Idowuogbo:
D rate u going, u go enter screen slap me o!! Ogbeni calm down jare! Wot am I saying and what are you saying? If bin natural includes wearing lip-gloss and perfume, den bros! Ur paragraphs na WASH!!!! Like say in d days of Adam and Eve, dem dey apply body cream for body? abeggi! Don't get me in on dis long azzz debate mehn... U think its fake, I agree to a certain degree. Happy now?

Haba Idowu. No be public discussion wey I dey give my opinion and my principles?
Wetin I talk now wey u dey take so personal? I never referred to you personally. Just responding to issues that you/others raised.
No vex o! Make we leave dis matter for here.

Idowuogbo:
Hmmmm...u sure want a debate don't ya? I hardly wear makeup, but ur definition of fake is seriously &£@££?. I ain't got time to start going bck and forth with your handle, but! I must say... ur opinions are disturbing. Ur wife dey try mehn!

The point is, my wife KNOWS that whenever I say she is beautiful or looking pretty, she is sure that it is not down to a thick layer of chemicals plastered all over her face, lips or wherever. You say my opinions are disturbing as if wearing make-up is the default way of life. You say my wife is trying? No, I think she is comfortable, honest and happy with herself! And so am I.

I dont deal in fakes. Neither does she. Simplez.

Fridayokolo: Rubbing make up makes u classic ,It's lugubriously abysmal that most person lack sense fashion and presentativeness.i make up as a boy to make me more attractive and pyrrhic. I don't appreciate girls without make up. Morethanthat girls got draw a stalemate both moderate and overdose of makeups.

Do you know what you are actually saying at all?

merriam-webster's dictionary defines pyrrhic as:
(something): achieved at excessive cost <a Pyrrhic victory>; also : costly to the point of negating or outweighing expected benefits <a great but Pyrrhic act of ingenuity>

Pyrric doesnt sound so cool now, does it? Mr. Make-Up.

kemoolala:

paste ur pics make we see first b4 u conclude say u fine, na we go tell whether u fine or not.

Kai, haba. Thats below the belt. What happened to 'giving someone benefit of doubt'?

If she says AND believes she is beautiful, thats all that counts to her. Not even her man has the right to make her believe otherwise. Honesty and integrity is a gift that only you can give to yourself.

True beauty is not physical. It is a state of mind that affects how the heart and head function with self-confidence. The day many women will actually understand and practice this, then indeed, they will be liberated. And their true beauty will come out for all to see. Until then, many of you will keep sentencing yourself to life imprisonment in the penitentiary of self-deception.

nyere84: Seriously, my make up gives me confidence. Wen am waering it, and a man compliments me, i believe him whole heartedly. But, if am witout it, and a compliment comes in, i see it as mocking.

Thank you for this honest assessment.

It means we men (who clearly, all this make-up is aimed at attracting/seducing/convincing) have to help boost the confidence and sense of self-esteem of those women that are addicted to make-up. It wont be easy. But it has to start somewhere.

How would the world be if men were to use fake beard, fake moustache, fake baritone voice, fake muscles, etc? Is it not bad and hurtful enough that you women have to endure fake stories and fake declaration of love from men? Think about it PLEASE women...and use your HEAD to do the thinking, please, not your heart (or your mirror)

Idowuogbo:
FAIL!!
Wearing "TOO" much of it,makes d woman look plastic.

A lie is a lie. No more nor less.
Half a lie, is still a lie. Half make-up is STILL make-up. Abi did your chemistry teacher tell you say half-plastic exists?
Plastic look is still plastic look.

Make I sharraaap my mouth before the Online Association of Lipstick and Brazillian Nairalanderesses (OALBN) petition Seun to ban me

Idowuogbo:
HBP over makeup? U need deliverance sir! Ur enemies at out to finish u. Fast and pray!!

Okay, I actually exaggerated the HBP part. But make-up can cause quarrel between me and my wife. I even dislike jerry curls and all other forms of hair treatment that is not African/natural. Why you wan make your hair look like oyibo when we know say you nor be oyinbo? Who dey deceive who with fake hair? The day my wife make mistake wear brazilian hair ehn....Lawd have mercy!

