People with $10 million are no happier than people with $9 million

Money doesn’t always bring happiness. People with $10 million are no happier than people with $9 million.” – Hobart Brown
How do you think?

How do I copyright my million dollar ideas?

It's very popular question. Indeed, How do I copyright my million dollar ideas?
That's right answer from Yahoo Answers:

Ideas cannot be copyrighted, only the EXPRESSION of ideas.

Federal statutory copyright comes into existence when you fix the idea in a tangible medium of expression. However, you gain additional rights by placing a copyright notice on it (either by placing the word "copyright", or the c in a circle symbol, your name and the year in which you fixed it in a tangible medium of expression) and when you register the work with the Register of Copyright -- whose office is located in the Library of Congress. You can get the forms to register your copyright online at www.copyright.gov/register.

You have a million dollar idea but how to avoid an invention company scam?

Ok, you have your million dollar idea and you want to avoid an invention company scam. Look at the following tips how to do it.

1. Ask for their success rate: Ask for in writing the number of ideas they have represented and how many inventors made more money than they invested.
2. Ask for references: Ask for the names of three satisfied customers that you can talk to.
3. Avoid too much pressure: Are their sales people calling you often? Are you hearing, "Let's do it now/asap."
4. Are they sending you pre-signed confidentiality agreements in their "free kits": No, you sign agreements after you decide you want to use them or anyone else (but before discussion of any ideas).
5. Have they asked you to write your ideas down and mail them to yourself? That is not protection.
6. Early in your discussions, ask what the total cost of services will be. Any hesitation to answer is a bad sign.
7. Market evaluations provide an objective evaluation of the merit, technical feasibility, and commercial viability of your invention. Ask for their criteria, system of review, and the qualifications of company evaluators.
8. Do they check on pre-existing patents for your same idea. Bad companies will promote almost any idea, without knowing if there is patent infringement involved.
9. Do their "patent searches" come without a written opinion of patentability? Do they refuse to provide in writing the number of favorable patent searches vs unfavorable searches. You will want both.
10. Do they recommend that a design patent be applied for? Only a minority of inventions should fall in this category. Also watch out if they offer a "money back guarantee" if the patent does not issue.
11. If they claim to have a special relationship with a manufacturer, ask for proof. Watch out, if they ask you to submit your idea to a manufacturer before you have a patent.
12. Avoid a jack-of-all-trades. They send a "free kit" or in reality more advertising, then sell you a market evaluation package, and later a patent, marketing and licensing package. No one is an expert in all those fields.
13. Watch out for addresses that don't match, they claim to be in one state but the mailing address is different. Ditto for no direct phone contact, are you always reaching their voicemail?
14. Ask all the above questions and be on triple alert if your are responding to a slick TV, radio and magazine ad. Yes, the real guys have to advertise too, so know what to look out for.
15. Investigate the good guys too. Even if none of the above apply, call your local Better Business Bureau, check with the FTC and the bad guys listings under "Invention Company Scams".