Protecting your Android app idea

If you think you’ve come up with the Next Big Thing in the Android mobile app market, then naturally you’ll be concerned with protecting that idea lest some unscrupulous developer passes it off as their own.  There is something of a catch-22 here, of course; unless you possess the technical skill to code the app yourself, you’re going to have to share your idea with an app developer before they’re going to agree to develop it.  How do you protect your idea?  We hear this question rather a lot, so much so that we’ve decided to provide you with the four things you need to know to get your Android app safely into the stores.

• Hire a reputable developer:  Services like ours are designed to connect you with experienced Android developers, but in your initial conversations, it’s important to consult their references, their web site, and test drive other apps they have in the store.  If they have no references, no web site, or no apps to show you, then you’ll need to find someone else to shepherd your idea through to completion.
• Hire an attorney:  If you have the resources at your disposal, it’s a good idea to engage the services of an intellectual property attorney to safeguard your interests.  If your app really is as good as you think and we hope it is, this will very definitely be money well spent.
• Get a non-disclosure agreement:  Usually referred to as an NDA, a non-disclosure agreement is a contractual agreement between you and your developer that prevents him or her from sharing your idea with any third parties, or from profiting from it themselves.  Good developers will appreciate the care you’re taking with your own idea, and will generally have NDA’s ready for you.  On the other hand, good developers are also busy people, and they’re unlikely to want to go through all the motions of drafting, negotiating, and signing an NDA if they don’t think they can take you seriously.  It might be prudent at this point to provide them with a “bird’s-eye view” of your idea to get the ball rolling.  Not enough detail to give away your idea, but enough that they can intelligently discuss with you feasibility and costs to develop your app.
• Don’t sweat it:  This may sound like odd advice, but if you followed our first point – choosing a reputable developer – then it’s unlikely you’ll have anything to worry about.  One thing to keep in mind is that coding the app is just the first step in Android app development and marketing.  The practical problems (including all the other costs involved in getting an app idea from the idea stage to working product) will generally deter most would-be thieves from stealing your idea.  Is it possible they would?  Sure.  Is it likely?

Finally, when you think about protecting ideas, the conventional wisdom is that “great” app ideas are a dime a dozen; whether a particular idea becomes a hit Android app is all in the execution of your idea.  This includes design, coding, implementation, and marketing).  Still, theft of your idea is a concern, talk to developers signing an NDA or talk to an attorney.

If you have other thoughts about protecting Android app ideas, leave a comment.