How do you protect the idea?

ogremagi · 16th Oct 2011, 12:07 PM

Say you want to pitch mobile website to someone in another state so an in person demo is out of the question. How do you show them a sample and yet protect it at the same time? In other words, how do you prevent the "ok that looks cool, let me get this guy off the phone and show this to my existing webmaster to see what he can do with it"? Hopefully this makes sense. Maybe this is just me being paranoid since I am just getting started in this area but has this happened to anyone and is it common? Thanks.

frujid · 16th Oct 2011, 12:43 PM

It is being paranoid, there is nothing you can do about it. As most on here will tell you, the clients usually don't have a webmaster. They have someone who built their site but that's about it; that is the name of the game. They built it and may have done some other work (SEO, blah blah) but they usually don't stay around forever. You have to make your pitch and make it good. They can do whatever they want after that, it is up to them.

Not to sound too harsh, but I keep hearing people come up with the same excuse and they never make a call, or send a sales e-mail due to it. Just pick up the phone and call, if they don't use you move on to their competitors.

Maybe this is just me being paranoid since I am just getting started in this area but has this happened to anyone and is it common? Thanks.

midasman09 · 16th Oct 2011, 05:55 PM

Reminds me of when I attended "Inventor Club" meetings in Chgo.

Most of the people at these meetings were scared of someone "stealing" their Great Ideas.

So...After I did some research on some of the "old" attendees and what happened to them...I discovered something very interesting.

Even when some of these folks actually got a Patent....their product was "Stolen" by the big boys. Oh sure...a Patent gives the Patent Owner the "Right" to SUE anyone who tries to copy. This, however, back in those days...cost $5,000 in Attys Fees...for starters.

Thus...when I saw how many had been "stolen"....I decided that....with the product I was working on....I would forego the Patent process and just....MARKET THE HECK out of it!

My slogan was (and still is)....BE THE FIRSTEST with the MOSTEST!"

So....re: prospects taking your "Mobile Idea" and giving it to their WebMasters.

My comment is; "Yup! Some of your prospects WILL....probably take your idea and NOT pay you for it. That's part of doing business.

My suggestion is: DON'T WORRY about it! It's gonna happen! Just "Throw enough "Stuff" at the wall! Some of it's gonna Stick!"

Don Alm....gettin' out there

WillR · 16th Oct 2011, 11:36 PM

I can tell you from experience the people making the real money with my course are those who just got out there and hit the ground running. Don't waste time worrying about what 'might' happen. Get out there and start selling and deal with any problems only if they surface.

A short and easy answer to your question is to show them the demo mobile site via video. Don't send them a link to the mobile site if they have not paid for it. Use a free tool like jing to create a screen recording of your mobile website - that way they don't end up with any of the code but can still see all the functionality of the site.

StevePatentAttorney · 14th Nov 2011, 12:12 PM

Hi,

You can have the prospect sign a nondisclosure agreement (commonly referred to as an NDA) to protect the prototype or concept you come up with. Such an agreement can serve to encourage a person not to steal your idea. It can create a psychological barrier in the prospect's mind and show them that you are serious about protecting your intellectual property.

NDAs are relatively inexpensive to prepare and once you have one, you can typically use it as a template for other prospects by changing the details.

There are several avenues of intellectual property protection, such as patent, trademark and copyright. However, using these depends on the type of site and on the dollars at stake.

Hope this gives you some ideas about protecting your work. By the way, I also agree with the others that it is a good idea to get out there and make something happen. Being a patent attorney, I'd say get out there and do something, but be protected while you do it.

Good luck,
Steve

KCNL · 14th Nov 2011, 04:09 PM

Hi,

I put the mobile site in an iframe so not much to see there

If you really want some client, get the .mobi of his main domain..
Some of them will not like that but hey, thats business too..
Anyway, any webmaster/designer can just google mobile templates and get 100`s of results and free mobile sitebuilders so you better offer them something "wow" the first time..

