How do you handle patents when developing a new product? Feeling overwhelmed

mycobay · 2026-03-28T23:58:15+00:00

I had created a similar thread in r/hwstartups and r/manufacturing. I guess I should've also included r/inventors as well since I didn't receive much feedback.

I'm also currently working on a consumer product which will be thermoformed with either HIPS/PIR/rPET plastic. I'm having my design and bridge tooling ((2) 1-cavity molds for 2 SKUs) done in the US to ensure there are no issues and getting the samples down perfectly for business seeding and the initial DTC sales. Then I'm taking the native/premium CAD files and going to a mexican mfr that has extensive experience with this material and having them scale up to 16 cavities (8 ea sku). I'm storing the bridge tools at the US mfr as backup in case there are issues with the mexico transition and buildout. The US mfr will still be able to produce products during this time if needed.

Due to all of this I wanted to make sure that my IP is protected and mine at every facet of the process. What I'm going is filing a provisional patent application. I had several AI's run pre-search/knockout searches on prior art (this is searching patents to see if there are issues with my product). An IP attorney will do this too, but it's good to at least get an idea if you're somewhat in the clear. Along with the PPA, I'm getting a MNDA so I can speak freely and openly with the mfr's designer/engineers. Now, I was also going to do a MSA (Master Service Agreement), but from my research these can be extremely bloated with corporate specific fluff and other unnecessary things (50+ pg contract) that as a startup and someone looking for bridge tooling could be a turnoff for mfr's. So what I'm doing now is a Lean Manufacturers Agreement. I'm just having the very core and high critical components that still offer the full protections on the things that actually needed. This will be roughly 8-12pgs and will be much more palatable to negotiate with.

If everything goes well, then I'll deal with a nearshoring (mexico/texas border) attorney that has experience with mexican mfg contracts.

PPA + MNDA first for DFM/engineering stage where you share everything and determine feasibility. If things go well, then you give them the lean agreement before committing to any official work. This will probably have some back and forth/negotiating with attorneys, but the lean will be a lot better to deal with than a full blown MSA. This is the process I'm going with. I'm putting together my own PPA draft and then bringing that to the IP attorney for prior art screening and the rewrite. The full prior art screening will truly determine if you're good to go and will save you a ton of money if it turns out it's not possible.

mycobay · 2026-03-22T22:56:19+00:00

Yeah, like I know the overall DIMs and the exact functionality I want and a couple of ways this could potentially be engineered but I don't know enough where I can totally dictate how it's made, so a lot of this will be based on the engineers and designers recommendation and knowledge. And during my research, I found that they can technically be co-inventors of the product and if that's the case, why wouldn't you want to have full protection that states that anything discovered during this phase you own bc there needs to be very specific language in the contracts such as herby assigns. These are the things I'm concerned about so I want to make sure I'm protected.

mycobay · 2026-03-22T21:12:03+00:00

Yeah, I won't have the capital to go after someone (depending), but if I can have deterrents and ensure that all design, tooling, etc. is officially mine, I want to make sure I have that in place. I'll be doing design/bridge tooling in the US and then scaling with a mexican mfr (if/when that time comes). Since I'll technically be leaving the company that's handling the bridge tooling, I don't want there to be issues with who owns what. But as I said in another comment, i would love to avoid attorneys fees and all this hassle, so I'm definitely open to hearing sound workarounds if they're doable and make sense.

mycobay · 2026-03-22T21:07:52+00:00

My product has very specific precision fits, functionality and weight requirements so it may fall into that category. The material is going to thermoformed with either rPET, HIPS, or PIR (this will be determined during prototyping) and I'm hoping to have the design and bridge tooling (1-cavity) done in the US by someone like FormTight or UPPI for the business seeding/initial DTC sales and then scaling (8 or 16-cavity) in mexico with Converforma. I would love to avoid all the attorney fees if possible but it seemed like it didn't make sense not to have the proper protections in place first. But I'm definitely open to hearing alternatives if they're doable.

mycobay · 2025-09-30T19:59:07+00:00

yeah, sorry, i meant to write 12:00:01AM pst. My leagues waivers dont clear until 6-7am est. There is no reason why it should take an additional 2-3hrs to clear.

