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So someone "stole" your idea

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Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#81

Post by dragonwriter »

tbrownaw wrote: post #80
ama729 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, they kinda are, otherwise what is intellectual property?

Intellectual property is permission to prevent other people from doing something. In the case of trademarks, you are allowed to prevent people from using a particular name (in order to keep that name unique and meaningful). In the case of patents, you are allowed to prevent people from "using your idea" (even if it's also their idea). Supposedly this encourages people to develop ideas to the point where they're actua…

> Intellectual property is permission to prevent other people from doing something.

Property -- not just intellectual property -- is the legal power to exclude others from some set of actions.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#82

Post by teleclimber »

tobyjsullivan wrote: post #11
jmcqk6 wrote: post #3

This is a pet peeve of mine. When someone talks about having their idea stolen, it really bothers me. It especially bothers me if they tell me "now don't steal my idea, but..." I don't want your idea. I have too many of my own. Here, take some of mine. Most likely, I'll think your idea is shit anyway, because almost all ideas are shit when they are just an idea. For an idea to have value it needs to be backed by some…

I seem to get a new great idea every time I drink a beer. That's what I want to tell friends every time they come to me with a "great idea" I should implement (as business partners, of course). That said, I still love hearing people's ideas. Just don't expect me to act on it.

I'm sure a lot of people here have a lot of ideas. But there is a big difference between "an idea" and "a good idea".

I have a lot of ideas too, but I often find a rather critical flaw somewhere sooner or later, or I fall out of love with the idea because in the end... it wasn't that good.

Finding a truly good idea, one that still stands after weeks of simmering, that looks good under all angles (product is actually buildable, the customers are there and reachable and willing to pay, you're not likely to have to compete with the Googles of the world, etc..) doesn't happen all the time. Discovering a hole in a market, and realizing a lot of people are walking right past a gold mine that you believe is there is something you may want to keep close to your chest. Especially when you're talking to other entrepreneurs.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#83

Post by taude »

grannyg00se wrote: post #44
taude wrote: post #36

Counter point (thought not arguing against what the actual article content contained, which "was we tried that idea years ago, but failed"). I've been contacted by investors before to look at business plans/technology. They didn't like the founders/team, or thought the idea was really good, but missing a couple things, or they had a different direction they'd run it in. So idea theft does happen. Those with money, po…

"They didn't like the founders/team, or thought the idea was really good, but missing a couple things, or they had a different direction they'd run it in. So idea theft does happen. " My two cents: You can't steal what isn't owned. If you think my idea is really good and then you act on it, you haven't stolen anything from me. I never owned that idea because ideas can't be owned. What if someone else three thousand m…

There's a line somewhere, just not sure where it is...

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#84

Post by tbrownaw »

dragonwriter wrote: post #81
tbrownaw wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Intellectual property is permission to prevent other people from doing something. In the case of trademarks, you are allowed to prevent people from using a particular name (in order to keep that name unique and meaningful). In the case of patents, you are allowed to prevent people from "using your idea" (even if it's also their idea). Supposedly this encourages people to develop ideas to the point where they're actua…

> Intellectual property is permission to prevent other people from doing something. Property -- not just intellectual property -- is the legal power to exclude others from some set of actions.

Physical property also has the saying "possession is nine tenths of the law". That is, the legal power to exclude others tends to be based on an underlying reality.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#85

Post by alphydan »

junto wrote: post #25
tobyjsullivan wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I seem to get a new great idea every time I drink a beer. That's what I want to tell friends every time they come to me with a "great idea" I should implement (as business partners, of course). That said, I still love hearing people's ideas. Just don't expect me to act on it.

I need a new side project. Can you give me 5 of your best ideas that you don't want to use? :-)

- a Bitcoin exchange which can support fast algorithmic trading

- an encyclopedia of objects that can be combined together (your algorithms are such that you can find from their 3d shapes, specs and connectors which parts / machines can be combined together).

That should keep you busy a few years ;)

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#86

Post by dragonwriter »

tbrownaw wrote: post #84
dragonwriter wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Intellectual property is permission to prevent other people from doing something. Property -- not just intellectual property -- is the legal power to exclude others from some set of actions.

Physical property also has the saying "possession is nine tenths of the law". That is, the legal power to exclude others tends to be based on an underlying reality.

> Physical property also has the saying "possession is nine tenths of the law".

Which saying is (a) not accurate of physical property, and (b) insofar as it does relate to real legal principles applicable to physical property, those principles are also applicable to intangible personal property.

Really, its more about a presumption against proprietary rights -- as property is the right to exclude others, if ownership can't be proven, no one can be excluded, and whoever is taking an action which would be excludable by another's ownership is safe, even if they cannot prove that they are the owner who would have the right to exclude others.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#87

Post by notnowlewis »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #66
junto wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I need a new side project. Can you give me 5 of your best ideas that you don't want to use? :-)

Few random ideas, rewritten from my ideas.org file in a personal Wiki. Enjoy: - wireless VGA adapter - one part plugs into a VGA port of your laptop, other into the display, and you can work on a second screen (or a projector) while sitting with a laptop on a couch, and you don't have to care about the display cable. - multi-way TODO sync - a set of open-source converters of TODO lists and associated service. Open so…

wireless display adapter - go back these guys http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/airtame-wireless-hdmi-for-...

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#88

Post by michalu »

jacquesm wrote: post #45
michalu wrote: post #15

Years ago I heard so many people say they had an idea for Youtube before Youtube ... and some of these people can't even code. It's my vice that I'm not proud of, but whenever I heard it I felt like slapping that person.

I can do better than that, so feel free to slap me :) My partner Michael had a working implementation for a youtube like service and we both agreed it would be better to concentrate on our 'live' business because it was already making money. Oh well...

Well you had a working service that you actually built, I have respect for that. Never-mind, you don't know how things would turn out in your case and you built a business with revenue - that's awesome.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#90

Post by M2Ys4U »

taude wrote: post #36

Counter point (thought not arguing against what the actual article content contained, which "was we tried that idea years ago, but failed"). I've been contacted by investors before to look at business plans/technology. They didn't like the founders/team, or thought the idea was really good, but missing a couple things, or they had a different direction they'd run it in. So idea theft does happen. Those with money, po…

>So idea theft does happen

That implies that one can actually own an idea.

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