Wondered if someone's already come up with an idea? Search it out with Patents.com, a search engine and marketplace for intellectual property. Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple.

If you want to make money from your ideas, you have to be pragmatic. First, you need to realize that the odds are against you — and thus, you will need to fight to be paid for your creativity. Is this ...

Filing for a patent is like planting your flag on your idea, giving you a legal shield that prevents anyone from copying your hard work.