NEVADA INVENTORS ASSOCIATION
Jan 2001 Newsletter
"Education, Assistance, and
Networking for the Inventor"
International Inventor and
Businessman to Speak to NIA
From cowtowns to downtowns, deserts to mountains George Charchalis, has led an exciting life.
Charchalis, born in Ely, Nevada, is a consultant in urban and arid land development. The former city manager of
Henderson, NV has been an advisor to the King of Kuwait and was held hostage by the Iraqis during the Desert Storm
War. His freedom was negoriated by Mohammed Ali. While in Kuwait his company was working on planting methods, innovations
and products to reduce the challenging problem of desertification.
Since the Mideast, he has traveled extensively in China while consulting in that country. China is especially interesting
as technology, world commerce, and urban growth has virtually exploded on their culture.
Charchalis is currently working on a clean coal project with professors from the University of Utah.
The Nevada Inventors are proud to start this year, 2001, on a high note and bring Mr. Charchalis to speak at this
month's meeting. There will be time after his presentation for discussion and questions.
Regular meetings scheduled on the 4th Satzgrday of each month. They are held at the Washoe Medical Center room
101 from 9am to noon.
Meeting Schedule
New members and students are encouraged. Bring a friend! Anyone interested in inventing or who
has a service that might benefit inventors is Welcome. Our meeting is a protected place and everybody as expected
to sign the confidentiality ageement at the meeting entrance.
January Meeting
Saturday, January 27, 2001
9am to noon
Seatured Speaker: Mr. George Charchalis
Topic: [titernational Commerce and Technological Innovation.
Board of Directors Meeting
immediately after the general meeting,
January 27, noon - lpm.
February Meeting
Saturday, February 24, 2001
9am to noon
United Inventors Association Bulletin
United Inventors Association Bulletin
The UIA is asking all inventor support groups and independent inventors to express their views on a new program
the UIA is exploring. The UIA is looking into the possibility of providing to its member groups a package that
includes a third party recognized evaluation and professional patent search with legal opinion in the $500 range.
The only involvement of the UIA would be brokering of a reasonable price and the reproduction and distribution
of disclosure forms to participating groups. This program would be administered at the support group level. The
UIA would not
absorb any profits. The UIA would provide to the groups prepared press releases to submit to their local newspapers.
This program would be posted to the UIA website and would maintain a directory of those groups that are participating.
We are also anticiparing seed money for some national advertising if this program is implemellted by the UIA Board
of Directors. The program should not interfere with support groups that already provide those services.
(Sounds like a topic for our meeting discussion!- ed.)
We Need Your Help!
We are planning an article for the Inventor's Digest about online patent auctions and exchanges.
Have you listed your invention with any of these online services? If so, what has been your experience? What site
did you use and how much did it cost? Have you been contacted by anyone who is intercsted in your invention?
Have you ever used a service that prepared and distributed an infomercial about your product/invention? If so,
let us know what you thought about the service and how effective it was? We've gotten some complaints
from some inventors and wonder if these complaints are valid.
Contact the UIA at 'IAUSA@aol.com'
Frequently Asked Questions About Patents
Answered by Randy Sloan NIA President
Q. If two or more persons work together to make an invention, to whom will the patent be granted?
A. If each had a share in the ideas forming the invention, they are joint inventors and a patent will be issued
to them jointly 011 the basis of a proper patent application. If, on the other hand. only one person provided all
of the ideas of the invention and the other has followed instructions in the Illakillg of it, the person who contributed
the ideas is the sole inventor and patent application and patent shall be in his/her name alone.
Q. If one person furnishes all of the ideas to make an invention and another employs him or furnishes the money
for building and testing the invention, should the patent application be filed by them jointly?
A: No. The patent application must be signed by the true inventor, and filed in the Patent and Trademark Office
in the inventor's name. This is the person who furnishes the ideas, not the employer of person who furnishes the
money.
An opportunity to advertise information about new products is available via a monthly column in the Cincinnati
Business Courier.
T.J.Tully, head of the Inventor's Council of Cincinnati writes the monthly article. His classified notice reads:
Columnist with monthly articles interested in inventions that have been developed as subject matter.
Contact: T.J.Tully, 3178 Victoria Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208.
If chosen, both the inventor and the invention would be specified in the article.
Grant Thornton Offers Tech Oriented Startup Companies a Boost
(from the Reno Gazette journal, January 10, 2001)
The Reno Office of Grant Thornton, an international accounting and consulting firm, is offering
a chance for 5 tech oriented entrepreneurs to present their business plans before a panel of judges. The winner
of this five minute "elevator Pitch' contest, outlining the business, its markets and its goals will get $25,000
in free services. Winners will be judged on the quality and feasibility of their business plan.
Business Contest:
Who: Open to all tech startup companies
When: 6-8pm February 8, 2001
Where: Airport Plaza Hotel The Conferencc Center, 1981 Terminal Way, Reno
How: Submit business plans by Thursday, Januarv 25, 2001
via email to: djohannessen@gt.com
Details: www.grantthornton.com/e*tech
Bits & Pieces
Please welcome these new members to our association;
Ms. Usha Mehta
Mr. Stan Orr
Mr. Dieter Berndt
Annual Dues
The Board of Directors voted to increase annual dues for 2001 to $50. Lifetime Membership is
now $500.
Meetings
Plan to arrive early to each NIA meeting so that you may have time to sign in and meet with
other club members before the program begins! Many find networking and discussing ideas during breaks and before
the meeting the most rewarding aspect of a NIA membership.
"The currency of the last century was money. The currency of this century is going to he
intellectual property"
- Don Costar, NIA Member
RECOMMENDED READING
"Inventors Beware!" by Edward Barnes
A wonderful article highlighting the pitfalls of using an invention promotion company to conduct
your patent search and product marketing. They offer all kinds of services but don't really do what they say they
will do. As Todd Dickinson, from the Patent and Trademark Office says about most invention promotion companies,
"Their best invention is themselves."
Access this 3 page article at 'http://www.time.com'.
NIA HAS INTERESTING SPEAKERS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR GROUP
The Nevada Inventor's Association members are rarely at a loss for words. We have a panel of
speakers who are eager to spread the word about the fun and pitfalls of inventing to your service group, classroom,
or youth group.
Please call Tony Patty or Randy Sloan 4 to 6 weeks prior to your meeting date.
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