Since cut & paste didn’t include the photographs, The Packaging Diva (Joann Hines) was kind enough to provide her link: http://packaginguniversity.com/blog/?p=763

Here is a link for some info from a great researcher:-)
http://www.edisonnation.com/forums/branding-sla...

Thank you, Sally. Guess I didn’t dig enough into the older Forums. I am still hoping that people will share other types of leads also.

I noticed on Tania’s explanation that she had a link to Joann Hines (packaginguniversity.com).

You are welcome Julie.
Not to worry, people will post:-)

Here is a link I just found (through I.D. to PlanetEureka to Chic Thompson): http://www.whatagreatidea.com/stuck.htm This deals with getting stuck on an idea – and maybe even beaten down.

PlanetEureka.com has some interesting ‘free stuff’ if you register (free…).

(also posted on ASOTV forum)

Thought some of you might become rejuvinated reading these articles.

The June 25th issue of USA Today had a story entitled :Inventors Seek Pot of Gold on TV: Direct-marketer TeleBrands has their treasure map. You can go to www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2009-06-24-t... to see the video and read the article.

Los Angeles Times had an article: Innovation Downturn’s upside: Fledgling Inventors seeing need and filling it: Recession – Mother of Invention?
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/25/busines...

Hi Julie!
Very nice thread, and interesting useful information. Thank you.

Most people (including attorneys) I have spoken to tell me that there is no NDA that is really binding. However, I still require one for all ideas that I haven’t patented.

Having said that, if any one has a clean, short NDA I would love to get a copy. I have one, but it is long and confusing.

Thanks.

Hi All,

I am willing to barter for contact information for a company that is looking for cleaning products ideas. in exchange for my contact information of a brand name tool company , they are looking for inventor tool ideas.

Joe,
I know of no companies actively seeking cleaning products except the one here currently. Boy but I sure could use that tool company. Got a couple of ideas that could use a home. What should I do man??

Tommy Hi,

I have two name brand tool companies and one sports product company looking for outside ideas if anyone wants to barter.

Joe

Hey! Let’s go to the lounge and barter over a couple of beers.

Tommy Hi,

no thanks, i don’t drink.

Heck, Tommyboy, I’ll barter AND drink with you but you have to shed that shell.

JulieB I have such an assortment of suits to choose from these days! Must I really travel in the motorhome in that bunny suit? Joe you don’t have to drink in the lounge just BUY then and we will all be ok!

Tommyboy – what other kinds of suit do you have? You can actually wear what you want as long as it isn’t the armadillo suit and it is presentable and CLEAN. Ve have roools … but they aren’t cast in stone.

JulieB. Anything that the Colonel desides to dress me in!! Hey, I am trying to buy all you ladies a drink in the lounge!

I’m here! Get your credit card out – you can’t possibly have enough cash on you! If the other ‘ladies’ don’t show up, I’ll drink theirs.

Gee Tommyboy, I really don’t like the thought of the Colonel dressing you. Are you trying to buy women drinks to cover up any tendencies? ;-)

Accidental Inventor

Below is an article on womenentrepreneur.com.

http://www.womenentrepreneur.com/2009/08/the-ac...;

If anyone is from Maine, there is a group you might be interested in and they have a great newsletter: www.maineinnovation.com.

Julie,
Thanks for the link. I am from Maine and utilized the Maine Patent Program a few years ago.

I was wondering if you would be willing to discuss your dealings with L.L. Bean in greater detail. I have an idea that I though would be a good fit, but never pursued it.

Hi Tracy, If you will go to the ‘search’ button above and type in L.L.Bean, you will find two posts about my experiences: I don’t think I have any further information.

The pillowcase became a Maine Made Product and my cell phone is still area code 207 even though I have lived in Yuma, AZ for the past 5 or 6 years. I used about three different SBDC offices in Maine and got the most help from the Portland office: of course, it all depends who they match you up with or who you find in the office when you appear. I belonged to the Inventor’s group in Portland and am still on their mailing list. I joined the Freeport Economic Business Council (might have the wrong name of the group but am close) and that is where I made the connection for L.L. Bean.

Where are you from? My mother’s family was from Fort Kent (WAY up) but when I went back, I parked at the Lewiston Elks where they have limited hook-ups for RV’s. I was going to stay just a few nights but ended up staying three months. While in Lewiston, I attended a meeting where Olympia Snow was the only speaker so am still on her e-mail newsletter list. Love Maine and guess I just can’t break those ties. (Gee, wonder if I could have used the word “I” any more than I did! Sorry….)

