Route89 wrote:
I've come up with what I think is a good, original design for an
ultralight or ARV airplane, and I've reached the point where I'm
considering actually building and flying a full scale airplane. I've
built and flown many R/C models, 1/6, 1/4, and 1/3 scale, I've been to
Osh Kosh for the past 20 years, etc. I'd like to post some pictures of
it on this forum to get some reactions, advice, and suggestions, but
I'm a little worried that someone might steal the design. I entered it
in an EAA design contest, but that was a long time ago. What can I do
to protect my design? Is an 'ornamental design' patent the way to go?
How much time and money would that take? Or do you just put your design
out there and 'wing' it? THANKS!

People who are doing creative work for the first time also think this
way. You probably need to forget about growing rich from your creative
effort. But you can associate your name with a worth while design. By
putting it about, publicizing it and above letting people see it fly.

No matter what protection you may invoke, if the design has useful
features it WILL be changed and copied - because that's the way it goes.

Brian W