Hi Eva,
Have you ever seen those commercials that have the devil sitting on one shoulder and an angel sitting on the other, with the Devil saying “Go ahead, do it” and the Angel saying “now, now, that would be right”
Well that’s kind of how I am feeling bout this. I trust everybody and I always assume everyone would do as I would do. My husband trust NO One and I always feel bad that he feels that way, as I don’t think it is a nice way to go through life.
Guess who gets hurt more often?
My inclination would be “great” and my husband would say “Are you nuts?” Let’s see what others have to say, because I would LOVE some feedback!

I’d be game for that. If someone wants to still my idea oh well, that’s the world we live in. But I have much better chances of success taking good risks, than wasting my energy concealing what I think to be a good product.

Even if someone else becomes successful off of my idea, I can have the confidence in knowing that I once had the same idea.

I’d be willing to sign an NDA for other people’s ideas, and would happily send out NDA’s for other’s to sign.

I have a *PPA, *RPA and *PCT application on file with the USPTO, too, though.

You can’t be paranoid about showing you product idea, but it makes good sense to protect yourself as much as possible, when it is so easy to do. (PPA, copyright, etc.)

• A PPA is a Provisional Patent Application, and RPA is a Regular Patent Application, and a PCT is a Patent Cooperation Treaty Application, which is an International Patent Application.

Hi Eva, I applied for the patent so I can talk freely about mine. You may want to be careful about sharing with others if you get paranoid.

I posted my case on a forum titled: Heres my case. Any thoughts? Maybe you could give me some advice.

The spirit of this concept is great; however, if you guys do this, do it at your own risk. There are many unscrupulous people out there in the invention world and if one of them hears you’re doing this, I’d be afraid they’ll sneak in under the radar to “participate.” At a minimum, I wouldn’t share your idea without a patent (I know that sort of misses the point).

I would love to do something like this. I have my provisional patent complete and my 20 year patent filed and my attorney says it is safe. Everyone I pitch my idea to says it is good, but are they just saying that?? Some anonymous response might be just what I need.

Hi Eva,

I think the “Idea Exchange” is a great idea. It could be started at the level that Matt mentioned, those with regular patents and those that have filed provisional applications. The exchange of NDA’s would add additional protection. It might be possible to include those without patent protection after a trial run at the more secure level.

I think it is clear at this point that EE doesn’t want to be held liable or accountable for evaluations. This is understandable. Even with all their expertise evaluations are not a perfect science as witness by the AB Belt. I think Doug Hall would probably disagree with me.

The beauty of the “Idea Exchange” is that we are mostly end users of products not acting in a professional capacity like the good people at EE. We can’t be held liable.

This could be the idea that gets the monkey of EE back. This could be the solution that EE is looking for. Because in my observation as much as this question has been addressed by EE it is not going to go away by itself. It is too passionate an issue for inventors.

Well, if the people who view your idea are forum members, there is internal policing as with Ebay.

I’ve divulged the particulars of my kinetic charger and AIR with assumed confidentiality (don’t believe in NDAs, I believe in trust). I tried to give away my BUV…

If someone here tried to screw me, EVERYONE would hear about it.

Eva, I too thought of this, I was gonna call it REJECTION JUNCTION (What is your function?)

Peer review, unbiased and brutal, that’s a good thing.

I like the idea and would be willing to participate, but I can be brutally honest, and know I would tick off somebody here, but I will be honest.

I wouldn’t worry so much about NDAs here. I don’t even worry with companies so much as long as you are surging forward and a company sees you are not fooling.

If you filed a patent your invention will be published in the Union Gazette (that’s the name of it right?) which is published by the USPTO before the patent issues (usually 18 months after filing)

There are people around the world itching for the next issue to see what has been filed. People in China surely know about it after publication.

Besides, inventors here don’t want other’s ideas…they want their own…no pride in stealing ideas at all!

Now even if an NDA is signed, there is nothing stopping someone from calling a buddy in China and blabing.

Point is, an NDA is not what people here think it is. It is nothing more than showing a company your professionalism, but in today’s worldwide network…it may be more useful to take your NDA and make a paper airplane out of it.

Roger knows all about my next invention and it is GIANT. I trust him. It also has been published already to the entire world by the USPTO. He is better off knowing me and possibly helping me that blabing or trying to rip me off. An alliance is worth way more in the inventing community than an enemy.

I would just mention and request confidentiality. I have inventor friends that have told me their wonderful idea that I would love to mention here for conversation and out of respect for their invention but I would not dare. We all understand how that goes here.

I would suggest to confide in those you know here…not just anyone.

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

Im in ,as long as it does not conflict with my fortunate 124 status,, Matt any comments on that?I think it would be great to share our ideas with the community, but with an added twist.If we at somepoint had a ratting system and somekind of monthly contest. Also the feedback from fellow inventors would be tremendous.

Erik…I know Matt’s answer…NO

Matt won’t say NO, he’ll say he can’t, and that you shouldn’t post anything that is not patented, and you shouldn’t post anything that is under a license or contract agreement. If you feel close enough to somebody here, follow Eva’s suggestion and mail it to them, at your own risk.

Jason,

I just wanted to know if you felt any better now after thug Thursday.

so, interesting concept and interesting feedback…..when i drove off this morning to file another DBA, i thought about the can of worms it might open…but then i thought, this is what’s going on anyway…i’ve been contacted to review ideas….roger has been contacted to review ideas…and i don’t know who else…..and maybe i am further digging this idea’s grave, but how could you prove who spilled the beans?…maybe just provisional patents and patents approved?….

and sharing your idea with provisional patent and patent approved, you aren’t selling your idea to us or trying to get a licensing agreement, you just want honest feedbackk about your product….and maybe from a panel of inventors, this might be exactly what solves the problem of wondering what and if anything is wrong with your idea…..E.W. (with a pink sharpie)

I allow my idea to be reviewed, as needed, but also have a utility patent filed that is never disclosed without an NDA.

After being G4 for a month, I am now onto plan B – attend ABC trade show in 6 weeks and NETWORK. Yes, I will show my product to new people without an NDA, but the chance of theft is much lower than the chance of meeting people who will help progress the product.

is your product a children’s one?

Hi Eva, it is a product useful for parents of children 3+ years old. I am scoping out victims, er.. I mean exhibitors, for ABC now. It is a huge show !

scott how are you getting in?

You can register as a guest or a “potential exhibitor” (which I actually am/was/may be)…

Here is something to think about when exchanging ideas among inventors. What if I evaluate a fellow inventors invention (at the provisional application stage) and see an undisclosed improvement or a modification that could open up a new whole market for the product, a cheaper way to manufacture the product by eliminating parts etc.. According to patent law you would have to include me as a co-inventor on your patent application. You would need to have some kind of a mutual “Work for hire agreement” signed by everyone so that we could make suggestions and improvements if necessary without having to worry about this problem.

It would be great if we could get some feedback from the attorneys at EE on this idea.

yes, tricky eh?…when i give people my advice on how to improve, i don’t expect to be paid for my suggestion…however, you are correct that someone might feel like they are due a % if the product is a multi million dollar one…i guess when i suggested this, i came to the suggestion with a good intentions, but look how even having good intentions can go awry…for those of you who want me to look at your product, i will give you free advice or suggestion….when i become a licenaing agent, i will charge you below industry average and that’s my promise!

and matthew whitney, well, i can’t possibly begin to understand your ideas…they sound fascinating…but i only have one year of physics, calculus, organice chem, and other bio related under my belt….and if it’s out of that scope, then it’s over my head…but i like reading your posts…but i need to take my ritalin to focus…you are quite brilliant…