Hi all,
I've got a small PIC based LED toy (think fancy keychain like), and I
wanted to ask the piclist's advice on a few things.

First about the toy, its small, has very few components, and
everything interesting about it is implemented in firmware. I designed
the PCBs and made them at home, they are about 0.5" x 2" (most of the
space used by the battery holder). Everyone I've showed it to has
encouraged me to get a patent, but these are expensive, and given the
market for small LED toys, I dont think any over seas would be ripoffs
would have any problems at all getting around it. If I'm going to
throw $10k at it of my own money I'd rather put it in to the other
aspects of getting it finished and built, marketed, etc. Worst comes
to worst I'd at least have 1000s of the things to show for my money.
Before you tell me I'm wasting my time trying to sell keychain lights,
ever time I've played with one of these things down a city street I
get stopped like every 5 minutes by someone asking me where I bought
it. I'm pretty sure if done right that it would take of and be at
least momentarily popular. I've read a few Inventor books but these
leave me asking more questions than they answer.

So then a few questions:

1. Patent something that might be easily ripped off? Are they
absolutely necessary?
2. Any ideas on how I could get plastics made for this thing? Maybe
something like a snap together case, or a rubberized soft shell or
something.
3. Someone once told me I'd need to get it safety tested and whatnot,
any pointers to laws regarding this sort of thing?
4. A lot of people told me to license the idea and/or firmware to
larger toy companies, and let them handle all the rest of the details,
but this road always seems to go down the path of requiring a patent.
IF this idea was patentable, I'm not sure any toy company would pick
it up.
5. I've seen a lot of posts about manufacturing, usually for up to
100s of boards, but does anyone know of a place that specializes in
making thousands of smaller boards?
6. I'm thinking that I could approach some of the smaller local toy
stores and talking them in to carrying them for a while to test out
the market, if it works out, then I'm sure there are toy conferences I
could schmooze with people and show them some sales data. I'm not a
sales/marketing guy, so maybe I'm totally missing something there?
7. Is there something I should know about but haven't asked? :-)

Thanks in advance,
  Ben
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