I have a business Idea - how do I stop people pinching it?

Hi,
I've had a business idea for sometime now and I really want to act on it. Problem is, I don't know the first place to start. Is it possible to intellectually own something?

The idea is similar to the workings of Ebay - although the service and use is very different. I know nothing about hosting a website - so my first iterations of the idea are going to be sketchy (at best) - for example,, if I did manage to build the website, what is preventing someone larger thinking "that鈥檚 a good idea, we'll do that" thus rendering my first attempts useless. Any comments would be appreciated.
thanks

Take a look at the advice given below on Intellectual Property,
previously known as Patent Office.

If people do not copy it is not worth doing

Thanks mate....i think i just got a business idea.

simple answer is that you can't stop them.
problem being that the type of person you'll be approaching for help is obviously the kind of person that can spot your good idea and turn your idea into reality and they will just cut you out of the loop and do it without you.
it's actually happened to me. try to make sure that you can start your business on your own without involving outsiders.

First off, don't tell people what your idea is.

If you're serious about starting up, I recommend this contact for trustworthiness, setting-up the website, hosting it, doing the SEO, and steering you through many difficulties i.e. advising you re: strategies etc.
The results are worthwhile and affordable.
http://mybranding.info:80/

Will u have to hire a good web designer to put the idea into a professional looking website.
keep enhancing the website(before you show it to the public).once the site is totaly completed and u believe in it,put it to the public and find a good way to attract people to it.

The details on the question are very vague, however, if you have a design or service idea you can protect it. Whether it will result in something you can patent, copyright or protect in any form of intellectual property is a different matter and it will depend on its innovation.

However, you can always protect whatever you have in mind by asking people who you intend to talk to, to sign a non-disclosure confidentiality agreement. If they don't want to steel the idea they will sign it before you present it to them. If the don't want to sign them I would question their professional ethics.

Do a search on the internet and I am sure you can find some standard ones. However, if you want better protection, do not make it too specific, vague areas and general guidelines will protect you for a wider range of case scenarios.

Once the service goes life, there is nothing stopping others doing the same or similar. So if I make a wild guess here, where you're planning to do something maybe as big scale as eBay, I would recommend you to go with your confidentiality agreement to companies who already have the infrastructure to make your business happen. 100% of nothing is nothing, 50% of something big is a good retirement.

I hope it helps, but if you need more information contact me, I am a management consultant and I will have no problem signing any confidentiality agreement.

Good luck

I was thinking the very same thing myself in the past few days.. I did some research on copyright etc... and found that if you write your information down, sign date and have someone witness it (preferably someone with high social standing like - a Justice of the Peace or Police Officer) - then you have proof that it was your idea...

If someone did use your idea you would have to prove HOW they stole your idea.... and if successful... sue the pants off them..

My advice to you..... find out the copyright laws in your state/territory/country.. and make use of their directions to copyright your ideas...

working on my own here in Australia :) Good Luck!