Hi Mike,

This is a question for the Commissioner of Patents. Is the patent office becoming more efficient at processing patents or are we looking at longer wait times for a patent to be issued?

Great question. I’ll forward this to Commissioner for Patents John Doll and see what he says.

Hey Mike, what are you doing as far as online things, my dad was in the publishing business and now hes finding that the internet distribution is becoming the hit industry, any plans as far as long term?

We’re hoping to do more with audio and video – more interactive things in tandem with Edison Nation. I like the idea of seeking feedback on stories during the planning and executing stages, rather than just critiques on the back end, so you may see more interaction on that front as well.

Tom,
Here’s the answer I got from the commissioner’s office:

Actually, it looks like pendency went up a slight bit in 2008. First Action pendency has gone from 25.3 months at the end of FY 07 to 25.6 months at the end of FY 08. Total pendency has gone from 31.9 months at the end of FY 07 to 32.2 months at the end of FY 08.

However, your readers should know about a few programs that would allow them to get a decision on their patent application much more quickly. They are:

§ Accelerated Examination Program: To be eligible for accelerated examination, applicants are required to provide specific information, known as an examiner support document, so that review of the application can be completed rapidly and accurately. In return, the USPTO issues a final decision by the examiner within 12 months on whether their application for a patent will be granted or denied. Press release: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/07-13.htm

§ Peer Review Program (pilot): Using a wiki-like system, gives technical experts, for the first time, the opportunity to submit annotated technical references relevant to the claims of a published patent application before an examiner reviews it. This pilot started in the software area, but was recently expanded to include business method patents. These applications are assigned to an examiner for examination as soon as a submission is received from the peertopatent.org Web site. Press release: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/08-26.htm

§ First Action Interview Pilot: Allows an applicant to have an interview with the patent examiner prior to the first Office action on the merits in a new utility application. Currently this pilot is limited to two classes in the computing and data processing technology area. Press release: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/08-17.htm

Thanks Mike.

This is very useful information from the patent commissioner’s office. It’s good to know there are other options out available to expedite pendency. It will be interesting to see how these new programs turn out.

I posted a sneak-peek article about direct response television on a neighboring Edison Nation forum. I thought the timing was right, given the newly announced “As Seen On TV” product search. Please visit

http://www.edisonnation.com/forums/18/topics/1006

Hello Mike….you forgot “Petition to make special” to rush a patent through.

To qualify you can either be over 65yrs old or have a very serious life threatening illness such as cancer, heart disease etc.

Basically, the program will rush the patent app if your life is in question. This is for utility patents.

For design patents anyone can just pay an extra $900 “to make special”. The patent will be reviewed and issue or not in about 6 months.

This is as fact two years ago, should still be the same, but things change with the USPTO

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute and the Technology Association of Georgia has done some amazing work helping inventors lately, which we write about in the December issue.

After conducting a first-ever examination of inventor needs and economic impact, they recently started hosting inventor workshops in that state.
Interested participants may register online for workshops at www.tagonline.org, under “Calendar of Events.” For additional information, contact Jason Chernock (404-385-0829); e-mail (jason.chernock@innovate.gatech.edu).

Prototype This
Discovery Channel Show Puts Fun in Functionality

ID editor-at-large Jennipher Adkins recently spent some time on the set of Prototype This, a new series on the Discovery Channel. The show escorts viewers from the drafting table and on through the design process to see how inventions come to life.

“I was scheduled to be there for one hour,” she says. “Not surprisingly, the interview easily took almost three hours.”

The show debuted Oct. 15, airs at 10 p.m. each Wednesday, and will run for 13 episodes (check local listings). The team told Inventors Digest it was tough to select 13 inventions from hundreds of ideas that they initially kicked around. And these guys are building things you’ve never seen before, from mind-controlled cars to wearable airbags.

Each prototype has to be functional, solve a real-world problem and possess potential commercial value.

