Know-How Exchange : Branding

An idea by itself isn't worth much. An idea put into action, tested, and proven is worth a lot. This gives you a few options:
1) give them the idea, and hope that they want to work with you
2) implement the idea, and sell the company (or get investors)
3) try to get them interested in them using the idea in exchange for payment

I'm sorry, but idea people are a dime a dozen. What they will partner with you about is your plan not only for your idea, but execution. Have a solid plan. Don't use a trademark "modified" it will hurt your credibility as you will sound fraudulent-- and will give the lawyers a way to justify their big bucks. The name and business must be a stand alone.

Over the years I have seen many scenarios like this :))

Not to dishearten you but here is the truth.

YOU CANNOT COPYRIGHT AN IDEA.

You can legally protect a design, or code or written prose or lyrics.

If you have written a software routine or built a new circuit or designed a new mechanical solution then draw up your designs and get your patent and then you can go to market and sell it.

If you go to a company with your idea and they like it, they have several options.

1. They can say, nice idea but we are not interested right now.
2. They can say great, go ahead and do it yourself and pay us a royalty for using our name
3. They can say, we like it - we are going to do it ourselves - thank you very much for the heads up :)
4. If they are very kind, they might say - We like it and we want to do it so we will offer you a role as a consultant to implement it for us (good luck on this one). :))

The truth is that ideas in themselves have little value in most cases. Implementation is what counts. You have to prove that the concept works first and put some hard cash behind the development and refinement of your idea.

If others can then see that it has real value then they will start to take an interest. If it is only a concept or business model - then be prepared for others to copy (that is the spirit of free market enterprise; 'competition'). On he other hand, you may get lucky and they will buy it instead of copying :)

Good luck to all people who have BRIGHT IDEAS. But please remember to keep your feet on the ground and always remember that you cannot COPYRIGHT ideas and concepts, only actual work.

Thank you,

Matthew

PS with regards to talking to the big company in question. That is easy. Pick up the phone and call them and ask for the name of the correct person to address your concern. Then write him or her a nice letter and request a phone call to discuss further. it is very easy - I do it all the time.

First, I disagree with everyone here that has said the company can simply take your innovative idea (assume it is innovative and they have NEVER considered doing it before themselves and no one else has ever pitched something similar--a big caveat), show you the door, and do it themselves.

Anyone remember this...?

https://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4596105-...

Disney shelled out $240 MM to the guys who came up with the Wide World of Sports concept. They pitched it to Disney, Disney said no and they did it anyone on their own. The part only cost $110 MM. So, a pretty big penalty.

Of course because of this, many companies protect themselves a bit more by being ultra-cautious about what pitches they'll even hear anymore.

If you want to find contact information for decision makers in big companies and plan to simply cold call them, you can find the information on Jigsaw.com. They have email and phone numbers for a surprising number of executives at every company you can think of. No guarantee it'll get you a call back, but you'll have a start.