| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 433.1 |  | SSGBPM::KENAH | I am the catalyst, but not the poison | Wed Oct 10 1990 15:35 | 4 | 
|  |     The short answer -- you can't patent an idea -- intellectual property
    cannot be patented.
    
    					andrew
 | 
| 433.2 | FWIW | HENRYY::HASLAM_BA | Creativity Unlimited | Wed Oct 10 1990 15:40 | 8 | 
|  |     First, I would suggest contacting a patent attorney.  I know the
    process is long, and there must be a patent search prior to the approval
    of the patent.  If I recall correctly, it is also rather costly
    to obtain a patent.
    
    Best of Luck to You!
    
    Barb
 | 
| 433.3 | if it's work-related... | SKYLRK::OLSON | Partner in the Almaden Train Wreck! | Wed Oct 10 1990 16:00 | 5 | 
|  |     If it relates to work you've done at Digital, there are some policies
    about patents with which you should probably become familiar.  The
    corporate legal beagles can probably help out.
    
    DougO
 | 
| 433.4 | Try the Library and get a knowledgable atty | CSC32::K_KINNEY |  | Wed Oct 10 1990 18:50 | 18 | 
|  |     
    
    	Kim,
    
    	I have been through the patent drill. Before you start,
    	there are some pretty good books available through your
    	public library on the "How to"'s of patents. There are
    	many things to look out for lest your patent be lost
    	to some unscrupulous person. Another thing you want to
    	do is to get a patent attorney who understands and has
    	some background on the subject of your patent. If he/she
    	does not, the failure to properly search and present the
    	product will result in the patent not being granted but
    	the idea will be disclosed sufficiently by that time such
    	that someone who does know what is going on can (and likely
    	will) pick it up.
    						kim
    
 | 
| 433.5 | thanks | KAHALA::CAMPBELL_K | Looks like someday is here! | Thu Oct 11 1990 09:18 | 3 | 
|  |     Thanks, all!  Looks like I am headed for the library.
    
    Kim
 | 
| 433.6 | Check VTX | ERLANG::GIZZONIO |  | Thu Oct 11 1990 10:41 | 11 | 
|  |     If it's Digital related, you should get into VTX and read the 
    Patent & Intellectual Properties document, which will refer you
    to a Corporate Patent lawyer.
    
    In the Corporate Videotex Library, under the alphebetical selection
    page, choose #16 [P].  At that menu, choose selection #2, which is
    Patent & Intellectual Properties.   All your forms are there and
    most of your how-to's answered.
    
    Jane
    
 | 
| 433.7 |  | MOMCAT::CADSE::GLIDEWELL | Wow! It's The Abyss! | Thu Oct 11 1990 20:48 | 15 | 
|  | Also, the U.S. Patent office prints a monthly (or quarterly) index
of patents granted. Doubtless these are subsequently collected
and indexed. Perhaps the DEC patent office has a set.
If not, MIT is bound to have a set. And you can get a temporary
MIT library card from the Digital Library. I borrowed one a few
months ago.  (There are limited number, so it's best to call
our library ahead to make arrangements.)
One of the monthly indexes I looked thru (many years ago) described
a few hundred patents arranged by catagory. Most surprising, many 
of the items looked like clones. For instance, a few bathtubs were
granted patents, and most of them looked and "read" like bathtubs 
I've known quite well.
                         Meigs    
 |