The four-member team is composed of robotics engineer Zoz Brooks, electrical engineer and triple patent holder Joe Grand, nanotechnologist and materials/mechanical engineer Mike North, and special effects technician Terry Sandin, who has worked on more than 25 Hollywood films.

Asked what advice he has for inventors, Sandin says, “Collaboration through brainstorming is key … don’t be afraid to bring others in.”

Some of the prototypes include a fire-proof backpack, legged vehicles (yes, a walking car), flying life guards, adhesive that allows humans to climb walls, boxing robots, road-rage proof cars and a water slide you could fit in your backyard.

“I can picture a 21st century amusement park full of simulated rides” like the one based on their perpetual water slide design, says Adkins. “It’s cool to imagine a roller coaster that gets you white-knuckled without the risk of bodily harm.

“You should watch these guys in action,” she adds. “It’ll inspire you to take their own ideas to the next level.”

www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=39941202222&edit=#/pages/Inventors-Digest/39941202222

http://inventorsdigest.blogspot.com/

Pretty cool Mike. At the Yankee Expo the Discovery Channel filmed me 4 times about all kinds of inventor stuff. They were impressed with my enthusiasm.

That’s why I didn’t sell so many subscriptions for you….too dizzy from the spotlights.

Maybe they are getting more into inventions. That is good.

I talked to a higher producer last week, they called me, think I will propose an inventor’s show or maybe more important a made in USA show covering American made products and the process of manufacture.

Inspiring inventors is good. An invention or two can build an international American owned Fortune 100 company fueling the U.S. economic cycle.

Look at guys like Steve Jobs of Apple and Bill Gates, what a great honor to build such an American iconic corporation and bring in income from other countries around the world.

That is how this country was made great, not the way we want to do it now, just all wheel deal and steal and sell each other stuff. We became a nation of just salesmen and it all crashed in our faces.

Praise to the Discovery Channel and all else that encourage U.S. innovation. It is inventors and entrepreneurs that built this country; it will be inventors and entrepreneurs that will rebuild this country…and yes…a drastic rebuilding is in order.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Ron K,
Thank you for your input of the Yankee Exp.
Change The World, that song was on the radio when I was reading you message.
Honor, your message promots honor. Yes, lets rebuld this country with honor and respect and inventors and entrepreneurs will lead the way.
Change the world, yea, we can do it.

Ron and Gladys, your optimism is infectious. NY Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman writes in his latest book that the salvation of our nation will come through innovation, particularly when/if the country takes a leadership in developing new and novel energy technologies. I recently had a conversation with Jeff Howe, a contributing editor at Wired, who loves the idea of Edison Nation. He coined the term “crowdsourcing,” which is what EN does – generates innovation through the intelligence of crowds … in this case inventors like you guys. He’ll be in an upcoming story we’re doing on crowdsourcing/open innovation. He says, “Your readership should really be excited about what you guys have going on. Inventors are upon a halcyon era.”
Very cool.

Well Mike…you know these people….get me some ink! NO ONE…I said NO ONE can say it like me to inspire in this way.

Ya know…after 9/11 I would have LOVED to join the military but I solely raise my daughter. She was 5 then.

Bombs cost money and have to be made from a strong country and economy. A country must stay super strong to sustain war and only manufacturing and innovation can do that….not the loud mouth ass in the bank or Wall St. guy looking to rip off the next American to buy his vacation house.

My heart went into inventing and innovation for this reason…and if we don’t strive that hard…together…for our children’s future….America as we know it is all over…BUT…NEVER underestimate American’s spirit. just second to none. We just slipped a little off the road.

No harm to Mike,but I find crowd-sourcing offensive and patronising.
Using the intelligence of crowds.What are we?Monkeys with typewriters.

I know for 8 years there was a crowd of one in my company.

This guy has lost discernment.-not you,Mike.

