I just wonder if anyone out there has had an invention and took the next step. I have a couple of ideas,but have no thought as to where I would go next. I see the diffrent companies that want you to sign up with them for a fee and they will help with your inventions. Sounds like a great way for them to make money. Any thoughts? Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), October 24, 2000

Answers

Some years ago (probably decades) a magazine did an article on the companies that claim to buy inventions. All were basically scams. Most offered to buy your invention for a dollar or two, hoping to eventually get a good one, others charged very high fees to do patent work.

If it's a patent you're interested in, the first step is a patent search to see if somebody has patented it already and wheat the closest things to it are. You can do an informal search yourself at:

http://www.delphion.com/

and if you can't find anything start looking for a patent lawer or somebody who whould buy the rights without a patent. Don't shop the idea around to anybody unless they have signed a nondicloser agrement with you saying that they will not repeat or use any idea until they have a license from you.

BTW: The above site is a great place to look for ideas on how to build stuff. You are allowed to use patented ideas for your own use and experimentation.

==>paul

-- paul (p@ledgewood-consulting.com), October 25, 2000.

Thanks Paul for this website, it is great. I didn't know it existed. I have invented things before just to find out that they already existed and I didn't know about them. It didn't make me feel any less pride in what I invented because I still did it myself but this site will help me to find out if something exists before I invent it.

As to Tami's question, I would avoid contacting anyone about helping you to patent your invention unless they are an attorney. There are too many horror stories of ideas being stolen from people. Even if they don't steal it, they make much more money off of the idea than the inventor.

I have not had any experience with obtaining patents but I have had my writing copyrighted and that was not very difficult to do so I expect it is not that difficult to obtain a patent either. It is probably a matter of filling out paperwork and submitting drawings and/or schematics. Then you sit back and wait for the patent office to do the research to grant the patent.

You might try the Patent Office website to see if there is info. I'll see if I can find it as well and check back if I find anything.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), October 25, 2000.

My husband tried the invention company avenue and it turned out to be a big scam. They write you back, tell you how absolutely wonderful your idea is, and want a little bit of money to go to the next step. so you send that money, and they write back and tell you that your idea has great potential! it could be a hot seller! All they need is about $5,000.00 to proceed with patent searches and attorneys, etc.I imagine that if anyone is foolhardy enough to send the 5K, they would come up with another obstacle that only need more money to make you rich and famous!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), October 25, 2000.

Tami, you can find all the info you need at the library. My father was one of the suckers who went through ICS (Invention Submission Corporation) and $5000.00 later he has nothing. It took years of waiting and in the meanwhile he found someone else manufacturing and selling his invention in a national magazine. Apparently ICS never really got a patent,they just informed good ol dad that that would be the next step, and they have since gone bankrupt. On another note, you might want to be real carefull who you tell your invention ideas to. My grandfather was the inventor of the wood planer (for mill use) and he told his best friend all about it. Best friend got a patent for it and made millions, grampa died poor as a church mouse.

-- Julie (julieamc@excite.com), October 25, 2000.

One of our neighbors holds 20 or so different patents. He did it all at the library. He said it wasn't that costly either. As far as those "services", he said they service you all right (just like at the cow barn ). His advice stay as far away from those inventor services as you can.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 26, 2000.

Ditto on the inventor services.

Step one; Get a disclosure form from the patent office and fill it out. It will give you two years of "protection". They say they will not disclose it to anyone and in that way you are able to document "date of conception", one of the main issues in patent disputes.

Another way of protecting yourself in that regard is write something up describing your idea, with drawings if possible, take it to the registrar of deeds at county court house and register it there. That also gives you a layer of protection.

Nxt step---patent search. From what I understand it can be done on the net.

Check the library on do-it-yourself patent books.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), October 29, 2000.