Idowuogbo:
U dey mind all dis wannabe popes? Angels sef dey wear mascara( d ones i see in my dream o).Nonsense!

Has it occured to you that some of us dont like deception, and that we like things/people to be as natural as possible? (and which Angel did you see in real life talkless of whether he/she has mascara?)

On the flip side, how would you like your husband/boyfriend to have a fake beard, fake muscles, fake baritone voice?
Oya, answer dat one!

ItsModella:
I don't even understand your argument. How does wearing make-up make one fake?

Wearing make-up makes a woman as fake as posing with somebody else's bank account makes me dishonest.
The fake-ism part is simply the serious attempt to disguise the true nature and appearance of your physical features.

It is an attempt to lie. In fact, make-up is a non-verbal lie of the physical type.

Idowuogbo:
Na wa o! U dey vex gan o! Am sure u d CEO of MFM, oh boi see parament

What more can I say?
But truly, if my wife wears make-up (beyond vaseline and perfume) I fit get HBP.

ItsModella: wow, see as all dem woman haters have showed their ugly heads here.

Wetin be woman-hater for dis one?
I am sure most of here either have wives or girlfriends.
This is about anti fake-ism. It is not anti feminism.
Dont complicate or twist the topic and responses, please.
Thank you.

Just self deception, if you ask me.

If you nor fine, you nor fine. End of story.
If your hair nor long, e nor long. Cool down
If your lips nor red, e nor red. Wetin be di problem?
If your eye lashes nor long, e nor long! And so?
If your skin nor yellow, e nor yellow, Chillax
If your nails nor long, leave am! You be winch?
If your teeth nor white, ehen? You be vampire?
If you don dey old, wrinkle must show. You cant be young forever!

So dia4, I ask again, who dey deceive who with make up?
Apart from perfume and deodorant, anything way pass vaseline (last-last, coconut butter cream) is make-up as far as I am concerned. And my wife knows I dont like bullshyte, so there you go. Our bedroom dresser is not populated with assorted self-deprecating, low-self-esteem, naturally-irrelevant and demartologically-harmful rubbish.

True beauty surpasses skin quality.

@mekaboy:

I agree with all that you have written.
....However, abeg, (no vex o) but using capital letters to type all your words is the digital equivalent of shouting. Especially when you also use bold letters!

Please TRY to type using mostly small letters and use caps only for emphasising certain words. It makes it easier to read. As you can see, I emphasised 'try' above using caps. if I had said TRY (in bold) then I am seriously seriously emphasising.

Lest I digress, I agree once again with all that you have said on this Okada issue.

Thanks

Ola one: Why destroy things that you can sell off?

In normal climes, they sell not destroy such ,

You dey mind dem? Naija is not a normal clime anyway.

Does this make sense?

So will Fashola's government now crush my Jeep if I disobey traffic law and abandon the car because I dey fear teeth-gnashing LASTMA people? Why do we like oppressing the small man on the street?

Let us ask some real hard questions here. This is democracy not dictatorship. I think it is a breach of the bike owners' rights. Someone should please tell me which existing state or federal law allows Lagos State Government to destroy the property/vehicle of owners simply because they ran away.

Do you know how many potential armed robbers are now roaming the streets of Lagos because they have lost their livelihoods? What is wrong with: (1) asking the bike owners to come and claim their bikes - and pay some fines? (2) auctioning these bikes to raise revenue, no matter how small; and (3) donating these bikes to other law abiding citizens? What is wrong with doing any of these 3 options?

Bottom line is committing a traffic offence should not lead citizens into running away. There must be something wrong with the way LASTMA people handle such cases for someone to abandon a 45 to 60,000 worth bike. Or maybe the fines are draconian. What will these people now do for a living?

Anyway, that these bikes were abandoned by the owners upon sighting the law enforcement officials is not an excuse to descend into such destructive spree. Also, the economic benefits of recycling the crushed metallic parts cannot outweigh the usefulness of the bikes, most of which I am sure can still last up to 10 years, given the skills of our mechanics.

