It's not what you know, it's who you know as well.Back in 1999, I approached my father about harnessing energy on my bicycle. Obviously we already knew about dynamos which were popular in the 1970's but my dad was to come up with something better. The design he thought of has since become manufactured but unfortunately someone else came up with the right people to fund the patent.Basically it would've cost £600 to pay an agent to submit a patent for us but we just didn't have it and weren't prepared to gamble on something that might already be protected. In hindsight we should've done the following:· Firstly, make a prototype - which we did.· Secondly, make a video - which we did.The next two points are very important. Unless you have money to pay a patent agent then do the following:· Apply for patent pending on your device, adding as much detail about your invention as possible.· Secondly, once receipt of the patent pending is received, publicise your device as much as possible. This could be done via YouTube, emails, letters and a website. Once an idea is in the public domain, no one else can patent it for themselves and you still have 12 months from filing your patent pending to apply for a full patent.This will hopefully have investors competing with each other to take your idea on knowing full well that they can only acquire patent rights through you. If no one takes up the patent within the pending 12 months, then anyone can make the device as no one will own patent rights to it.We videoed my dad's invention in 2000 and didn't publicise it. Nine years later another company patented it and is selling the device. However, I have belatedly published our video on You Tube just after applying for patent pending, just in case my dad's idea is different enough to be granted its own patent. We've also taken advantage of free blogs to publicise. Again, any publicity for this device is purely to get people interested in taking up any patent rights that may be available to it. If no one comes forward or if people think it's to similar to the idea patented in 2009, then the blogs & video will remain in cyberspace forever as a tribute to my late father.We did eventually gain rights to another device. We were granted a US Patented Design and UK Registered Design. A UK Registered Design only costs £60 and protects the appearance of the invention. This is good to know, especially when working to a budget but only protects its appearance.We acquired the rights to a lockable portable ground anchor.Thanks for your time and happy inventing.