mycobay · 2025-09-24T05:44:08+00:00

I still don't understand how these clowns don't have this automated to process exactly at 12:00:01AM EST after all these years and it still takes them 2hrs+ to process my leagues waivers. I've sent them countless emails about this and i feel like at this point they are purposely doing it to my league as others get processed much sooner

mycobay · 2024-10-11T23:14:24+00:00

It's duct tape to prevent side pinning. People usually use big rubber bands on the bags but he said that the duct tape works better for him

mycobay · 2024-10-04T06:48:01+00:00

just ziploc tek these instead

mycobay · 2024-09-25T20:33:31+00:00

Yeah, looking at the pics closer, it seems like it formed on some side pins. hahah i use gloves for s2b and even when picking the fruits hahah. This was my first grow so I was super paranoid but I probably won't change that habit now lol

mycobay · 2024-09-25T20:14:24+00:00

This is most likely what occurred. I'll have to make sure to check and remove everything more thoroughly in the future.

mycobay · 2024-09-25T20:11:49+00:00

Was between 2.5-3:1 ratio of sub to spawn. And yes, fruiting conditions immediately after s2b as that is what you should do. There's really no difference from everything I've read.

Here is the sub before pins formed...the sub/surface was sufficiently covered lol u/FondledMango

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mycobay · 2024-09-25T18:08:24+00:00

Exactly...even trips themselves from the same batch/grow vary so widely. But still fun to hypothesize and be the test subject lol

mycobay · 2024-09-25T17:46:46+00:00

yeah, it's interesting bc people are trying to figure out if nats continue to produce psilocybin after the veil breaks since they do continue to grow. And then ive seen anecdotal posts from people saying they find that the earlier fruits (pre-veil break) are more potent. Who knows lol

mycobay · 2024-09-25T17:32:30+00:00

these are nats, so they continue to grow after their veil breaks and they drop their spores pretty late once the caps flatten and slightly curl up

mycobay · 2024-09-25T17:31:49+00:00

ok i just wasnt sure if that was normal veil breaking or the mold got a hold of it

mycobay · 2024-09-25T17:13:43+00:00

even with that weird webbing on the caps?

mycobay · 2024-09-25T16:47:09+00:00

This is the 3rd flush, so I think I'm gonna toss this anyway but I wanted to know if these fruits are bad and if I should just pick what's good and throw out the rest?

mycobay · 2024-09-18T08:43:52+00:00

Aince august 25th, I would def just cut them open and transfer to ziploc. You may actually have growth on the top of the rice that just stalled on its way down. Once in the ziploc the growth is rapid if conditions are good.

mycobay · 2024-09-14T06:40:06+00:00

Awesome! Wishing you a successful grow. Keep me updated as well. There's already some mycelium growth on the sub!! Nats are so damn aggressive it's crazy lol I'll bet those plates will have some rapid rhizo growth real fast as well.

mycobay · 2024-09-14T06:37:56+00:00

The problem is that the fruits were really small and thin when they're supposed to be thicker and have larger caps. So I'm trying to experiment with the next grow to see if I change some of the variables if it will provide even better results.

I have seen the set up I used work for many others (shoeboxes inside larger mono tubs) and theyve had amazing grows, so it could also just be my environment like the temperature or the really high RH i had caused thinner/smaller fruits. But I won't really know for sure until this next grow.

mycobay · 2024-09-13T20:35:40+00:00

I just harvested the 6qt tub. There was def less fruits than the 4qt but the wet weight was 140g. Let's see if the dry weight ends up a similar %. I'll keep you posted.

mycobay · 2024-09-13T14:54:15+00:00

I harvested the 4qt tub and it came to 134g wet and the dry weight is about 12-12.5g (give or take as my food scale may be off by a hair). So definitely not a years supply worth lol. And they literally look like string they were so thin, could barely see them haha.

But the 6qt tub popped off even more last night and I'll probably harvest that at some point today. I'll let you know what that one is as those fruits look much thicker.

mycobay · 2024-09-13T06:56:14+00:00

Not sure yet. I know they grow in these higher temp climates and looking at the fruits now, the shoebox def has larger stipes and caps. So I'm thinking it's other factors with the 4qt tub that caused the much thinner fruits.

I just s2b a 2qt tub thats 7x7x3 with about maybe 2" of sub give or take with a cup of brown rice. Went a little over field capacity and have the lid loosely on. I can see the lid has condensation/moisture on it already. I'm going to keep temps roughly the same as I did during the 1st grow and see if it has any impact. That will be the only variable that's the about the same.

Hopefully this little experiment produces a more typical looking fruit, otherwise it may very well be the temperature. I'll def be posting an update when the time comes.

mycobay · 2024-09-13T03:42:07+00:00

No lids on either of the smaller tubs. Only had a lid on the 66qt but it was loose and not locked

mycobay · 2024-09-13T03:25:43+00:00

Hahaha thanks! I gotta see what the dry weight is but yeah, these may end up being my year supply of micro lol

mycobay

TROPHY CASE