Hi Julie,
Thanks. I was wondering how you found a contact at Bean’s.

I’m in Wiscasset “The Prettiest Little Village in Maine”, not far from Lewiston. We go to Caribou snowmobiling.

Just in case you don’t know about this offer: Inventors Digest just sent an e-mail announcing a free appraisal by EUREKA! and the Department of Commerce and the deadline is September 30.

http://www.planeteureka.org/inventorpromo/

Looking for a cleaning product company try:

220 North Sheldon
Arcola, IL 61910 Phone: (800) 646-6262
Fax: (217) 268-4168
Email: info@libman.com Business Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM CST

or

http://www.quickie.com
Quickie Manufacturing Corporation
P.O. Box 156
Cinnaminson, New Jersey 08077
(800) 257-5751

Joe, I believe you owe me something. LOL : )

http://www.rogerbrown.net

Roger Hi,

Thanks.

Here is a website that is a great resource : www.skyhighideas.com . The owner of this site has posted this site & other info. in the Inventor Friendly Companies forum.

For you folks that have a patent, a 3M link is included in the list of companies on the skyhighideas.com site. They will only take submissions that are patented.

Good luck all!!

I just learned that SkyHigh belongs to one of the EN members – Donny Lynch. Thank you, Donny………

http://www.randomterrain.com/futuristic-inventi...

There is a PDF file called How to Protect and Benefit From Your Ideas from the American Intellectual Property Law Association at
www.aipla.org/Content/ContentGroups/Publication...

I am looking for a plastic extrusion company to make parts, package and distribute. Prefer to do this in the USA. I have been on Thomas.net under various keywords with some success. Any connections out there?

Hi everyone! I built a model rocket and now this rocket specialist want to take pic’s of my rocket, because he like the design of it. He want to use my design, but he didn’t say why. Do I have to get a patent on it so that my design will be protected. Thank for any info any one can give.

Coty I would not let him take any pictures at least until you understand what they will be used for. If he wants to use your design he should be able to tell you up front what is going on. At the very least there should be a non disclosure agreement signed between the both of you.

Coty:

I agree with TommyBoy. It is essential that you protect your invention. If this rocket specialist is on the up-an-up, he/she would have no problem with signing an agreement.

Here is a website that you can download or print off a boiler plate Nondisclosure Agreement:

http://www.score.org/downloads/NonDisclosureAgr...

This agreement is pretty basic; you would want to add specific details about your invention in this agreement before you present it for signature.

There are also other sample agreements on the www. Find the one that most fits your needs.

Keep us informed, ok? Good luck.

Cindy and TommyBoy, Thank you for the info it will help me alot. I will ask him to sign an agreement.

Coty, Please search for a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) – not just any type of ‘agreement’.

Coty, first off I’m not sure why Tommyboy & Cindy suggest you have the guy sign a NDA. You publicly disclosed your rocket when the guy looked at your design from what I read in your above post. What good would the NDA do now ?
You should of had him sign the NDA from the Get-Go to have at least some protection. If he told you verbably he wouldnt disclose your rocket to anyone else means diddly squat. Now your 1 yr disclosure is ticking.
Even if you re-worded the NDA means nothing,how would you know if he didnt tell one of his buddys about it already.
Do you have any back up for the rocket in a inventors journal, documented signed and notorized the proper way ?

Gizmo, I have pic with dates on them and I have video of when I was testing it. I do not have anything
else.

Coty, dont show your rocket to anyone else without them signing a NDA. Your pics and video dont have to much legs to stand up on in court. You need to get the correct inventors notebook. Read the info below. I will look in my files I should have something for you to follow how to deal with the notebook.

The need to preserve confidentiality of the invention cannot be overstated. Failure to maintain confidentiality of the invention can result in a loss of the ability to obtain a patent. Specifically, any public disclosure of the invention such as a publication describing the invention, public presentation of the invention, or making an offer to sell the invention can result in the loss of the ability to file for foreign patent rights.

U.S. Patent law is a bit more forgiving than foreign patent law. The relevant U.S. Patent law states in part that any publication, public disclosure or offer to sell an invention more than one year prior to the filing of a U.S. patent application results in a loss of the right to obtain an U.S. patent. Said in another way, if the invention is the subject of a publication, public disclosure or offer to sell, the inventor has one year from the date of publication, public disclosure or offer to sell in which to file an U.S. patent application covering the invention. However, as noted above the right to obtain a foreign patent may already be lost.

