Profiting from ideas

Britain has always produced its fair share of inventors, and there is still no shortage of ideas. In 1930, according to the UK Patent Office, there were 28238 UK patent applications (although these did not all originate from the UK) and 9396 UK patents were granted, as well as those European patents covering (`designating´) the UK. So how does one get into this process? What does one do if one thinks of a new idea? Perhaps more importantly, can one make money out of it? The journey from the initial idea to a viable (let alone successful) product is long and fraught with difficulties. Many excellent ideas fall by the wayside for all sorts of reasons. To stand any chance of reaping the rewards requires a realistic approach, sound advice and perseverance. The author offers advice on how to exploit an invention