KCNL · 14th Nov 2011, 04:44 PM

Hi,

I put the mobile site in an iframe so not much to see there

If you really want some client, get the .mobi of his main domain..
Some of them will not like that but hey, thats business too..
Anyway, any webmaster/designer can just google mobile templates and get 100`s of results and free mobile sitebuilders so you better offer them something "wow" the first time..

ballparkbob · 14th Nov 2011, 05:10 PM

I always insist on an NDA, but at the end of the day, if somebody wants to scam you and just take your ideas and do it themselves, what are you really going to be able to do short of a lawsuit? Don't hold back. Show your best stuff, but hold a few ideas back. Most people you will work with on a mobile website or similar are good people and will respect what you've done.

localvseo · 14th Nov 2011, 05:12 PM

I agree with some of the earlier posts. People that share the most information actually are seen as the experts and may help close more sales. Look at a lot of industries where you see an expert, they are often also selling their services that they are discussing while giving away a huge amount of info on their sites, speeches etc. A lot of people like to understand what is going on, but not necessarily do the work themselves.

ElenaEn · 16th Nov 2011, 10:38 PM

You tell them that optimizing a mobile site for thousands of devices is not something his web master can learn overnight, and as someone specializing in mobile sites you have special tools for that. (And its true, by the way, especially with Blackberries - seems like very model/OS version does its own thing and has its own set of bugs as far as the browser behavior).

Also, most business owners just want to have it done (doesn't matter if its their webmaster or you), and most of them would need to pay their freelance/contractor webmaster anyway.

Hugh · 17th Nov 2011, 02:06 PM

Wrap your idea up in a package that no one can match. Don't call
it SMS, give it your own name in your own package. Be unique.
Paint it purple and call it "Online Plum". Or something else.
They can't match that.

Hugh

Seantrepreneur · 17th Nov 2011, 02:15 PM

Whats the difference between that and you doing a face to face meeting where after you meet with the potential client they ask their web guy to make one for them?

Don't let something like this slow you down. Honestly I would even let this thought come into my mind. Plus, if you give them your pitch and they decide to go somewhere else then I would say that you didn't do a good enough job of convincing them to work with you.

Just go out there and sling as many mobile sites as you can and not even worry about this possibility.

Sean

leoalvin · 17th Nov 2011, 09:51 PM

That is actually one of the worst problem of this business. There is really no original idea that you can actually claim ownership of. Just have to be quick on your toes, I guess, when you have an idea. I mean, be quick on getting your product out there to at least be the first to do it.

neevedu · 17th Nov 2011, 11:32 PM

Wrap your idea up in a package .

andrewnstale · 18th Nov 2011, 07:55 AM

There are several avenues for protection of intellectual property such as patents, trademarks and copyrights. However, the use of these depends on the site and the dollars at stake

midasman09 · 18th Nov 2011, 10:51 AM

Make a "Mobile Directory" and host it on your server. (I'm creating "Town" Mobile Directories. I refer to them as "Mobi Indexes")

Show prospects a Sample of what your Mobile Sites look like.

And....only YOU can place the sites in the Directory!

Don Alm....

KCNL · 18th Nov 2011, 10:52 PM

@midasman09

Do you put the mobile directories on a .mobi or a "normal" domain ?

thriftgirl62 · 19th Nov 2011, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Hugh

Wrap your idea up in a package that no one can match. Don't call
it SMS, give it your own name in your own package. Be unique.
Paint it purple and call it "Online Plum". Or something else.
They can't match that.

Hugh

Exactly! That reminds me of "The Marketing Lagniappe" right here!!

193asajib · 19th Nov 2011, 12:57 PM

Maybe this is just me being paranoid since I am just getting started in this area but has this happened to anyone and is it common?

16th Oct 2011, 12:07 PM	#1
ogremagi Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 25 Thanks: 16 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	How do you protect the idea? Share on: Say you want to pitch mobile website to someone in another state so an in person demo is out of the question. How do you show them a sample and yet protect it at the same time? In other words, how do you prevent the "ok that looks cool, let me get this guy off the phone and show this to my existing webmaster to see what he can do with it"? Hopefully this makes sense. Maybe this is just me being paranoid since I am just getting started in this area but has this happened to anyone and is it common? Thanks.