People dey talk say our problem is not policy making but implementation: can you now see stewpid implementation of a law? Either way, it is the economy and security of Lagos State that will suffer the consequences of destroying these bikes. Fashola should call his people to order. And if he sanctioned this, I weep for Nigeria. Two steps forward, two steps back. As usual. I think this destruction is just eye-service, so that you and me will say "hmmm, Fashola's govt is working...this people mean business"

Mtcheewww. I am disappointed. And there I was, thinking there were educated people in Fashola's cabinet. How is this progressive?

kagel:

How to Drive an Automatic Car
Anyone learning to drive should use a car equipped with an automatic transmission, because shifting gears and gaining clutch coordination on a manual transmission car takes a lot of practice. There are far too many other skills to concentrate on for the sake of becoming a safe driver. Safety is the first consideration for you, your passengers and all other occupants of the road

Instructions

[b]1

Check the vehicle. Look over the tires, glass, wipers and lights before getting in. Tires should be properly inflated with enough tread to touch Lincoln’s head with an inverted penny in the groove. Glass should be free of cracks and wipers able to clear rain or snow from the windshield. Check the lights in front and back as well as both turn signals. Ask someone to step on the brake pedal while you check the brake lights in the rear.
2

Get in and buckle up. Pull the seat belt and shoulder strap over yourself and snap it securely into the buckle. Seat belts save lives. It only takes a few seconds to put one on and it’s not the least bit uncomfortable. Be sure all passengers are buckled and follow safety regulations regarding children’s weight and proper restraining devices.

3

Check mirrors. Clean and adjust the rear view and side mirrors. Set the rear view mirror to let you see straight out the back window. Side mirrors should show the back corners of the car to give you a location reference to other objects.
4

Start it up. Turn the key to start the engine, apply the brake and shift into the desired gear with the gear lever on the steering column or floor console between the front seats. Depress the accelerator lightly to get the car rolling. Now check the brakes before you actually need them to stop the car.
5

Choose the gear. Shift the car into the best gear for the road and weather conditions. Obviously, if you want to back up, reverse is the only choice ("R". For normal driving, shift into high gear and leave it there. A circled "" allows best fuel efficiency at high speeds. On vehicles with overdrive, that’s high gear. To move forward on loose gravel or a muddy dirt road, use one of the lower gears ("L1" or "L2". Shift into a low gear any time you are going down a steep grade. Stay in high gear going uphill and the automatic transmission will adjust itself to meet the demand.
6

Use the right foot. Use the same foot for the accelerator and the brake. Reflexes will take your foot from gas to brake in less than half a second. Two-footed driving needlessly burns fuel and brake pads.
7

Take a hands-on approach. Grab the steering wheel with both hands at clock positions of 10 and 2, or 9 and 3 if the wheel holds an air bag. Make turns by crossing one hand over another, with one hand on the wheel at all times.
8

Look around. Check for pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers and children before pulling away from the curb or out of a driveway. Look ahead for hazards or upcoming steering adjustments. Check both ways before entering intersections. Be aware of all other vehicles around you, including the ones behind you. Check mirrors and turn your head quickly to check spots the mirrors don’t show before changing lanes or entering traffic.
9

Use the turn signal to show other drivers your intention to change lanes, make a turn, enter the roadway or parallel park.
10

Take to the highway. Enter a highway by gaining speed as you drive up the on ramp. Signal your intention to merge with traffic and check mirrors and blind spots for a safe gap in traffic. Drive in the center lane on three-lane roads. Use the right lane on two-lane highways, saving the left lane for passing. Although it may be tempting to speed on highways, keep your speed within 5 mph of the posted speed limit.
11

Drive according to location and conditions. Use a gentle touch on the brake and accelerator in snow and ice. Beware of hydroplaning in rain, and dry the brakes by holding the pedal down a little while moving. Constantly watch for pedestrians in the city. Look out for children and pets in suburbs, and watch for wildlife on rural routes.
[/b]
Read more: How to Drive an Automatic Car | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4460806_drive-automatic-car.html#ixzz28nvwKAcS

Kai, wetin be dis? Wharisalldis long tori? You CANNOT learn to drive a car from an online tutorial. It is not like recipe for egusi soup which you follow step by step. Human lives (your life + life of other road users) are at risk - not to mention loads of innocent goats, chickens and dogs .

In any case, the OP's problem is how to get used to automatic transmission system and NOT how to signal, look for signs or negotiate bends, etc.

