I think a better way is to be a consultant for the company. Give them some ideas so they can see what they stand to benefit working with u before giving them a full those of it when u get hired. Don't look for a one time pay, it's better and safer to get hired as a consulting think thankl for dem!

Ok, I know Im kind of stale in my replying this thread, but I have tried contacting some of the posters here but it seems no one is using the same things as at 2007 when this was posted. I have idea(s) for any telecommuication company and a nice working idea for inec for this upcoming elections or any other elections. I just do not know where to begin. I read about the patent/copyright stuff that was discussed but how do I get that and is it expensive? I dont have a lawyer, so what exactly should I do? I have already prepared proposals. Been planning this for months now. Please any sensible comment will be worthwhile

Hello my name is Paul and I am a paraplegic and the problem I had was with adult diapers, that is that I couldn’t be out long without the diaper not holding out, so I reconstructed the diaper and have been doing it that way for some years now and it have been working. I tested it to see how long it will prevent my cloth’s from getting wet at a New Year’s Eve celebration which held out for 17hours.So my question is that I’m looking forward to selling my idea to a company so should I get the patent, trademark, and copyrights before or have the company agree to paying for it with it license to produce the product. Also, I believe that as we all aged we will one day want something as this so that we can continue to be a-part of life as before.
Thank you, Paul.

well I need Help how do you sell an idea. For Example to a giant publishing company. Which method/procedure is the best?

I have just figure out a way to present ideas/schema to any company and they will be running after you. I am presently working on an idea proposal for a giant publisher, contact me I can help you! 08039595413

what you must first do is to give them a bait and not the idea, the bait attracts them and you become the boss, to prepare a bait for any company I have just figure that out and how to prepare it, really interesting you end up becoming the boss why they come along,

ao i wish i can get the idea too

hi guys thank you so much for what u arte doing to help some of us here. i have a very powerful plant of medicine dat works like magic diabetes. we have it to treat some many people who are happy including the controller of prison in plataeu state but i don't know to go about sallindg the idea to the right people even when i tried some people i discovered they are raedy not to help but to take what i have from me. please send ur contribution thru. c.zhedogafirstname@yahoo.com. we relly need people who will work with us so we can take this idea to where it should be. thank u all.

I love this and i love the replies so far

well, Get an experienced lawyer, He or She would guide you through the process !!!

for every one asking how to put their idea on paper for packaging and presentation. Just ask d big G-google, am sure you will get quality answer within few minutes.
Also Guys remember idea without action orrealization is just a thought which is no different from millions thought running through our mind. So friend if u can your idea on a small scale go ahead to prove yourself if you cant package it, get a lawyer and know somebody on the inside

@ tEslim How do you copyright/patent your idea

and to everyone else,please how do you write a proposal, does any one have a sample copy to show , please I would be grateful

Am interested too in seeing a sample of a standard professional proposal format that matches Nigeria market.
please post a sample here if you have one or seen one.

Could get your biz plan done for u professionally. Call me:08033679526

the only way i can advice you, go to fiverr.com and search for the any keywords is $5

the only way i can advice you, go to fiverr.com and search for the any keywords is $5

I count that as waste of time and this free ebook at the address above will just show YOU the simple ways in less than 2 hours 100% guaranteed and if it not so,call and slap me via my no 08039614606 for wasting your time and money and you are free to sue me to SUPREME COURT.thanks

Thank you all but i think a step by step guide will suffice here for someone that is new to this idea.
so share your ideas in a step by step format on how to go about this thread and be explicit where necessary.
so that at a glance, one can follow through the steps

Just see a good intellectual property lawyer.

I’m a Patent Attorney in the US and my answers only apply to the US BUT patent laws in Europe and the US are substantively the same. There are some minor procedural differences but probably doesn’t apply to what you need.