Adam,
No offense taken. Even Jeff Howe had problems with his own term. And futurist and author Alvin Toffler similarly disliked the notion of “the wisdom of crowds.” He finds crowds to be not that smart, “They elected Hitler,” he says.
But what the term, flawed as it is, really gets at is this: You can find more diversity and different ways of solving problems by surveying a wider range of smart people. Inventive people. America is brimming with creative inventors. You’ll see in our upcoming story interesting examples of companies finding solutions from unexpected industries and inventors.

Smart people work the system and get nice stuff,whatever.

Inventors eschew the system,and go for broke on the flimsiest of excuses.

Forums like this and others are where inventors learn and share,to skill themselves up for this new reality,where their inventive creativity has,now,a social and economical validity.

It is a brand new development.All this infrastructure.Luxury.

There were always smart people,and always inventors.

Times have changed.Inventors are going to kick ass in the new reality.

DITTO :D

India launched its first unmanned moon mission on Wednesday following in the footsteps of rival China, as the emerging Asian power celebrated its space ambitions and scientific prowess.

Meanwhile, America is fixated with Joe the Plumber. I remember when the U.S. made global headlines for space exploration. I can’t wait for transformational change come November. It’s time we get off our collective asses and start massively innovating again.

Well said mike!
I can’t wait for transformational change come November. It’s time we get off our collective butt’s and start massively innovating again.

I can’t wait for transformational change come November. It’s time we get off our collective asses and start massively innovating again.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!

Preach it Brother mike

I can’t wait for transformational change come November. It’s time we get off our collective asses and start massively innovating again.

Mike are you feeling like your starring in the re-make of the movie “Network”?

I agree that something needs to change. But as we look toward the lofty castles in the sky, the sands of time are eroding the foundation under our feet. Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone and send all our lower class citizens to the moon.

Like has been said here many times, many ways… We can send a dune buggy to Mars, but we can’t build a freekin’ fuel efficient car or feed some hungry people.

India shouldn’t be looking to the sky. They should be looking down to see the open sewage cannals flowing through the dead end streets.

How sad is that – Take care of our precious people first.

Dr. Martin Fisher built the MoneyMaker pump to help sub-Sahara Africa’s poor find potable drinking water and to irrigate crops. Earned a big Lemelson/MIT prize recently for doing it. U.S. innovation saving starving people.

We should be able to address more than one problem at once. I’m reading Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman right now. It’s required reading and it’s informing this magazine’s coverage for next year. America needs to launch a green-energy innovation initiative, similar in scope to the successful efforts that put a (U.S.) man on the moon.

That’s a great invention that Dr. Fisher built.

We contacted leading retail chain buyers and conducted extensive research to show you where the hot areas of product innovation are in 2009. The full story is in our January issue. Here’s a teaser:

• Indoor Games – High fuel prices are keeping people closer to home. Foosball and air hockey-type tables are great examples of “old school” games that resonate with consumers of all ages. New types of multi-use games and variations of well-known products also should generate a lot of retail buyer attention.

Teaser redux. We contacted leading retail chain buyers and conducted extensive research to show you where the hot areas of product innovation are in 2009. The full story is in our January issue. Here’s another teaser:

• Consumer Electronics – According to the Consumer Electronics Association, sleek multimedia cell phones, digital cameras, novel watches, tablet PCs and flat-screen TVs will continue to be popular while decreasing in price. Retail buyers tell us they’re interested in computer accessories and organizational products such as unique furniture and media storage devices.

Here’s another tip on hot product categories for 2009. We’ll feature a full list and companion stories in the January ’09 issue.

• Low Cost/High Value – Buyers are hungry for low-priced items that have a high perceived value. This can range from apparel to gardening tools. Buyers can’t resist a product that looks upscale and trendy but comes with a lower than expected price tag.

