Taking Existing Product And Change It A Little To To Use And Sell To Different Market

[Feivel]

I have been a nail technician for past 13 years and i have been searchi g the internet for a nail art product for embedded nail art that i dont believe exists but i found another product that is almost exactly what i have been looking for except it needs to be modified slightly to be used as embedded nail art and could be sold to an entirely different market. Embedded nail art is really popular and there are tons of items you can buy for embedded nail art but everywhere i look its all pretty much the same and if this item could be changed a little i think it would do great. I have no idea if this already exists but if it does i havent been able to find it and im not sure where to go from my idea.  

Thank you

[Baldrick]

Hi Krystal.....thanks for the question.  

As for taking an existing product and making some changes whether they are minor or major, you will need to look deep into the IP or Patent of that product to see what is covered.  Just because the product does not have the feature that you want to implement, doesn't mean that the company or individual patent holder did not outline this feature in their patent.  

If they have not outlined the feature you want to implement, then you have to have a patent attorney look into how different your product is from the one on the market.  I believe that a patent of a like product as to 20-30% different for the USPTO to grant a patent.  Please refer to USPTO.gov to see the rule and language as I am referencing my memory.  

Once you figure out the legalities of the patent issues, you can then find a patent attorney....this is tough as you want to find one that will be fair, knowledgeable and has a good understanding of your product.  They will guide you through this process, but be prepared that bringing a product to market is very expensive and there are never any guarantees of success no matter how good your product may be.  

I wish you luck in your endeavor,

Justin