1. You cannot patent an idea and you sure as hell cannot copyright anything but literary and artistic works.

2. You cannot patent an idea and an idea is NOT an invention. For it to be an invention, you need to disclose “how” it is done so that a person in the same field can build the same based on what you disclosed.

3. Even copyright does not protect what’s in your head. It has to be in a tangible form (written on some medium).

4. To disclose an idea to a company, about the only option you have is to have them sign a Non-disclosure agreement (NDA). BUT why would they sign it? Put yourself in their shoes. Someone comes in off the street and hands them a paper to sign saying he has something important to tell them! How are they going to take you seriously? More importantly, how do they know that you’re not going to tell them something they already know or are planning to do?


Your only realistic option is to seek legal protection before disclosure. If what you want to disclose is more than an idea, then try to get a patent but start with a Provisional Utility Patent. Without getting into too much detail, a provisional patent can be thought of as a placeholder for a year and it cost thousands of dollars less than a full utility patent (~$5k just to file). During the year of your provisional patent (valid for 1 year before the need to file a full patent), you can then approach the company in question with your provisional patent.

If your idea is an ornamental design of a product, then you have to get a design patent which is way cheaper. If it some literary or artistic work, then write it down with proof of the date of conception. Mailing it to yourself in a sealed envelope can do the trick.

Ask specific questions and I’ll try to answer anything that does not take too much of my time.

Well, this is a very smart question.

Sorry, I thought that you intend to sell a company..

How to sell a company

GET A SMALL BUSINESS LOAN TODAY-do you need a micro loan between 20,000- 100,000 naira? Get it without collateral @zero interest now!! send your name nature of business&contact number to 08066120772.goodluck

Seun: The best way to sell an idea is to create a product or service with that idea and then sell the product!
All other approaches are not guaranteed. There are a lot of ideas sitting in dustbins all over the world!

I've just hit the right word.Thanks for this Mr Seun & I will need to contact you for a great idea.

michael_umanah@yahoo.com
Thanks

xposure: Dear friends,
if anybody needs a sample proposal send me your email address i will help you out.

I am sorry i can not leave my email here because of spam mails.

My idea can yield more than 1 billion naira every month and will increase exponentially. I need a telecommunication company. Or if u are a billionaire. Just long leg
08037751395

I'm seeing this thread after many years and wondering where I have been all these while. My reply may help someone still.

Ideas can be copyrighted if well documented into a process. I speak as one who have a handful of copyrighted ideas here in Nigeria. My first idea was copyrighted back in 2007. When structured into the right document, approach the Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) and file for copyright. Fee is N10,000 (used to be N5,000) then. You do not need an attorney for this. For trademarks, see Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

To sell ideas to companies is somewhat trickier. Nigerian companies think upside down. But be sure to complete the above process first. Start here by putting up a business proposal (better if it's like a brochure) or pitch deck. I innovated a protection strategy called NDAs in Cover Letters and can help you even if your idea is not protected.

Try to get the MD's email and send a catchy one pager proposal to him/her. If he likes it, you get a call/email. Alternatively, talk to a high-ranking staff in the establishment (this too is pitching and you must learn how to do it right). If they catch your vision, they will push forward.

You can try a recommendation from your uncle who is someone with pedigree (I no mean local government chairman or counsellor o). One call from him to them gets it done. Alternatively, get a promoter and agree terms with them (could be individual or company but better with company abeg).

If all the above aren't at your reach, then you will have to push it yourself. Just address the letter to the right department. People think it is always to the Marketing Manager. Yes, it could be the External Communication Director, Public Relations, etc. Make sure to find out who to address the proposal to. Give one month space and start followup aggressively. Be sure you have a cover letter acknowledged and kept, it could save you.

Like one user stated, the best bet is to build a product or service from the idea and sell the product or service. Sometimes it's easier if you know what to do. All issues raised in this thread are things I have encountered and mastered and I consult for others.

You can contact me on any of the above concern through spegispecial@yahoo.com. Only serious persons please. Remember I no be fada kirisimas.