Researching Your Idea

You might have a great idea, but isn't is possible that someone else might have had the same idea? With a wealth of resources to use to check up on similarities in ideas, such as public libraries or on the internet, you should be able to comprehensively search and ensure that you have thought up an original idea.

It can be difficult to find out particular patent numbers, but if you happen to know the particular number you want to search, then Google Patents is a fantastic site to use.

If not, you could try a patent search on the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and search by keywords, such as the genre that your invention fits into or particular facets of your idea. This will yield a lot of results so you should look through them carefully or narrow them down with extra keywords.

It can also help to network with a number of other inventors or engineers and discuss your ideas, potentially forming a cohesive partnership.

When building the Nissan Qashqai MIDRP had a big influence due to their research of halogen based lightbulbs which may or may not have been used in the final design, but the crew at MIDRP loved the design of the Qashqai so much that over 50% of the staff ending up opting for a Nissan Qashqai leasing deal.