The photo shows the work of Gulten Dye, a Las Vegas jewelry inventor I met at the Chicago Everyday Edisons casting call. Her work is amazing – high-end looks at beer-budget prices. And the magnetic clasps make it easy to customize. You can have one long necklace, or break it up to a choker/bracelet combo. I’m getting one for my daughter. www.gultendye.com

You need to be careful… you post a picture of a woman’s bosom and call it
“high perceived value… for low-priced items.” :)

Mark, I see how your mind works. The photo’s supposed to showcase the jewelry. But, you’re right, there is some room for ribald interpretation.

Hey Mike, when did the November issues come out, I haven’t gotten mine yet but it is loaded on to the website so how does that timing work?

Devin

You should have received the November issue by now. We try to time it so readers receive issues by the second week of the preceding month. (November issue arrives by October 15, for example). It’s an industry standard thing. I’ll check the status. Meantime, if it doesn’t arrive by Friday, let me know.
Mike

You got it.

I’m a big fan of our nation’s youth and their creative spirit continues to inspire me – to wit the 2008 Collegiate Inventors finalists, announced recently.

The following would be a bit dated by the time we could fit it in our print edition:

The National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation recently announced the 2008 finalists of its Collegiate Inventors Competition.

In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 17–23), the 12 finalist teams will be hosted by the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., for the final round of judging and an awards ceremony on Nov. 19, 2008.

Prizes of $15,000 each will be awarded to the top undergraduate and graduate finalists, and the Grand Prize winner will receive $25,000.

Meet the 2008 finalists:
Undergraduates
Patrick Delaney, Matthew Beckler & Caleb Braff, University of Minnesota (Advisor: Paul Imbertson)
Solar-LED Lighting Innovation – A low-powered, economical device that provides many hours of light to areas without electricity.

Joshua Lerman, Hanlin Wan, & Swarnali Sengupta, Johns Hopkins University (Advisor: Dale
Needham) ICU Mover Aid – A device that integrates Intensive Care Unit life support systems with a wheeled walker and wheelchair to give mobility to ICU patients, which may help speed recovery.

Joshua Liu, Gayathree Murugappan, Kevin Yeh, & Vicki Zhou, Johns Hopkins University (Advisor: Robert Allen) SurgyPack – A Novel Means for Bowel Packing – A device that can be inserted by a surgeon to keep the patient’s intestines away from an abdominal surgery site.

Greg Schroll, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Advisor: Alexander Slocum) Spherical Vehicle with Flywheel Momentum Storage for High Torque Capabilities – A spherical robot that uses a control moment gyroscope to store momentum for going up inclines and over obstacles.

THE NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME FOUNDATION
Graduates
Curtis Chong, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Advisor: Jun Liu) Identification of the Antifungal Drug Itraconazole as an Antiangiogenic Agent Useful for Treating Cancer and Diabetic Retinopathy – Potential to treat cancer and common issues associated with diabetes with Itraconazole, a drug typically used to treat fungal infections.

Nathan Clack & Khalid Salaita, University of California at Berkeley (Advisor: Jay Groves)
Electrostatic Readout of Microarrays – Potential to detect DNA sequences and identify diseases and
pathogens using a rapid test without need for high tech resources.

Heejin Lee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Advisor: Michael Cima) Drug Delivery Device for Bladder Disorders – A device that can be inserted nonsurgically into the bladder via the urethra, releasing a controlled dosage of a drug into the bladder through osmosis.

Harvey Liu, University of Texas at Dallas (Advisor: Kenneth Balkus, Jr.) Smart Textiles for the Preservation of Tissues and Organs – A bandage that releases nitric oxide — a gas that promotes vasodilation in blood vessels to keep them relaxed and flexible—in a controlled
manner as it degrades.

Timothy Lu, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Advisor: J.J. Collins) Combating Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria and Bacterial Biofilms with Engineered Bacteriophage and Synthetic Gene Sensors – An engineered bacteriophage — a virus that infects bacteria—that works in conjunction with antibiotics, making them much more effective.

