Originally Posted by jeff1000man

You draw it up on paper and mail it to yourself so that it has a USPS mark on it from the gov't. This establishes your time line. You do this before you ever comunicate your idea to anyone.

Then you go see your lawyer and have disclosure statments drawn up and have every person that you talk to about the idea sign and date one on that day. The statement will also testify that you brought this ideaa to them.

Don't ever tell anyone about the idea in the mailed envelope and put it in asafety deposti box.

If anything ever comes up, you have the disclosure statements dated after the stamped date on the envelope.

Of course, someone can claim that they had this idea before you, but a goo PI would be able to fish out the leak and get you some good info to use in court.

Of course, unless you are working for someone and getting paid to come up with ideas, protecting yourself from design theft is pretty hard to do and pretty much a (rap shoot either way.