innovation...

[Thefixor]

My son has designed an innovative styled toaster whilst doing his product design degree at university and has been told that he should show morphy richards or other toaster manufacturers. How could he go about this?

[WendyS]

I believe there are Patent agents which will advise your son on how to file for a patent and to protect his work (rather like a copywrite where authors are concered). I am not an expert in this but would certainly recommend that you son does not divulge anything about his design to any potential manufacturer until they have first signed a confidentialty letter promising not to steal his ideas. Probably a solicitor or somebody in the patent field could advise him and I'm sure Googling on Patents would throw up some useful advice.

[Thefixor]

thank you so much for this information. i have just e-mailed him with details and told him to be carfeul who he tells about his ideas

he designed a toy for his first year and called them tri blox and subsequently a year later seen something very similar with differant name on sale in the market place. thank you once again

[Loosehead]

Good advice from Wendy.

Tell him about Dyson, the guy that invented the bagless vacuum. He took his prototype to the main vacuum cleaner makers originally (after he'd patented it) and they basically told him it would never work and wouldn't back him. However further down the line when he'd managed somehow to get his product on the high street, it sold well and at least one of the established cleaner manufacturers copied his design, he sucessfully sued them and got a 6 figure sum off them, poetic justice!

Large manufacturers have little imagination and are very adverse to risk but they are not above stealing an idea once they realise it would work. So make sure you patent your idea!

[spacechimp]

oh, tell me the design please eMail me. j/k