Parthasarathy Madurantakam, Virginia Commonwealth University (Advisor: Gary Bowlin) Hemostatic Mineral Bandage – An ultra-light bandage that has the ability to stop high-pressure bleeding.

Brandon McNaughton & Paivo Kinnunen, University of Michigan (Advisor: Raoul Kopelman) Rapid Detection and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Bacteria – A device capable of quickly
detecting the presence of bacteria, allowing quicker administration of appropriate antibiotics.

Paul Podsiadlo, University of Michigan (Advisor: Nicholas Kotov) Ultra-strong and Stiff, Optically Transparent Plastic Nanocomposite – An ultra-strong, transparent plastic sheet with properties approaching the values of steel and its alloys.

…wow, this is amazing stuff (especially Timothy Lu’s “Combating Antibiotic- resistant Bacteria…”). I hear so many parents complain that they took the effort to bring their sick child into the doctor and the doctor sent them home without antibiotics. It is nice to hear that a proactive approach is being taken to address the issue of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Hopefully this combined with a little education to the masses will put a kabosh on this problem before it gets out of hand.

Heidi,
I hear ya. We have a story in our January issue on biomimicry – designing and inventing based on constructs found in nature. We reference Australia company Biosignal. It has developed an anti-bacteria solution based on red algae. It stops bad bacteria from growing, without giving rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Fascinating stuff.

I got a request to post this announcement from inventor Pal Mahal in Connecticut.

I don’t know whether he’s crazy or enlightened. Pal calls his own sanity into question. Here’s how his e-mail to me started:

“Even at the risk of sounding like an everyday garden variety crackpot, I think the prevailing paradigm of science & reality is no longer defensible.”

I asked Pal to clarify. Here’s his follow-up:

“The prevailing powerful paradigm of science instead of bringing us closer to reality is taking us away from reality.”

Not sure what to make of that. In any case, the Futurists and Inventors group meeting is 3 pm, Nov. 8, 7 Woonsocket Ave., Shelton, Conn., 06484. For more info, contact PAL@OurPal.com, 1-203-924-9538 or Fax 1-203-924-9956.

I can’t make the meeting. But Pal’s request reminded me of a story idea we’ve kicked around here. Is it just us, or do a lot of inventors have attention deficit disorder (ADD)? Is that something we should write about?

I understand what he is saying Mike.

To make things short and easy to understand…we will spend billions to find aliens on Mars yet we can’t afford our homes down here and have to live in tent cities.

We go to Mars to find ice but we can’t find food for our food banks around here….they are all at record lows and Winter has yet to set in!!!

We search and race for the new technology like a herd of mad bulls neglecting reality and what we really need to survive and raise our children.

I have a friend that is on a team making a space ship for a manned mission to Mars….but we no longer seem to be able to manufacture cars in this country…word is GM might be going down which will cause many thousands to become homeless and not have enough money to feed their family.

It is too bad Ted Kacinsky lost his mind and went to extreme bad things. He was a mathematical super genius who’s mind snapped from overuse I would say.

He saw how technology would be our downfall and he went against the progression of. He was right, he saw this as I always have.

We have big plasma TV’s now but no home to put them in anymore as we foreclose.

We have enough buttons and gadgets in our cars you’d think one of the buttons gotta make it fly or something….but here come’s the repo man…we can’t afford it…now we gotta walk to work.

Technology is moving too fast making us neglect or stop concentrating on the basics of what we really need to survive or have the basic necessities to properly raise a family.

Do you see it Mike? This is why the inventor’s mind might have to concentrate on basic necessary products for the next 10 years or so.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Ron, thanks for the manifesto. But do you think the magazine should write about inventors and ADD?

What about RTO-resistant to orthodoxy,or RTC-resistant to convention/conditioning,Mike?

Inventors always just seem to have problems,or be problems.Plus ca change.Oh Well..

Ron well said.

