***Inventors Thread***

[IdesOmarch]

Hello fellow inventors. I would be very interested in hearing your stories, success stories, or fail stories as well, for I know most inventions do fail. I am currently working on 2 inventions that I"m prototyping and preparing my patent applications. One is very simple, one is a little more complicated but has a huge market potential. I am also a videographer (not full time, but I've been an indy film maker in the past as an expensive hobby ) So point is I have great commercials for the products already and am about to start filming them.

My plan is to get the prototypes together with the commercials (which double as a demonstration video for both products) and send the packages to Inventor agents (kind of like on the Pitchmen show). I am on a limited budget so I do not have the capital to put all of them into full production. I do have enough to make prototypes (several to send to various people). The simple idea I will be able to manufacture on a limited basis and sell a limited number on ebay initially.

I am looking for advice and/or just your stories about your experiences as an inventor. Have you gotten to market, has a larger company bought your invention and now you're on a yacht drinking mai tais all day?

Do you advise to try and sell the product to a company on your own, try and use an inventors agent? Sell them on ebay to establish your trademark? I know you have to be careful with the inventors agents because some will rip you off, and ask for tons of money up front, and then never do anything (rip off artists).

I would also be interested in your advice on my particular initial plan, which is to have demonstration / commercial DVDs already in the can, with provisional patent applications filed, together with the products themselves to send to the inventors agents as one package. I know I would be coming to the table with more than most inventors do with that, and I would be very interested to see if you think that will give me an advantage over other products that inventors agents get hit with. Thanks in advance.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

My dh has invented some things but since he works for the govt., the govt. owns the patent rights.

Make sure you have a good patent attorney.

My dh did try to patent something he invented that was not work related and it was a nightmare and a lot of hard work. His is more scientific and technical and the us patent office was a real pita. I let dh do his dream until we reached a certain money amount and we said, that is it. The patent office just kept challenging dh. It was such a hassle.

Best of luck to you.

 

[IdesOmarch]

Yeah I know the patent office is actually horrible. I do not know why they are so confrontational and negative (go out of their way to deny patents) I am an attorney for my day job, although not a patent attorney, so that helps some. I have heard they are considering some major reforms with the patent office because they have a reputation as being horrible. Patent attorneys I've talked to say they initially deny inventors claims almost every time, kind of a knee jerk negative reaction, sounds like that's what you and your husband went through as well, thanks for the story.

 

[LuvOrlando]

No advice just wishing Good luck!

 

[IdesOmarch]

Thanks.

Can you talk about what your husbands invention was, or is it still a trade secret? Thanks

 

[IdesOmarch]

No inventors out there?

 

[FINFAN]

well, as much as I like this idea for a thread, my DH has 6 patents and he would not have been on a public forum for anything more than very general conversation about them. Like luvmarypoppins my DH company has the rights, and they ahd the financial power to see them thru. Go for ot tho, while it is a PITA, only those with the determination to see things thru reap the rewards.

 

[IdesOmarch]

Oh well yes, I guess I should clarify, not so much looking for details of your particular invention (unless its already patented) more just life experiences in what you have had to go through.