SOME TIPS ON HOW TO PROTECT YOUR IDEA
Peter Freedman, October 2002

• Julie Meyer of First Tuesday: "Make sure to do the legal basics, like registering the domain names and securing the trademarks".
• Julie Meyer: "You shouldn't be out there, talking about your idea, unless you're already on a fast-track - in execution mode rather than thinking mode".
• Tom Teichman of New Media Spark: "Go to VCs of high repute and stay away from 'angels', unless you know them very well. If a firm is authorised by the SFA or IMRO, that's a good sign. Punting an idea around generally to acquaintances or rich individuals is unwise."
• Deal with people who value their reputation for integrity.
• Stress the confidentiality of the material you are sending them, and, if appropriate/practical, consider asking them to sign an NDA.
• Teichman: "If you are going to have an NDA, keep it very brief: one page is best."
• Alex Chapman, an intellectual property lawyer with the firm Briffa. "Keep good records of how you came up with an idea, showing the progression from nascent thought to useable concept - a 'paper-trail' of development if you like."
• Investigate the relevance both of copyright, and also potentially of patent law (by the UK Patent Office will advise).
• You can also mail a hard copy of your idea to yourself, in a recorded envelope, and not open it - the stamp on the envelope then establishes the date.
• Or use one of the new registration services, such as Firstuse.com or ECI.org
• It is also worth asking your solicitor or bank whether they provide a similar service.
• It is worth putting the small ã symbol to denote copyright because, although you don't need to under English law, you do in some countries; and it indicates that you are claiming copyright.

• How to protect your idea
• Patents for business methods?