Nowadays, intellectual property has become an increasingly important topic for businesses and individuals. This is largely due to the fact that intellectual property is often seen as the cornerstone of innovation and commercial success. In this context, the question of how to protect an idea or concept without a patent is particularly relevant.
The patent is often considered the most effective way to protect an invention or innovation. However, there are situations where a patent is not the best option. Firstly, obtaining a patent can be costly and time-consuming. In addition, patents are often complex and difficult to write, which can make it difficult for businesses and individuals to protect their ideas and concepts. It is important to note that not all ideas and concepts are patentable. The patentability criteria vary by country and jurisdiction. Generally, an invention must be new, involve inventive activity, and be capable of industrial application to be patentable.
This means that ideas and concepts that do not meet these criteria cannot be protected by a patent. For example, a simple abstract idea cannot be patented, as it does not meet the criteria of novelty and inventive activity. Similarly, a sales method or an economic model cannot be patented, as they are not technical inventions.
If an idea or a concept is not patentable, it can still be protected by other means.
The first option is to maintain the confidentiality of the idea or concept. This can be done by using non-disclosure agreements with the parties involved. This can be an effective way to protect an idea or concept, but it heavily depends on the willingness of the parties involved to respect the terms of the agreement.
The second option is a safer solution for protecting an idea or concept without a patent: the use of blockchain. Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that allows information to be stored securely and decentralized. Thanks to this technology, it is possible to timestamp all types of files, which allows proving their existence at a certain date. This is the solution that Nondisclose.io proposes, a start-up that offers an intellectual property protection solution based on blockchain.
The solution Nondisclose.io
The operation of Nondisclose.io is very simple. First, the user uploads the file that they want to protect onto the Nondisclose.io platform. Then, the platform timestamps the file and stores a digital fingerprint (hash) on the blockchain. This digital fingerprint proves that the file was timestamped on a certain date, which proves the existence of the idea or concept at that date. Finally, the user obtains a certificate of proof of the file’s existence, which is used to prove the existence of the idea or concept in case of a dispute.
The advantage of this solution is that it is easy to use and inexpensive. Moreover, it offers a solid, reliable, and internationally recognized protection thanks to the use of blockchain. Finally, the Nondisclose.io platform also offers a solution to track protected file registrations, which allows following and consulting at any time the registrations made.
Protecting your idea: More than just a good idea!
It is important to register an idea from the beginning of the project and throughout its development until the end of the project. If you only register your idea at the end, you are much less protected and very vulnerable.
Indeed, filing your idea from the beginning of your project allows you to obtain a priority date. This priority date is very important in terms of intellectual property, as it determines who created the invention / concept first. If a person or a company files their idea at a date prior to that of another person or company, they have priority to obtain the patent or to claim the intellectual property.
In addition, filing your idea from the beginning of the project allows you to protect the invention from the start of its design, and to prevent any unauthorized use by a third party. If the invention is publicly disclosed before the patent or the protection of the intellectual property is filed, it loses its novelty and can no longer be patented or protected.
Finally, filing your idea throughout the development process allows you to protect the different versions of the invention and the improvements made to it. This can be important to ensure the protection of the invention as a whole.
Do not wait, protect your idea and all your work around now !
Picture of Jens Lindner on Unsplash