My advice is, if you already know how to drive a manual but want to switch to auto, it is better to take an experienced auto driver for a short practice. Or until you get the hang of it. This is the best way to appreciate the P,R,N,D or whatever alphabet auto people dem dey use.

Having said that, manuals RULE! That is real/proper driving right there! I would only use auto if I live in some traffic-jam city like Lagos. And I dont.

dayokanu:

How did you debunk it?

Dont you see that the joke is on you? Business proceeds from export and import are not done through Western union but through Letter of credits from banks. Google it.

Money laudering people bringing money through Western union? you must be kidding me. Since you dont know money sent through Western Union has a limit. Try sending ordinary $5000 through Western union and see the scrutiny you would be subjected to. Western union amounts are usually less than $2000 per transaction. So you think Atiku or IBB that laundered 5billion would be sending it in $1000, per money transfer? You must be really deluded

Which services are rendered by Nigerians that require Western union payments. Kindly give examples of such services.

Who are these diasporan paying back debt to? they are paying back debt to who? When most diasporans are the highest earners in the extended family?

Dayokanu, I wonder why we dey waste time with this guy? He is clueless. Next thing you know, he has become a local government chairman or member of a state house. And people wonder why Nigeria is so backward - with (supposedly educated) people who write/claim rubbish without checking facts.

Kslib:
The op might be wrong to some extent but from your statement it seems you are no longer Nigerian.. Why do you keep using the word "your" "your".. Are Nigerians abroad now special/different from the ones at home..

It is not like that and it is not like I am suddenly un-Nigerian. Apologies.

The bottom line is people back home are more directly linked to the quality of leadership than those abroad. But again, because of the extent to which some aspects of our followership helps to compromise good leadership in Nigeria, you will excuse me if I somehow dissociate myself from the muppets who rule Nigeria today. Why do you think many of us refuse to come back?

Regardless of what I may have implied, I, like many diasporans love Nigeria. Probably more than some finger-pointing haters. How much him (OP) dey remit come give us for abroad? Yet he has the guts to accuse us of not caring...and that less than 10% of us send money back home. Even going as far as saying MOST of us are bad...!

...And also accusing us that it is we diasporans who are responsible for the rubbish commentary here on Nairaland.

This is why a lot of us accuse him of being a bitter person. Since we diasporans are the cause of Nigeria's failure in almost every ramification of life and since charity begins at home....oya, home-based Nigerians, over to you. Fix the country make we see nah?

tpia@:
ok, now it's $1.7 trillion.

Look carefully: it is N1.7 trillion NOT $1.7 trillion.

coogar:

the op is an ignoramus!
without the $9 billion per annum injected into the economy in remittance by the nigerians in diaspora the nigerian economy would have collapsed completely! it marvels me when some unscrupulous bats claim nigerians abroad are bitter or envious of them! what's there to envy? epileptic power supply or the general breakdown of law and order?

I couldnt have said it better.

@OP: You, (like some others) are just looking for ways to vent their frustration and Nigerians abroad have become their target. I dont know how in this day and age, with google and wikipedia, some ignoramus will wake up and say not up to 10% of Nigerians in the UK or wherever send money back home.

Just because your elder brother or uncle in Italy or Spain refused to sponsor you during your school days does not give you the right or reason to come to Nairaland and spew rubbish against people in diaspora. It is YOU who is bitter and helpless. How much have you remitted to Nigerians abroad since you became an adult (if at all you are)? Speak about the hopeless, clueless and useless local and national leaders; the corrupt police and sadistic lecturers. Talk about the wanton materialism and the overwhelming avarice in Nigeria. Worry about your cybercafe criminals, armed robbers, cultist and ritualistic - and stop pointing a finger at people abroad.

dayokanu: You mean they contribute nothing?

But monetary remittance from them annually is in excess of $10b

How can people who contribute $10bn a yr be classed as not contributing anything?

