Where do I go if I have an invention?

Asked by: Katarina Strosin  |  Last update: June 21, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (21 votes)

If you have an invention, your first steps should be to securely document your idea, conduct a patent search, and build a prototype. Protect your intellectual property by consulting a registered patent attorney and searching public databases before sharing your concept with anyone else.

Where do you go if you have an invention?

United States Patent and Trademark Office.

What do I do if I have a new invention?

If you have invented something, immediately document everything in a notebook, keep it confidential, and conduct a thorough search on Google and the USPTO database to see if it already exists. Next, create a prototype and file a provisional patent application to secure "patent pending" status for 12 months at a low cost.

What are the top 3 inventions?

Based on their foundational impact on human civilization, the top three inventions are widely considered to be writing (enabling knowledge transfer), the printing press (democratizing information), and electricity/the light bulb (powering modern life). These, along with the internet, consistently rank highest for transforming how humanity lives and works.

What to do if you have an invention idea but no money?

I Have an Invention Idea but No Money: Securing Funding Without Capital

  1. Key Takeaways. ...
  2. Conducting Market Research. ...
  3. Identifying the Target Market. ...
  4. Conducting a Prior Art Search. ...
  5. Understanding Intellectual Property. ...
  6. Filing a Provisional Patent. ...
  7. Seeking Legal Advice. ...
  8. Creating Initial Drawings and Models.

What to do FIRST With Your Invention Idea

42 related questions found

What can a 9 year old invent?

Here are some ideas:

  • mobile phone.
  • car.
  • computer.
  • internet.
  • camera.
  • spectacles.
  • paper.
  • television.

Did a 14 year old boy invent the TV?

Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to “make pictures fly through the air.” This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world's ...

What are the 10 best inventions?

Based on historical impact, the top 10 inventions that changed the world include the wheel (c. 3500 BC), printing press (c. 1440), light bulb (1879), airplane (1903), telephone (1876), personal computer (1970s), internet/WWW (1983), penicillin (1928), steam engine (1698), and vaccines. These foundational technologies revolutionized transport, communication, health, and daily life.

What was invented 27 years ago?

1999 (27 years ago)

First commercial camera phone produced by Kyocera Corporation. First mobile phone with built in GPS launched by Benefon.

What was invented in 2003?

Key inventions and introductions in 2003 included the pioneering Android operating system, the first Blu-ray Disc specifications, and the popularization of camera phones. TIME magazine named the Fish Skin Bikini as the invention of the year, while other notable releases included iTunes, the 3rd Gen iPod, and the first commercial spaceflight by SpaceShipOne.

Can I just sell my invention idea?

It's important to note that an idea alone is not protectable. However, depending on how you document it before sharing it with a company, your idea/invention may be protectable under copyright laws, intellectual property laws, patent laws, and/or trademark laws.

What are 10 accidental inventions?

Top 10 Great Accidental Discoveries

  • Mauveine. In 1856, at the age of 18, the English chemist William Henry Perkin was looking for a synthetic substitute for quinine, whose anti-malarial effects were well documented. ...
  • The Post-it. ...
  • The Tea Bag. ...
  • X-Rays. ...
  • Saccharin. ...
  • Microwave Oven. ...
  • Penicillin. ...
  • Pacemaker.

Who has 1000 inventions?

Thomas Alva Edison was one of the most prolific and influential inventors in history. Born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, Edison held over 1,000 patents for his inventions, which ranged from electric light and power systems to motion picture cameras and phonographs.

Can I patent my idea myself?

Yes, you can file a patent application yourself if you are an inventor. When filing a patent application yourself, you are called a "Pro Se Applicant" and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has a Pro Se group to help you.

What is the most ridiculous patent granted?

Some of the most ridiculous patents ever granted include a 1923 "tug-of-war" dental exerciser, a 2004 urinal headrest, a 1991 watch that calculates your life expectancy, and a 19th-century machine that drops blocks on your face to wake you up. Other absurd, granted patents include a "petting machine" for pets, a method for training cats, and a flatulence-filtering diaper.

Who is the only president with a patent?

Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to hold a patent. Granted on May 22, 1849, Patent No. 6,469 was for a device designed to lift boats over shallow river shoals using inflatable bellows, a concept inspired by his personal experiences as a ferryman.

What inventions did Gen Z make?

Gen Z inventions are characterized by a strong focus on sustainability, social impact, and digital-physical integration, driven by early access to technology and a desire to solve global problems. Notable examples include 3D-printed prosthetics, sustainable tech, and AI-powered apps.

What didn't exist 100 years ago?

Many everyday technologies and conveniences we take for granted, such as television, computers, frozen food, and commercial air travel, did not exist or were not in common use 100 years ago. Life in the 1920s lacked modern antibiotics, plastics, and widespread electrical appliances, relying instead on manual labor, iceboxes, and coal heating.

What was invented 1000 years ago?

Around 1000 years ago (roughly 1000–1050 CE), major inventions and innovations emerged, particularly in China and the Islamic world. Key developments included the refinement of gunpowder for weapons, the introduction of paper money, early movable type printing, specialized crucible steel, and the widespread use of the magnetic compass.

What is the coolest invention ever?

Determining the "coolest" invention is subjective, but top contenders often include foundational technologies like the wheel (c. 3500 BC) for enabling transportation, the printing press (1440) for democratizing knowledge, and modern marvels like the internet or CRISPR gene editing.

What was invented in 1966?

Key inventions and introductions from 1966 include the first home security system with TV surveillance, the popular game Twister, the snack Doritos, Cool Whip, and the mammogram machine. Marie Van Brittan Brown's home security system laid the foundation for modern surveillance.

What was invented in the 2000s?

Key inventions of the 2000s that transformed modern life include the iPhone (2007), Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005), and USB flash drives (2000), alongside technologies like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity, and the Toyota Prius. This era shifted the world toward mobile computing, social media, and on-demand entertainment.

Is TV-14 ok for 10 year olds?

The FCC warns that "parents are cautioned to exercise some care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended". Programs with this rating contain intensely suggestive dialogue, strong coarse language, intense sexual situations or intense violence.

Did a kid invent the TV?

Philo Farnsworth conceived the world's first all-electronic television at the age of 15. By the time he died, he had earned over 300 U.S. and foreign patents for electronic and mechanical devices.

Who was the first person in TV?

William Taynton was the first living human to be seen in a television broadcast on October 2, 1925, when inventor John Logie Baird successfully transmitted his image in London. While a ventriloquist dummy named "Stooky Bill" was used for the very first successful transmission, Taynton, an office boy, was subsequently bribed with 2 shillings and sixpence to endure the intense, hot lights for the first human transmission.