16th Oct 2011, 05:55 PM	#3
midasman09 Banned Join Date: 2009 Posts: 1,279 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1,525 Times in 531 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Reminds me of when I attended "Inventor Club" meetings in Chgo. Most of the people at these meetings were scared of someone "stealing" their Great Ideas. So...After I did some research on some of the "old" attendees and what happened to them...I discovered something very interesting. Even when some of these folks actually got a Patent....their product was "Stolen" by the big boys. Oh sure...a Patent gives the Patent Owner the "Right" to SUE anyone who tries to copy. This, however, back in those days...cost $5,000 in Attys Fees...for starters. Thus...when I saw how many had been "stolen"....I decided that....with the product I was working on....I would forego the Patent process and just....MARKET THE HECK out of it! My slogan was (and still is)....BE THE FIRSTEST with the MOSTEST!" So....re: prospects taking your "Mobile Idea" and giving it to their WebMasters. My comment is; "Yup! Some of your prospects WILL....probably take your idea and NOT pay you for it. That's part of doing business. My suggestion is: DON'T WORRY about it! It's gonna happen! Just "Throw enough "Stuff" at the wall! Some of it's gonna Stick!" Don Alm....gettin' out there

16th Oct 2011, 11:36 PM	#4
WillR Digital Marketer War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 12,475 Thanks: 1,984 Thanked 8,187 Times in 4,079 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: I can tell you from experience the people making the real money with my course are those who just got out there and hit the ground running. Don't waste time worrying about what 'might' happen. Get out there and start selling and deal with any problems only if they surface. A short and easy answer to your question is to show them the demo mobile site via video. Don't send them a link to the mobile site if they have not paid for it. Use a free tool like jing to create a screen recording of your mobile website - that way they don't end up with any of the code but can still see all the functionality of the site.
	. ➨ Here's How to Make Your First $177 Online This Week Using the Piggyback Method... .

14th Nov 2011, 12:12 PM	#5
StevePatentAttorney Warrior Member Join Date: 2011 Location: Lakeland, FL Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Hi, You can have the prospect sign a nondisclosure agreement (commonly referred to as an NDA) to protect the prototype or concept you come up with. Such an agreement can serve to encourage a person not to steal your idea. It can create a psychological barrier in the prospect's mind and show them that you are serious about protecting your intellectual property. NDAs are relatively inexpensive to prepare and once you have one, you can typically use it as a template for other prospects by changing the details. There are several avenues of intellectual property protection, such as patent, trademark and copyright. However, using these depends on the type of site and on the dollars at stake. Hope this gives you some ideas about protecting your work. By the way, I also agree with the others that it is a good idea to get out there and make something happen. Being a patent attorney, I'd say get out there and do something, but be protected while you do it. Good luck, Steve
	Steve Aycock, Patent Attorney Cygnet IP Law, P.A. Patents ~ Trademarks ~ Copyrights Visit my website to learn how to get a patent. or call 863-514-8077 Office: Lakeland, FL

14th Nov 2011, 04:09 PM	#6
KCNL Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Posts: 83 Thanks: 23 Thanked 29 Times in 24 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Hi, I put the mobile site in an iframe so not much to see there If you really want some client, get the .mobi of his main domain.. Some of them will not like that but hey, thats business too.. Anyway, any webmaster/designer can just google mobile templates and get 100`s of results and free mobile sitebuilders so you better offer them something "wow" the first time..

14th Nov 2011, 04:44 PM	#7
KCNL Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Posts: 83 Thanks: 23 Thanked 29 Times in 24 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Hi, I put the mobile site in an iframe so not much to see there If you really want some client, get the .mobi of his main domain.. Some of them will not like that but hey, thats business too.. Anyway, any webmaster/designer can just google mobile templates and get 100`s of results and free mobile sitebuilders so you better offer them something "wow" the first time..