You dey mind am?

thelastPope:

Like I indicated in my post, not all diasporans are bad. But most of them are. I repeat, they contribute nothing. There are over 1 million Nigerians in the UK. If a tenth of them contribute meaningfully to Nigeria, believe me, you will feel the impact. These Nigerians even collect monies from many foreign donors in the name of coming to Nigeria to develope the place but end up spending the money on expensive cars. I have first hand experience so I know what I am saying. Most NGOs in Nigeria were started by Nigerians in diaspora and 90% of these NGOs are fraud! They are a nuisance here on NL.

You might not know the value of building hope in people but I know what it is to inspire hope. If we are to go by the NL contributions of many diaspora Nigerians, we will all give up.

eGuerrilla:
I dare you to substantiate the following statements with facts (Note: in Romneyesque speak, you are not entitled to your own facts)

(1)Most Nigerians in the Diaspora are bad
(2)Less than one tenth of those in the UK contribute meaningfully to Nigeria
(3)Most NGOs in Nigeria were started by Nigerians in diaspora
(4)Nigerians based abroad are more of a nuisance on NL than those at home.

Thank you e-Guerilla. I was going to make a similar comment on the OP's allusion based on his illusions. The original post (though not too bad in content but wrongly titled) is not that of an issue. But in the follow-up (as quoted above) the OP has made some lazy, childish, ignorant and in fact very bitter accusations and false claims. Lets break it down:

(1). To say most Nigerians in Diaspora are bad borders on ignorance and hate. In fact, it is insulting. That is like oyibo people thinking all of us Nigerians are 419ers. How many out of 150 million Nigerians have these oyibo people met in Nigeria? By extension, dear OP, tell us the percentage of diasporans you have met and truly found them to be bad....! If you have ever lived abroad and all your friends and associates were criminals, well that is only a statistical assessment of YOUR friends/associates and not a factual summary of all Nigerians abroad.

If you mingled and mix with Nigerian criminals who collect money in the name of NGOs only to spend them on expensive cars, please, tell us how that is a true reflection of all Nigerians in the UK. Are you for real?

(2)To claim that less than one tenth of those in the UK contribute meaningfully to Nigeria is also a wild and dumb claim. Where did you get this statistic from? Do you work for the International Office of Naija Gbese and Remittances (IONGR) or are you a multi-licensed remittance agent/accounting consultant affiliated with Moneygram, Western Union, et al.?

Are you seriously telling us that less than 10% of Nigerians in the UK send money back home? Mtchewww!

(3)Your unscientific and sweeping statement that most NGOs in Nigeria were started by Nigerians in diaspora is nothing but bullshyte and cow-dung of the highest order. You are clearly clueless about NGOs in Nigeria, who started them, owns them or operates them. Go to Corporate affairs and bring your evidence.

(4)Your accusation that Nigerians based abroad are more of a nuisance on NL than those at home also borders on the the nonsensical. How do you define nuisance and where or how did you get the statistical fact that it is diasporans who post idyotic comments on price of garri in the middle of serious discussions? Did Seun give you a breakdown of IP addresses per thread - and you sat down in front of Excel or SPSS through which you carried out a correlation between idyotic comments and the location of posters on this Forum? Can you see yourself now?

You (the OP )seems to me to be a bitter, annoyed and probably frustrated person who may or may not have lived and/or may or may not have been deported/frustrated from abroad. I care less. Regardless, stop trying to infect the mind of Nairalanders with your annoyance or frustration.

Stop composing falsehood and fake statistics on your laptop and pedalling it as truth or fact.

ItsModella:
Not in Port Harcourt zoo man, that place is almost empty.

...Chei! Empty? Na who come chopulate all the animals na?
This is ethnic cleansing o! Crime against animality.

mazaje: Where the animals na?. . .Abi na the human beings be the animals?. . .

Human being no be animal?

Okija said it was pictures of Nigeria@52 Celebration in Port-Harcourt Zoo.
No where in his original post did he imply that it was a zoo for 'Wild' animals.

Just kidding o! Abeg.

Okija, is that you selling ice-cream on a bicycle?
How market?

Very nice pictures. Thanks for sharing.

This story is a lesson for us all in Nigeria, both the educated and the illiterate.

We should learn to fight disability with determination. And by that I am not referring to the determination of disabled people only. We, the rest of society should also be determined to encourage our disabled people to achieve whatever they want to achieve. This begins with moral support to start with. I am sure Jessica had words of encouragement and cheerful smiles around her always. These kind of support would have helped her forget about her limitations (disability) and focus on her potential (achievables).

