You don't have to file a patent to submit to Quirky.

You don't have to file a patent to submit to Quirky, but if you do submit...it's considered publically disclosed I believe and you will lose any rights to some foreign patent protection. If your submission is worth trying to get a patent, my understand is that Quirky will do that. If your idea is patenable, you have one year from publically disclosing it to be eligible to get a patent in the US. Next year the patent laws will change and it will be the first to file gets the patent. Not sure how it will be then at Quirky.

I'm glad this is being disclosed prior to me submitting my invention, as some have already done. Good to know?

Alright. Thanks you guys. I wasn't so sure. Quirky didn't really say thing about patent in their learning section.

I was reading in the 'invent" section and in the process section and it does state that the submitter is responsible for searching patents and here is the page (I am copying and pasting)for you to look at

http://www.quirky.com/learn

yes, the learn section does have a statement about the submitter doing research/patent search.

under : do your research

You can't really search out a product/idea not knowing what the final evolution will turn out to be.
You can't file a patent not knowing who all the co-inventors will be. No one can be listed on a patent who is not an inventor or co-inventor and no one can be excluded who is an inventor or co-inventor.

how would Quirky protect a good idea from being stolen?

If you think that your idea is worthwhile enough to patent (other than vanity value, to say that you are an inventor) spending thousands of dollars (to do it right) then you should not be wasting your time on this site at all.

Ideas are a product of the times and culture much more than of individual inventors.
 
A good read on this topic: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130215636

Quirky Guys and Gals!

Protect your inventive ideas BEFORE you submit to Quirky!

You do this with a Provisional Patent Application with the USPTO! It only costs $125 and is easy to do.

And NO... You do NOT NEED a lawyer.. It was designed to be EASILY done, with some good guidance...

Go to YouTube or Google and search Provisional Patent Video Course and see some suggestions!

If links work see this..
http://provisionalpatentvideo.com/

To see the top 10 reasons to file a Provisional Patent Application please watch the second video in this blog.
http://www.filepatentapplications.com/blog/

When you submit an idea to Quirky it is "Public Disclosure"

As such you are "given" 12 months to file your Intellectual Property Protection.

And YES.. There ARE Slime-balls watching Quirky for your GREAT ideas because they KNOW many of you will NOT protect your inventive ideas.

So, get to work.. It is NOT that hard!

If you have a bunch of money hire a lawyer.

If not take advantage of the Provisional Patent Application Process SPECIFICALLY designed to allow the independent inventor to protect their inventive ideas and pay TAX if you become a zillionaire!

Thanks Dave! I'll check out the video. I actually saw your video a few days ago but didn't catch all the info so I'm going to revisit it.

Hello,
Good idea need to protect the product. The USPTO protects in the US what about the rest of the world?