Is there a way to Protect a Boat Design?

I have thought about this myself . My feeling is that most of what I do has, in some form been done before. Looking back over old designs it seem that this is
true . I have some designs for flat bottom skiffs, nothing new there , so I dont care . I think if some one is going to use your idea they will do it and there is nothing you can do about it . Look at almost every sport power boat and we see the same full length vee that Ray hunt used 60 years ago . I take inspiration from wherever i can . But I do find those with so little imagination that they have to copy out right a boer.

 

One warning, do not assume that after a search for similar patents and finding none that your idea is original. If the idea came up before and was recorded in photos or writing it would not be eligible for a patent. At least it would be hard to defend. I am always amazed how often people report a grand new idea for a boat and when revealed it is something long ago tried.
Gary

 

Also do not assume that a patent is valid. I recently saw, dating from early last century, a keel that is the spitting image of the Scheel keel. A lot of royalties have been earned that may not be legitimate. Can't remember where I saw it at the moment.

When I was a working engineer and dealing with patent applications, I saw many patents granted on old ideas and devices. With the data files available today this should be much more rare.

 

Also don't assume that because you have built something or made the drawings public, there isn't one who can't patent your thing. Microsoft applied for patent of the PageUp and PageDown keystrokes in 2005 and was granted the patent (US patent number 7,415,666) August 19, 2008.

 

Kalagan

A design patent is for some new or added utility (improvement on existing). How does your design: “shape” provide this? Can you describe, in WORDS, this new shape, and show it to be distinctly unique? If you can, in words, then by all means proceed with a patent.

Get a copy of “Nolo patent it yourself”, use the UK patent office, it is cheap, fast and likes simple English. (You don’t have to have a perfect doc, and they will help/guide) 100# gets you through the initial filing and search in less than 6 months. If alls fine, then proceed to file in your largest target market, probably the US and then use a lawyer with your existing doc. A world wide patent, effectively 50 countries, cost an obscene amount of money. There is one world wide database (includes everything ever published or publicly displayed) but every country enforces her laws... Also every 5 years, maintenance fees have to be paid on an existing patent or it is unenforceable, and the fees are larger each installment.

Statistically 1:50 patents earn money. There are MANY times when it is much better NOT to patent (Nolo).

ONLY patent if you are intending to manufacture yourself. YOU WILL NOT BE PAID MILLIONS FOR YOUR NEW GREAT IDEA BY SOME BIG CO. They will wait you out or ignore/modify your work.

Personally I doubt very much you have a patentable design. More importantly don’t tell ANYONE, please, just develop yourself. They will not really help you; give you the benefit of their knowledge and experience, unless you are making them a partner or it’s their job to develop for you. Get a copyright of your “instance” of the design when the time is right.

What Chris said is all true. What he is not saying is, he thinks, he and everyone else should have the opportunity to freely copy your work, for the greater good of all.