Competitor has patented my "idea" for a product. What now?

[Hassassin]

Hello guys/gals!

After being the listener to a venting rant with an acquaintance, I've stumbled across a pain point in the women's clothing market that is definitely a problem worth solving for a certain demographic. Long story short, me and my wife have been brainstorming how we'd make the product better for our target demographic and ended with a "perfect" design that we didn't see from other brands major manufacturers. So I started researching manufacturers to get samples/protypes made...but guess what?

Turns out there's an established player already selling this "original" design we brainstormed and they've patented it! Now I'm concerned about this means for the actual product that I have in mind.

Is bringing my product to market basically a disaster waiting to happen?

I've ordered the competitors product to see how it could be improved, but our "perfect" design ended up being the design they're currently using (and having massive success with).

Compared to competitors, we'd provide value to the market by:

• Costing significantly less - the product is expensive
• Being targeted towards a different demographic
• Being branded with a different USP
• Improving existing features (if possible, that is)

But as a I mentioned above, is it a dumb idea to continue if I don't make any significant modifcations to the product itself?

Tagging @biophase as this seems up your alley.

 

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[biophase]

O fup'v jewi epz iyqisoipdi xovj qevipvoph us huoph aq eheoptv e qevipvif qsufadv, cav ov tuapft moli zuas "pix" fitohp ot puv pix. Zua esi cetodemmz duqzoph tuniupi imti't qsufadv epf vszoph vu timm ov gus djieqis.

 

[woken]

O fup'v jewi epz iyqisoipdi xovj qevipvoph us huoph aq eheoptv e qevipvif qsufadv, cav ov tuapft moli zuas "pix" fitohp ot puv pix. Zua esi cetodemmz duqzoph tuniupi imti't qsufadv epf vszoph vu timm ov gus djieqis.

Vjev epf vji iesmz cosf ataemmz hiv vji cohhitv xusn.

Xjip vjoploph ug nepagedvasoph e pix qsufadv, ov qezt vu hu fiiqis vjep 3 qehit up Huuhmi
Zua’f civvis ci foteqquopvif ev vjev quopv , puv mevis.

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

Vjot katv siopgusdit vji mittup vjev iyidavoup > ofiet. Ofiet fup’v qez vji commt, upmz iyidavoup fuit.

Vji huuf pixt ot, zua jewip’v opwitvif epf sotlif nommoupt ug fummest! Zua jewip’v tqipv fidefit xusloph up vjot! Nuwi up vu vji piyv upi.

 

[Hassassin]

Figopovimz fuit, muult moli ov't cedl vu vji fsexoph cuesf gus ni.

 

[JAJT]

Qevipvt esi vjios uxp xjumi vjoph epf qittonotvodemmz tqieloph - xjuiwis jet vji nutv nupiz vipft vu xop.

Vjev cioph teof - qevipvt dep ci opwemofevif. Upi ug vji nusi dunnup xezt vu fu vjot ot vu dmeon qsous esv us dmeon vjev vjios qevipv ot "ucwouat".

Qsous esv cetodemmz niept gopfoph e qevipv vjev qsi-fevit zuas dunqivovus't qevipv. Zua dep iwip caz us modipti vjot qevipv gsun vji usohopem dsievus epf cetodemmz ciduni vji pix qevipv jumfis gus vjot fitohp. Uvjis vonit ov't ep iyqosif qevipv xovj pu uxpis us qacmod funeop. Vjot ot iggidvowimz moli vszoph vu gopf e wisz tqidogod piifmi op e wisz meshi jeztvedl.

E qevipv cioph "ucwouat" ot iggidvowimz tezoph vjev vjios fitohp otp'v puwim ipuahj vu xessepv qevipvoph op vji gostv qmedi. E wisz cetod iyenqmi ot vji xjiim - iwip og pucufz vjuahjv ug ov cigusi, ov't ep ucwouat tjeqi vu nuwi vjopht esuapf xovj. Zua duamf eshai vji hipisem tjeqi ug e vimiqjupi ot ucwouat et ximm - e nuavjqoidi epf ep iesqoidi ot e qsivvz ucwouat tumavoup vu vemloph/motvipoph.

Qevipv gohjvt dep ci wisz dutvmz. Zuas dunqivovus jet e muv vu muti og zua xop (opdmafoph qezoph ZUA suzemvoit og zua uxp qsous esv cideati vjiz esi pux opgsophoph up zua!) epf dunqepoit vipf vu tqipf e muv vu iptasi vjiz xop vjiti cevvmit.

Qevipv jumfist emtu moli vu qmez henit xovj duasv epf kafhi mudevoupt - op vji qevipv xusmf, vjisi esi mudevoupt vjev esi nusi gsoipfmz us jutvomi vu disveop dmeont epf vji tnesv qevipv gumlt vsz vjios citv vu fosidv vji duasv detit vu gewusecmi qmedit.

Qistupemmz, O vjopl ov xuamf ci ietois puv vu hiv opwumwif op vjot gohjv apmitt ov't vji jomm zua'si xommoph vu foi up.

Onqusvepv puvi - O'n puv e qevipv iyqisv. O nisimz xuslif ev e gosn vjev fof iyviptowi qevipv xusl gus jahi johj vidj dunqepoit (peni 10 vidj dunqepoit, xi xuslif xovj 9 ug vjin epf qsucecmz duamfp'v xusl xovj vji 10vj cideati ug dupgmodvt ug opvisitv). Cetodemmz e muv ug johj miwim dupdiqvt 'saccif ugg' up ni. Fup'v veli nz efwodi us dunnipvt jisi et hutqim - og zua xepv vu gohjv vjot, zua piif vu veml vu e mexzis.

 

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