[wpietri]

A patent is a lot more than an idea. Patents cover inventions. Originally, they required you to hand over a working model to get a patent.

Take the idea "a good pocket lighter". That's not patentable. Now take a look at the patent for the Zippo lighter:

http://www.google.com/patents/US2032695

Note the detailed diagrams and the careful description of the purposes of the various bits. You don't get that kind of detail by sitting around in your pajamas and saying between tokes, "Wouldn't it be cool if we had a good pocket lighter?" You get it by making things and trying them out.

[TomGullen]

So what is the definition of 'an idea' when people say ideas are worthless?

[wpietri]

I'm not sure I can define something as slippery as "an idea", but the people I'm thinking of generally have an elevator pitch. Or worse, more words without more substance.

As an example, consider this: http://earthnationlive.org/

Or the classic X for Y pitch: http://www.itsthisforthat.com/