Mike, the ADD issue is an interesting premise, but I would hope that the magazine would do indepth research before labeling inventors.

I would say he is basically referencing Occam’s razor, paraphrased as “All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.”

We create our own reality. If we make it complicated, so it will be.

For example, look at health care. For me, if I get sick, I take vitamins. if my asthma kicks up, I take vitamins. If I’m tired, I take vitamins. If I am sore, I take vitamins. If I’m sad, I take vitamins, if I hurt, I take vitamins.

And this brings us to the true Occam’s Razor… “entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem”, roughly translated as “entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity”. In other words, “K*I*S*S”- keep it simple, stupid."
:)

No Mike….everyone likes to talk about how the inventor is weird and has mental problems.

If it wasn’t for inventors and the lazy people ran things we’d still be chasing animals with a club and that’s about it.

Inventors can be great intricate thinkers that like to converse intelligently. They do not pay attention generally to useless stupid small talk..a sign of ADD? The general public likes to talk small talk…what happened to the neighbors aunt….and about the episode of Friends on TV…the inventor has no time for that….onto bigger and better things….but he is labeled weird with ADD?

How about jealousy toward the inventor? My family thinks I’m a screwball…a wacko dreamer….but I am the one that got up off my ass to contribute something to the world, build a better me and a better life and most of all, a very bright future for my daughter….yet people around me come uninvited from around me with insults.

Us inventors do not need another label to give the general public to use against us who are on the outside looking in at us mostly isolated HIGHLY intellectual people because we simple don’t mesh most times with the simple minds of the general public.

They are on the outside because they are too lazy to make things happen or just don’t have the balls to risk like us inventors. Let’s call those people names …like fat lazy bums waiting for a money tree to grow…and do a story about them!

Ya know…the truth…there are some real crackpot “inventors”….met a few at the Yankee Expo….off the wall with a wacky gadget…but ya know…that’s OK!!! I respect them!!!! They got up off their ass and are trying instead of watching re-runs on TV. Great respect from me is due.

So really what ‘They’ are saying is that the box is all there is,and if you dont fit,or the box doesn’t fit,or you can see it’s a box,or that box life isn’t the only way to live,then you have some ology or ism,and more critically, they dont have to do anything.

It would be derisory for you to court this scenario,Mike.It is truly lazy,reactionary thinking by inexperienced,unadventurous,security-loving conformists,who prefer the security of the herd,and whose light has fizzled out.

China remains controversial – tainted milk, eggs, toys, bogus military parts and deplorable working conditions…

I see a lot of discussions in these forums urging inventor-entrepreneurs to make their stuff in the U.S.A. Until domestic manufacturing returns to these shores, it pays to know some of the ground rules in China. Here’s an excerpt from our December issue of Inventors Digest:

Protecting intellectual property in China is a different ballgame, say the lawyers at Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C., a Boston law firm specializing in protecting intellectual property in the United States and worldwide.

Trademark Protection

Avoid “whoppers,” file early. U.S. companies registering their trademarks in China need a basic understanding of Chinese law, language and culture, says Edward Perlman, co-chair of Wolf Greenfield’s trademark group.

Transliterate, make sure to avoid embarrassing gaffes. Translating English into Chinese characters rarely works, so use transliteration to mimic the sound of English, Perlman advises.

Transliterate means to change letters, words, etc. into corresponding characters of another alphabet or language. Use Chinese words that sound like your trademark or that have that meaning. That takes creativity. Because there are multiple dialects in China, you’ll probably need more than one transliteration if you do business in different regions.

Your U.S. trademark law firm will need to hire a competent Chinese law firm, otherwise your transliteration could be nonsensical or downright embarrassing.

When Coca-Cola first entered China, it printed thousands of signs that rendered its name as ke-ke-ken-la, which translated to “bite the wax tadpole” or “female horse stuffed with wax” depending on the dialect. The company shifted course and found a close phonetic equivalent pronounced ko-kou-ko-le, loosely translated as “happiness in the mouth.”

