idea protection

[Cooperd0g]

When using sites like elance and/or odesk, how do you protect your idea? You put your idea out there for all on those websites to see and bid on, but how can you prevent one of them from stealing your idea? It isn't like everyone signs a non-disclosure agreement with you.

[Sven]

There may be a few ways to add some protection. But in the 80/20 spirit, I'd say you can't protect.
And I think it is likely that if it is easy to copy then there may be not enough of your personal skills involved in the set up of your muse.

[sub8hr]

Even a patented idea provides you with barely more protection than the ability to write a nasty cease and desist letter. And I believe the legal procedures to actually take any action are time consuming and expensive. So basically, you can't protect it.

Still though, the magic is in the ingredients. You don't have to give away the whole recipe. Google's business plan was "we're going to start a search engine" but it's a far cry from that to actually being able to duplicate their business.

[Cooperd0g]

Yeah I suppose you guys are right. There are already similar, but pretty shoddy, products like my idea already out there.

[kamakiri]

Search that topic. It has been covered to death here. I like to say that if I had a dime for every poster who asked the same question, I wouldn't need a muse. The bottom line is that if you are successful, you will get copied, then it becomes a match of adwords, marketing and SEO.

Hope your idea is copied (it will increase the # of searches). Heck you mentioned it isn't even original. Did Mac invent the burger? The money you make will be in the operating of your business, not in the product.

One big benefit is that you will have the skills to start another muse when your first successful one stops producing. 80-90% of first muses fail anyway. You are better off failing miserably than never stating because you are scared that someone will steal your idea.