How do I protect my rights to royalties as inventor when collaborating on a patent?

Question

I have an idea for an invention that uses another company's invention. I called the owner and revealed the idea without disclosing how the invention would work. This technology is relatively new and I know how to use it.

The owner suggested making a patent and putting me as an inventor. How can I ensure I receive royalties without a lawyer? I want to prevent being sussed and discarded once I reveal how the invention works. I don't have the $ to file the patent myself and it uses their original invention anyway.

Answer 1

To prevent yourself from being sued, you need to

1. find out what patents cover the invention
2. check if those patents are still valid
3. read the patent claims to determine if your application includes "all" elements written in the claims.
4. try to work around the patents

You shouldn't discuss your invention without at least filing a provisional patent application. You can file a provisional patent application yourself. After the filing, you have 12 month to discuss with potential client and decide if it's worthwhile to file a formal, non-provisional application.

Lastly, nobody can guarantee you any loyalty. Even if yo get a laywer, s/he won't make such guarantee.