Apart from moral support, we should also be proactive in paving the way for our disabled people to become useful members of society. This requires other kinds of support which is not only financial. Having teachers/trainers who are WILLING to be patient and to go the extra mile is essential.

Having laws, policies, subsidies and incentives (e.g. free education up to university) which are favourable to the development of disabled people is therefore a very good starting point.

The poverty in the land as well as the inept and corrupt leadership notwithstanding, disabled people are human beings like the rest of us. We must carry them along. Disability is certainly not inability.

...And some of us able-bodied think our lives are hard.
This is the real deal, right here. Thumbs up. Hats off. I take a bow.

bandiejay:
"Oh my God" in rented ascent ...... Ur head dey there sam sam just last week i was thinkingof having the concept running on website through the help of SMS short code who ever is interested will just send a text at a particular fee.but with this e get as e be sef..

My advice: speak to a lawyer on this issue. Let him/her advice further. Also investigate the Apple/Samsung patent infringement cases for further details on how to proceed. Some of the patented ideas in the Apple/Samsung litigation are based on soft products (e.g. sliding lock on a touch screen phone). So not all patentable ideas have to be 'hard' products.

In short, try to see if you can add some added value to your website such that you can claim novelty. Dont just design something typical or basic in html or PHP and expect the world to stand idle. The idea of copyright and patenting is to protect novelty or intellectual property. You may be on to something. All the best.

ade2tu: A lovely write up. I learnt a lot from this. Thank you Drzed.

You are welcome.

Wallie: Great thread! However, as someone that does this for a living, the inclusion of copyrights as a way of protecting your business idea is wrong. All copyrights does is to protect original works (creative and artistic) of authorship that is fixed in a tangible medium. In other words, it only protects written “anything” and musical plays BUT does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something.

I agree. Thats why I gave example of a script based on MKO Abiola's June 12 struggle; or Da Vinci's code. You cannot copyright June 12 story, except the way in which YOU have documented it in a book/script/movie.

Wallie:
If you want to protect concepts, systems, or methods of doing something that’s where patent law comes in. If you want to protect the way something looks, that’s where Design patent comes in. If you want to protect your goods in the market place from other goods and services sold, that’s where trademark law comes in.

Yes, I clearly defined design rights but I didnt cover trademarks.

Wallie:
But as you correctly pointed out, contract law or NDA is what protects you when disclosing your idea to a company or person.

However, in the real world, the problem the average Akeem runs into when dealing with a big company is that they will almost never sign an NDA with an unknown company/entity.

Put yourself in their shoes for a second, would you want to tie your hands signing away your rights to something that will be disclosed to you that you may currently be working on or thinking of working on? How do you know the company that you’re approaching is not currently thinking or working on the same idea?

lagerwhenindoubt:
There was no other way but the Frontpage. There is a caveat though.. I found from Experience some Corporates give you a stand-offish mood when they see an NDA attached to your proposal. not that they won't take it seriously, they now have to talk to their Legal team who often see more risks than opportunities and kind of discourage interested parties. I would suggest this only when big bucks are involved.. anything from N100 million and above. otherwise it will be best to stick with IP and Copyright Statements that they implicitly agree to by breaking the envelope..

@Wallie and @lagerwhenindoubt: This is because people (inexperienced consultants) misuse NDA's and not because NDAs are a problem per se. The fact is that companies will refuse to sign NDA's because the entrepreneurs are too anxious....and like you said, the company does not YET know what they are signing. Anyone will get put off if you begin to mention NDA or distribute copies of NDA for signing in a first meeting. Go back and read my lines again: because I clearly stated that you need the 'Skeletal Proposal' in the first few meetings; because the Skeletal Proposal is plain and does not require NDA. It only explains that a problem exists and that you (the consultant) have devised a unique way to solve it and the solution basically involves XYZ. And you say no more. Once the company acknowledges that they have such a problem and are willing to listen to your solution and they see its relevance (e.g. usefulness, expected return on investment, etc) - once these basics have been established ...and they want to hear more...only THEN will you ask for NDA to be signed. Not before. If they agree to sign the NDA, then you can bring out the 'Koko Proposal'. In Nigeria as elsewhere, the problem is not the NDA itself, but how (inexperienced) people use or misuse it.

