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Inventive measures

How inventors should protect their work while seeking funding

How do inventors approach investors for backing without giving away their precious, fledgling products?

Alan Walker, of Scyence Systems in Hackney, East London, developed a mobile hand washing device for hospitals to prevent the spread of dangerous infection, such as the superbug. He had no funds to build prototypes and took his idea to the NHS. But, he says, they wanted all rights to the design and for him to pay for the development. He was not impressed.

Normally, says Carl Rohsler, an intellectual property lawyer, there is a give-and-take agreement. The inventor gives up some of their rights in return for development funds and promotion of the product. They then often receive royalty-style payments.

But the first step is to protect the design with…

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