Can you Patent, etc. a Concept?

[LMB11]

I have a very specific retail concept I would like to protect. I have not seen it being done anywhere.

Can you patent or copyright a concept rather than a specific product?

My idea involves selling a private lable product in a new way. This type of product is currently sold in grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. but my idea would take it to department stores and market it completely different.

So can you protect an idea?

Thank you.

 

[CdwJava]

Here is a link to the US Patent Office:

http://www.uspto.gov/

There is information patents and trademarks, and I suspect you can find the answer to your question there.

Good luck with the idea!

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Chances are - no. Unless there is something unique and novel about the business method, anyone can and should be free to market an item. For example, if someone markets their goods in supermarkets and you have an idea to put their fresh fruit in a mall, why should anyone be granted a patent to protect this "idea" as an invention? Without specific details, it is difficult to answer your question and the bottom line is that an idea is not patentable but an invention or unique process might be able to be protected.