The bottom line or mindset of anyone who wants to use NDA is that: you are trying to engage the parties involved as partners and potential collaborators, but it is just that you would prefer they dont discuss it with anyone. That is why it is called Non Disclosure Agreement. Dont try to scare them by presenting the NDA in a threatening way. The manner of approach counts.

I hope I have clarified myself. Many thanks for your input.

bandiejay: Thumb up Dr. Well packaged and informative thread but OP i need to ask this question. If i have a marketing strategy concept on a particular brand precisely Etisalat or Glo the idea is not physical but i have the proposal/manuscript in my portfolio for over 3years now i got discourage the day i came about a thread on Nl 2years ago where Seun said no one can patent an idea which is not physical whereas my idea is not a novel,jingle or Script whereby i can copyright but with this issue of NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT, which i will not lie i am hearing it for the first time work for me?

My Idea is all about migrating to a certain Plan which as not been done by any network in Nigeria and by Migrating to the Plan a customer has to Pay 100 naira stuff like that Please polish me with idea and i will appreciate it thanks.


Just saved this article to my draft.

This is valid question. First of all, let me re-iterate that patents apply only to physical manifestations of an idea. This is why it applies almost always to products or things that can be 'designed' physically or 'seen' and used. Manufacturability is key to patenting. In fact, in reality, a patent is only given to a feasible product that is adjudged to be useful. Meaning you cannot (for example) get a patent for a perpetual motion machine, unless the continuous motion of the machine is proven/demonstrated/appraised to be of some practical benefit. This is to avoid useless patenting.

Secondly, you should understand that you cannot copyright an idea per se, but the 'unique techniques/processes involved' in executing the idea. In plain English, you cannot copyright profit making, but you can copyright an idea about some techniques, processes and steps, which (if taken) can increase profit e.g. by reducing cost and expenditures - all of these, by following a sequence of steps that YOU originated and captured in your document/proposal. In other words, for your proposed idea to be copyrightable, it must have an 'algorithm' to be followed. Dont be scared : an algorithm is simply a sequential order of solving a problem.

Now as for NDA, this is a legally binding instrument designed to protect the "exposure" of your unique idea as long as there is sufficient technical detail to make it 'yours'. For example, let us say your idea is about creating a unique data delivery service (i.e. voice, text and video) for a telecoms company. You can only ask Glo or Etisalat to sign an NDA if your idea involves something like - just an example, please: (a) creating a particular data delivery App for smartphones; or (b) using a GSM/3G network in a particular way that they (Glo/Etisalat) dont currently use; or (c) Creating a web-based service that re-routes data from users through the website to other user....etc/whatever. Any of these (options a, b or c) is clearly a novel solution which you need to protect with an NDA, so that it is not discussed with anyone other than you.

In fact, even a patent can be required/necessary/useful as in case of example (a) i.e. the smartphone App. As for example (b) i.e. a data exchange process via a unique GSM/3G networking system/process that you came up with - this idea can be regarded as a novel solution and can also be patented AND copyrighted. The third example, (a website) for a unique data delivery service via the internet can also be copyrighted, but I am dont think you can patent that. By default, you always own the copyrights to YOUR website - but not many people get documentation to prove this. So if you can design this website already BEFORE speaking to Glo/Etisalat, then you are in a stronger position to (1) demonstrate the feasibility of your idea; and (2) established a bona fide copyright which must not be infringed by anyone.

Sidenote on website: If you dont get legal documents for the copyright of your website, Glo/Etisalat can simply ask one of their web programmers to do something similar and they will try to prove that their website has existed before yours and that it is YOU who is infringing on their copyright. E no easy, rara!

In all the examples above, because your idea is novel (i.e. it is unique, non-obvious to the telecoms compannies) an NDA will always be relevant, unless you elect not to pursue this option. The actual components of your 'idea' will determine if a Patent (e.g. for an App) or Copyright (e.g. for the textual/graphical representation of a GSM/3G service system) will apply.

I hope this answers your question. As I dont know what your particular idea entails, I cannot advice further.

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