battery

Direct or indirect, intentional or reckless, unlawful-use of force against another person resulting in offensive contact. If an harm or injury results, it is considered a criminal offense, otherwise a tort.

Imagine slaving for years on a new cellphone battery that lasts more than two days, only to watch it reverse-engineered and patented by someone else. Before you ask anyone to crank out a few prototypes, file for a provisional patent. It protects your idea for a year while you work out the kinks.