14th Nov 2011, 05:10 PM	#8
ballparkbob Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Location: Philly Posts: 35 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: I always insist on an NDA, but at the end of the day, if somebody wants to scam you and just take your ideas and do it themselves, what are you really going to be able to do short of a lawsuit? Don't hold back. Show your best stuff, but hold a few ideas back. Most people you will work with on a mobile website or similar are good people and will respect what you've done.
	Bob Bentz - LinkedIn Advanced Telecom Services Mobile Marketing

14th Nov 2011, 05:12 PM	#9
localvseo B2B Lead Specialist War Room Member Join Date: 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 248 Thanks: 25 Thanked 50 Times in 34 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: I agree with some of the earlier posts. People that share the most information actually are seen as the experts and may help close more sales. Look at a lot of industries where you see an expert, they are often also selling their services that they are discussing while giving away a huge amount of info on their sites, speeches etc. A lot of people like to understand what is going on, but not necessarily do the work themselves.

16th Nov 2011, 10:38 PM	#10
ElenaEn Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 28 Times in 13 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: You tell them that optimizing a mobile site for thousands of devices is not something his web master can learn overnight, and as someone specializing in mobile sites you have special tools for that. (And its true, by the way, especially with Blackberries - seems like very model/OS version does its own thing and has its own set of bugs as far as the browser behavior). Also, most business owners just want to have it done (doesn't matter if its their webmaster or you), and most of them would need to pay their freelance/contractor webmaster anyway.

17th Nov 2011, 02:06 PM	#11
Hugh HyperActive Warrior Join Date: 2003 Location: , Florida , USA. Posts: 392 Thanks: 239 Thanked 52 Times in 46 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Wrap your idea up in a package that no one can match. Don't call it SMS, give it your own name in your own package. Be unique. Paint it purple and call it "Online Plum". Or something else. They can't match that. Hugh
	"Never make someone a priority in your life who makes you an option in theirs." Anon. "Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon." -- Winston Churchill

17th Nov 2011, 02:15 PM	#12
Seantrepreneur Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Location: Maine Posts: 573 Thanks: 12 Thanked 156 Times in 115 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Whats the difference between that and you doing a face to face meeting where after you meet with the potential client they ask their web guy to make one for them? Don't let something like this slow you down. Honestly I would even let this thought come into my mind. Plus, if you give them your pitch and they decide to go somewhere else then I would say that you didn't do a good enough job of convincing them to work with you. Just go out there and sling as many mobile sites as you can and not even worry about this possibility. Sean
	-------->Started with $500 on Amazon and building it from there. Week #1 income report is live ($593.78 in revenue)<----------

17th Nov 2011, 09:51 PM	#13
leoalvin Warrior Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 13 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: That is actually one of the worst problem of this business. There is really no original idea that you can actually claim ownership of. Just have to be quick on your toes, I guess, when you have an idea. I mean, be quick on getting your product out there to at least be the first to do it.

17th Nov 2011, 11:32 PM	#14
neevedu Warrior Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Wrap your idea up in a package .

18th Nov 2011, 07:55 AM	#15
andrewnstale Warrior Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: There are several avenues for protection of intellectual property such as patents, trademarks and copyrights. However, the use of these depends on the site and the dollars at stake
	business cards design

18th Nov 2011, 10:51 AM	#16
midasman09 Banned Join Date: 2009 Posts: 1,279 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1,525 Times in 531 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Make a "Mobile Directory" and host it on your server. (I'm creating "Town" Mobile Directories. I refer to them as "Mobi Indexes") Show prospects a Sample of what your Mobile Sites look like. And....only YOU can place the sites in the Directory! Don Alm....

18th Nov 2011, 10:52 PM	#17
KCNL Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Posts: 83 Thanks: 23 Thanked 29 Times in 24 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: @midasman09 Do you put the mobile directories on a .mobi or a "normal" domain ?

19th Nov 2011, 12:57 PM	#19
193asajib Warrior Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How do you protect the idea? Share on: Maybe this is just me being paranoid since I am just getting started in this area but has this happened to anyone and is it common?
	i am sajib.18 and love game