NEVADA INVENTORS ASSOCIATION

FAQ

"Education, Assistance, and

Networking for the Inventor"

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Chris,
I don't know if I can solve your problem, but I can give you some advice. You did not say whether or not you have filed any patent applications or patented any of your ideas. It makes a big difference when trying to license or market any new product. I'm assuming that at this point you only have the invention, but it is not protected, OK?

As you must know there are many scams and rip-offs out there who will tell you they can market your idea. Well, common sense will tell you that selling or licensing an idea is like selling a car without a title. Pretty damned difficult. You don't own an idea, so why would someone pay you money for it? There are companies that will pay for patent rights though, either on a license basis or outright sale. Now having said that, I will also say that there are companies who are ethical and honest and will listen to new product ideas that are not patented. They don't like it, but they will at least give you the time of day and sign a non-disclosure agreement. What you should do is start your paper trail towards filing a patent application first. Then you must do, or have done, a patentability search of the U.S. patent office files. If you find your idea is not patentable then you can drop it and not spend any money on it.

If you find it is patentable, then you have an important part of your paper trail done. Go to my website: http://www.doncostar.com and read the "help letter" by clicking on it. It will tell you how to get started on the right track. I don't know where you live but if you're near a patent depository library you can do your own patent search. The libraries and their locations are listed on the patent office website http://uspto.gov They usually charge from $250 to $350 for a professional search with copies of patents relevant to your invention.

If you cannot do a search, the ones who can are listed by ads in the Inventors' Digest magazine. They are ethical and will do a professional search for you. If you're not a subscriber to the magazine already I suggest you do so immediately. Not only will you find help, you will have access to their archives of past articles. There you will learn about marketing and licensing and how to contact the right companies. You will also find in the classified section some companies who are actively looking for new products in certain categories. It changes with each issue because company's needs change during the year. You can subscribe by calling 1-800-838-8808 or going to their website at http://www.inventorsdigest.com

Hope this helps,
Nevada Inventors Association

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