KFC didn’t fare any better with its initial foray. It quickly discovered its slogan “finger lickin’ good” came out as “eat your fingers off.” …

Read the full story in the December issue of Inventors Digest.

A reporter from a business journal

phoned me the other day and asked if it were true that only 1 in 8,000 inventors who get patents actually make money on their products. The answer is yes, but with a caveat. That’s for independent inventors who try to do everything solo. To increase your chances for success, you need to enlist key partners. These can include designers, marketers, attorneys, business/investor types. Jack Lander writes a lot about this in our magazine.

Mike….where did you get that number from? It has always been known at about 3% of patents make a profit and this number surely can rise depending on the inventor’s efforts! The low 3% profit can be blamed on the inventor.

So many inventors think that the “goal line” is obtaining a patent and the invention fairy or something will then come to make them offers or help.

How about an article on how to increase these odds? What steps or actions can an inventor make to increase the odds. I can write a GREAT article on this.

We have a few people on this forum who’s next idea I say has a 50% chance of making money. Why?

I’ll tell you why. Most inventors get their patent and the most they do with it is hang it on the wall. this group has a less than 3% chance and it’s their own fault!

Let’s look at the success rate of those that attend an inventor’s group. I would estimate the success rate at 15%!!! Why? Because these people are seeking a road to run down with their patent and do something!

I had a guy call me up a week ago. He says his patent is alot alike my Handi-Straps and I might be infringing. I said oh…is that so. I asked if his connects to the hands in any way. He said no. I said well then his patent is not even close. Maybe he has the same “X” pattern on the back which is not patentable and has been done for thousands of years.

Here’s the point. This guy is too lazy to commercialize his idea and will look to scab onto someone else to make his money. Why don’t he push his own invention instead of leach off of someone else?

He then stated that he has a few patents but NO ONE WANTS TO PUT MONEY IN!!!! HA! Why don’t HE put money in and stop looking for everyone else to invest!

This is why I am successful, I moved forward and put my product up for sale or else I may be sitting like him with a worthless patent. I DID SOMETHING ABOUT MY IDEA!!! I DID NOT WAIT FOR THE INVENTION FAIRY TO COME TO ME!

It’s funny, I tell inventors…there is no invention fairy as many inventors must believe there is. YOU have to get out there and PROVE your invention!

In many cases; and my case, most will be afraid of liability on a new product! I had to put my own neck out there to get started. This move I made could increase all inventor’s chances by 20%

Moreover, an invention will not sell large numbers to start and many manufacturers do not want to bother with a slow launch so the reponsibility in most cases lies with the inventor to prove a sales history, but he don’t want to put the effort in to start it up!

Well I did, and now I am sitting golden. If I did not, I know I would be one of those 97% who failed.

Mike, check your numbers….it’s not that bad….one in 8000…that’s a crazy number….it’s 3% make money. that’s 3 in a 100….but are those 3 in a 100 mostly big manufacturers that know what will sell and that is how you get your 1 in 8000, out of independent inventors….and with no money?

Anything will sell…a rotten banana in a nice box will sell something…a percentage of consumers are NUTS!

With your numbers, I can’t be just one in 8000. figure in starting with only $500 for some postcards and that will make me one in 80,000 patent holders. Gotta be better odds than that!

Maybe I should write an article for you how to change those odds, because I do know how to tell people what they need to do to make their idea work.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Ron,
It’s actually less than 2 percent of inventors make money off their inventions, according to noted patent attorney Michael S. Neustel. However, if you include all the patents filed in a given year and divide by how many of those patents become products, you get to the 1 in 8,000 figure. Granted, my math makes a few fallacious assumptions. Not all of those patents are for products, for instance. But I think my larger point is correct — too many inventions go for naught because too many independent inventors think they can go it alone.