"Education, Assistance, and
Networking for the Inventor"
The Nevada Inventor Newsletter
of the Nevada Inventors' Association, Inc. Post Office Box 11008, Reno, NV 89510-1108 http://www.nevadainventors.org April, 2000
http://web.mit.edu/invent/index.html
http://www. uspto.gov/ http: //www.invent.org/inventure.html
http://www.inventorsdigest.com/ http://www.inventornet.com/
http://www.patents.ibm.com/ http://www.frompatenttoprofit.com
http://www.inventorfraud.com/ http://www.inventnet.com
| President: | Randy Sloan | 747-3711 |
| Vice-president: | Alex Prokop | 323-1972 |
| Secretary/Treasurer | Tony Patti | 677-4824 |
| Membership | Kehl LeSourd | 853-0441 |
| Web-Master | Vince Chemist | 677-0123 |
| Program Director | Charles Ketcham | 323-5654 |
| January 22 | February 26 | March 25 | April 22 |
| May 27 | June 24 | July 22 | August 26 |
| September 23 | October 28 | November 25 | December ?? |
When Goodyear, the inventor of vulcanized rubber, was one day asked what he wanted to make of his boys, he is said to have replied: "Make them anything but inventors: mankind has nothing but cuffs and kicks for those who try to do it a service."
These are not the kind of words an old time inventor imparts onto a new aspirant filled with enthusiasm and the excitement which comes with that first insight for a new patent! No, Goodyear's proclamation is omitted for darn good reason. It's a long road, a thousand miles no less, from that first light bulb idea ti11 a new finished product awaits the consumer's demand to own it and nothing other. Ask anyone who has traveled the oft abandoned journey. They know!
So the wise inventor, who himself/herself have had to abandoned some of their own journeys, defers rather to lending support..
We all lose a little, all of us, when that good idea falls to the road side for want of support.
The better part of wisdom demands that proclamations of the Goodyear type be always held to the vest, used only with utmost discretion. These utterances cause little endearment in a crowded room of inventors and their aspirants It is these opening statements which can douse more flame than a whole battalion of firefighters. And for those who have traveled the 'crooked' road of invention, there are enough potholes, detours, washouts and collapsed bridges, that adding another dead-end is more than the fragility of fledgling inventor needs.
But inventors persist.
If my youthful school years were not uncommon, then there are compelling reasons why inventors and the inventing process is largely misunderstood in this country, or perhaps, at most, half understood.
You we, we generally know nothing about the horrific struggles by the real, once living, flesh and blood person who stands behind the Goodyear on the blimp, nor the emboldened name on a million rubber tires and more.
How extensively has our school curriculum failed to include the heroic efforts of the Men of Achievement by author P.C. Hubert Jr. copyright 1893. In his book the author does not defer lightly the extraordinary efforts which the inventors of the great inventions of this country faced, conquered and too open received a pittance for their creations.
In his Preface the author reflects on his era of history. "in the annals of hero-worship the inventor of me perfecting press ought to stand before the great general, and Elias Howe should rank ahead of Napoleon. Whitney, Howe, Morse and Goodyear, to mention but a few of our Americans, contributed thousands of millions of dollars to the nation's wealth and received comparatively nothing in retum. Their history suggests as pertinent the inquiry whether our patent laws do not need radical change. The burden and cost of proving that an invention deserves no protection ought to fall upon whoever infringes a patent granted by the Govemment. At present it is all the other way."
Is it different today?
As some may be aware, we are fortunate, at least one member of this group, the founder of the Nevada Inventors Association, has been to the D.C. halls of govemrnont to testify against this nation's cursory indifference toward the irreplaceable contribution inventors have brought to this country. If governance for protection of inventor's property has improved even marginally in the ensuing 100 years, what is there to show it. What about a date set aside to recognize and honor the contributions of the inventors in this country? Or is the national calendar too cluttered with more important dates? Is it possible to rightly honor and celebrate what this land offers without fully recognizing the Men of Achievement, the inventor ? When people change their minds and their actions, perforce government changes, despite what the rich and powerful have done to rewrite history. Is it too bold to ask whether these Men of Achievement may well have contributed more to this land than have most government officials?
Len Schweitzer
Randy Sloan welcomed all the visitors, then asked all members to introduced themselves. There were 13 members and 8 visitors present.
Treasurer Report: Beginning Balance $3502.00
Deposits 114.00
Expenses 233.00
Ending Balance 3384.00
Old Business:
Dues are coming in at a good rate and our annual billing system seems to be going over very well. Still looking for fund raising activities in order to stop acting like the government and spending more than we take in!! We need to do more to reach new inventors and help them with their ideas.
New Business:
Booth for State Fair was confirmed by Tony Patti up to 20 feet will be available at no charge. Alex Prokov will chair the Fair organizing committee and report progress at the April Meeting. Fair dates are the 23 through 26 of August. Bare booth will be furnished by Tony Patti, Carol Anderson offered her services for the booth graphics.
Shane Avansino Volunteered as chairman of the publicity committee trying to get meeting notices in the various publications in the Reno Area.
John Martinson recommended we offer our services for a call in radio show he will report back next month as to the feasibility.
Picnic will be moved to September due to the conflict of dates with the State Fair.
Don Costar Gave very interesting talks on how you can do you're own Patent Search and he also furnished written material.
Heinz Moessner brought a business associate Marvin Ramacher to make a presentation of a new Intemet Service that allows organizations to use the service as a fundraiser. The service is called Skybiz2000.com if the NIA joins and puts our Website on their service everyone in NIA that joins under the association Skybiz2000 will donate $8.00 to NIA. Cost to join is S100.00 per year and services include a 15 Meg Web site free e-mail and complete tutorial service for most major software programs. A motion was made and seconded that NIA join the program the vote to pass was unanimous.
Marvin donated the first year $100.00 fee as a good will gesture.
Meeting closed at 12:00PM.
Respectfully submitted: Date ______________
Page done by Vince Chemist.
Created on May 8 2000
Updated on November 29 2005