Coty, open the link and read the info. This should go in your inventors bible.

http://www.idearights.com/invtntbk.htm

Coty, if you dont have a inventors notebook and on a limited budget, I will send one to you if you like. I think it’s great that you have the inventing bug in your gut at your age. Please learn to play it smart as you move forward.
If you want the notebook PM me I will get it in the mail for you.

Gizmo

Gizmo, How generous of you to help Coty: that’s what is so great about EN’s forums. Years ago I asked someone to sign an NDA after the fact: don’t you think it wouldn’t hurt if he got one anyway and it was dated the date he showed him the rocket? I would just tell him that I forgot to have him sign it back then but would he do it now. Can’t hurt, I wouldn’t think.

Julie, even if its back dated I dont think it would stand up in court.At this point Coty has no idea if the guy that look at the rocket told anyone else or making his own. Maybe one of the legal guys on the forum can chime in. I laughed when you stated you would of said I forgot to have him sign the NDA after the fact. Im not laughing at you Julie,your statement reminds of me a long time ago.
I help and mentor all kinds of inventors young and old, thats what Im about and its all free.There are many more here that do the same thing, Ron,Roger,Mark and Johnny,,lol. among others. What I offered Coty has nothing do do with being on the EN forum, it wouldnt matter if it was a different forum I still would of done the same thing for any young inventor and so would the other guys mentioned above.
It would be a pleasure to sen Coty the inventors journal if he needs it and will use it the way its supposed to be.

Gizmo

Gizmo and Julie, Thank you for your help. I know we all have different veiws and that is what makes us great when we come together. This is how we learn from others with different veiws.

You know it is a damn shame that we have to be this way! All of these measures to keep from being cheated. NDAs, patents, journals they are all ment to protect MAYBE in the event that there is a challenge put to you!! I know insurance is important. I would love to know some stats on who sues who for what and who wins because of why!!! Coty you just keep on moving. Fresh, innovative unafraid is AWSOME so keep it up! GOOD LUCK TOO!

Coty, Just so you know – Tommyboy doesn’t REALLY look like that! He has friends in high places who dress him up in whatever seem appropos at the moment. I’m not even sure he is BAD!

Tommyboy, you right it is a shame we need to be this way but its reality. If for some reason a big Corp steals your idea,they have the money to head to court. The poor inventor has to make a decision to go after them. Lawsuits are very costly especially for the inventor. Companys dont steal ideas very often but it does happen. Inventors need to leave a good paper trail to follow just in case. Roger Brown talks about this method all the time. I think he says he makes his mother sign a NDA,its part of his paper trail. It’s like having a gun with no bullets,sure you can point it but can you shoot back. You can have the gun,bullet with no powder in it,still no protection. Now add the powder your in buisness, its combined protection, add a bullet proof vest you have more. Those are just examples,Im not a gun guru just in case your wondering.
NDA’S,inventors notebook,prototype and research are all combined protection.

The inventors notebook is your gun and bullet as far as I’m concerned if you use it the way your suppose to. Years ago inventors would mail there idea back to there selfs not opening it,I dont know for sure if it would stand up in court back then. I know in todays times it wont. It may help to leave a paper trail,along with the notebook,NDA and prototype.

Coty just keep plugging along, research as much as you can.
I wish you all the luck in the world young man. Be smart and ask questions, thats why were here.

Gizmo

Coty: There is a pretty good book on the market you may be interested in. It’s called, “The Independent Inventor’s Handbook”, by Louis J. Foreman. (Does the author sound familiar?)

I’ve just read this book, cover to cover. It is truely a great source for answering the many questions we inventors have. The nice part about this book is that it is easy to understand. It covers all the topics dicussed thus far in this forum plus tips on how to market your product and more.

You can purchase this book in the EN Store (click on “Shop” above.)

The above suggestion is meant to augment the great advice the others in this forum have provided you. We’re all in this together to help each other.

Great advice Cindy, maybe Louis will give the young man one for free. I’m giving Coty a free inventors notebook if he wants it.
It’s all part of giving back

Gizmo, believe me I do understand it all!! I would imagine too even if you have covered all the bases that a big Corp could still steal away your idea anyway!! Thanks for the connect Cindy and Miss JulieB I most certainly DO look like that! Along with armadillo suits, bunny costumes and the like. LOL. Have a great day everyone!