[gvlmitnyc]

I make my own jewelry for fun and there are a few pieces that have gotten a lot of comments. Someone mentioned trying to "patent"(is that even the right term?) them so that no one could steal the designs... What's the easiest way to do this? Thanks...

[fancypants]

For price and simplicity I think you may want to look into copyrights instead of patents. Here's a good place to start http://www.copyright.gov/
Good Luck!

[jmacmillan]

This is a great idea for something that could easily be reproduced. However if you do one of a kind stuff and each piece is different I am not sure you need that type of protection. I am interested in hearing other peoples responses because I have a friend going through this same dilema in his pen making. Up till now he has used the one of a kind notion and hasn't bothered patenting his work.

Thanks.

[carrier]

one would need a patent attorney to patent it. i think copyrighting is easier

[wku0515]

There used to be a myth floating around that you could do what's known as a "poor man's patent" by taking your plans or pictures of your piece etc etc and placing them in a sealed envelope and mailing them to yourself. If someone tried to steal the idea you could use the sealed and postmark dated envelope as proof that you created the idea first. Apparently there have been a few instances where people's ideas have been stolen and the envelope didn't hold up as good enough evidence. So in other words, don't let someone tell you that this will work because history has proven that the poor man's patent doesn't really hold up to the scrutiny of patent law. I would consult a patent attorney though.

[htownfanatic]

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/howtopat.htm is the website to the United State Patent and Trademark office. They have all the info you could ever need about how much it would cost, how long the process takes, what exactly can be patented and any other info you think you may need. Check out the website and hope you find it useful

[christianshoes]

The design profession is full of happy folks, and understanding why so many designers enjoy their work is not hard.