From Guest Blogger Linda Bailey: Five Reasons to Patent Your Green Technology

As the scramble for green technologies sweeps through the communities of the planet, everyone is trying to develop the next biggest eco-friendly product. Patenting a product goes beyond simple greed. It is a method that can ensure that someone else doesn’t get credit and reap the rewards from your development. It is a way to give you control of the design in order to prevent those from exploiting consumers. Even if the product doesn’t fully work, patenting the initial designs can help prevent others from profiting through using your ideas to base their own innovations.

1. Protect Profits – One of the most prevalent reasons to patent your designs and inventions is to protect your own investments. You don’t want someone else to profit from your idea without giving some kind of credit or royalty to you. After all, it is your creation and you should have some say as to how it is utilized and marketed. Too many times have people thought to themselves, “that’s my idea” and never made a dime from the product.

2. Implementation – Perhaps you created a piece of technological innovation for an eco-friendly product and you want to ensure that it’s used properly. Having a patent on the design can prevent others from using it for their own selfish gains. You would have say in how your design is used and can deny an organization from using it if they don’t follow your specific criteria. Even the “little guy” can have say against the abuse of a product if they hold the patent for the device.

3. Corporate Prevention – Many believe that large corporations are a large part of the problem within the world. Holding a patent for a green technology that you intended to be free can stop these corporations from profiting from the design. If you invented a way to produce power within the home that is practical and want to give it away for free, you could patent the design and prevent corporations from selling these products to consumers.

4. Recognition – What if you designed a product that reshaped the way humans interact with protecting nature and someone else wins a Nobel prize or similar award for this creation? Unless you held the patent from it, there is nothing you can do but applaud yourself that something you designed had impacted the world so greatly. Although many of us don’t revel in the glory of being in the public eye, some would at least like recognition that they have contributed to the improvement of our species.

5. Growth – Currently, green technologies are expanding at a rapid rate and sitting around with your ideas laid in front of you will not benefit yourself or the rest of the world. In this fast-paced world, you need to be quick and submitting your patents as soon as possible could improve everyone’s way of life.

Although there is skepticism to the rules of patents, it’s always a good idea to invest in securing your designs before someone uses them. Regardless of how noble your intentions are, someone will undoubtedly abuse the design if they can create profits from something you intended to be free for all. People are always looking to make a buck and will have no qualms with putting your designs into their own. Be mindful of your developments and always have a patent plan ready while you create your innovations.

Author Bio:

This post is contributed by Linda Bailey from green living site housekeeping.org. She is a Texas-based writer who loves to write on the topics of housekeeping, green living, home décor, and more. She welcomes your comments which can be sent to her here.