How are you looking at getting the product to market? Are you just going to sell through a website or look for distributers, or some other method?

Have dealt with Lambert & Lambert & Ron Docie of Docie Marketing. L&L use a “boilerplate” type review/appraisal, if yours does not fit their template then you won’t get a deal. Ron Docie did a bit more, he interviewed potential users, had some good feedback but his assessment is phased with each phase requiring a bit more of an investment. I decided to approach potential licencees myself, so far nothing. I have approached companies like 3M, Cardinal Healthcare, Kimberley-Clark, etc. About 4 months ago I decided to invest in getting my product manufactured (in China) and market myself. So far lots of positive responses but no $$$ yet!

I’m also curious about successes, any experience with Big Idea Group? Jack Lander?

Andrew, put in the term “licensing agent” in the Search feature above at the green button. You will get a number of threads on the topic that will help. I have dealt with Warren Tuttle and found him to to be fair and straight forward. I have not dealt with Lambert and lambert.

http://www.edisonnation.com/posts?q=licensing+a...

Picking up on an old thread….was interested to hear of anyone with success using a licensing agent. Also would like to hear any ‘horror stories’ regarding licensing agents. For those who have done some research and talked to licensing agents, i would love to hear some feedback and thoughts. I am particulary interested in the consumer household products field (kitchen, bath…). I’ve seen the name Warren Tuttle with Lifetime Brands mentioned a few times. I have also read about Lambert and a few others. Thanks!

I’m not forgetting EN! The idea I sent to BIG was in the finals for the show, but got rejected. Not right for any other searches so far….so I’m trying another route.

Thanks Mike, I will check them out.

First EN Mark, then the other guys :D

And of course we can’t forget THE PEOPLE THAT HOST THIS SITE. Isn’t what EN does????

Toni, have you checked out the BIG Idea Group? That is pretty much what they do, but they don’t charge anything up front. I just sent in an idea to them. If they accept it, they either can license themselves or act as an agent and share royalties.
Another co. is Evergreen IP. They have a good rep, and again no money up front. If they accept it they put up money for prototyping, atty fees, etc. and share royalties on the back end.

Thanks Chic, I will check it out. But all the
other companies I have checked before, there is
no coverage for my brain tumor.

hope it works out for you toni

I hope we can hire Jack to do what I am asking
Chic. We will see when he answers. :D

What?

Hi Jack, Glad you came on board.
Since you are listening, let me see if I understand what you are saying. For the $295 fee you yourself with make a recommendation on my invention and then if you feel it is a good invention idea, you will find me a licensing deal and you will then pay everything up front and receive between 20-50% of my licensing monies. Is this correct?

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the kind words. Toni, I’m sorry if I gave the impression that my fee of $295 meant that you’d have to pay again for a second agent recommendation. My service is open-ended. By that I mean any client may contact me any time in the future with a question, as long as we’re talking about the same invention covered in my report, and there is no additional charge. That’s how a mentor works.

Jack Lander

Toni,
Please let me know how it goes with Jack, I would be interested in using him if all goes well with you!
Suzy

My first presentation would of course be Edison
Nation.

Then if they did not like it – I will give Jack
a chance.

No Ron, I am not going to the Yankee Expo. But
if I or my partner comes up with anything for the
Expo, they will go in my place. I can’t travel
right now, due to my injuries. :D

I will tell Jack you recommended me.

Toni…tell Jack I recommended him to you. I used to talk to Jack alot and I put his info on my website 3 years ago. He’s a good guy and is affiliated with everyone here as he writes monthly for Inventors Digest.

I think you said you are going to the Yankee Expo. He helps run it, you could see him there.

He also told me about 2 of his licensing agents he likes. I talked to one. If I was you I would try to get as much research done as you could now to get a better percentage.

I will tell you this, there is no way you will negotiate a safer more profitable agreement than an experienced licensing agent.

I once blurted out a STUPID statement at the conference table with a CEO and his top guys that cost me 2% right there…but the deal fell through anyway. That’s a 40% loss in royalties for being stupid.

Jack would be an alternative after your shot here I would say.

Gavin, Jack Lander will find you everything you
need for his fee of $295.

What I need are different Licensing agents for
the products that I have developed. I would be
maybe interested in doing one or two at a time.
(1 price of $295.00 for one agent at a time)

From my understanding the Licensing Agent then
charges you a percentage of between 20-50% to
try and get you a licensing deal.

That’s okay with me. 1/2 a pie is better than none. :D

He has an insightful article How to Find an Honest Invention Marketing Agent
By Jack Lander at http://www.uiausa.org/Default.aspx?page=171 ,but explains the “need” for upfront fee.

I have decided for my future licensing needs I
will hire Jack Lander. He only charges $295.00
and I can’t find any negative posts about him.

If anyone has come across any, please let me know.

Astute observations Gavin.

There are some licensing agents who charge an evaluation fee and some that do not. Objective sources seem to agree that an agent should rarely charge upfront money for their review – opting only to earn revenue from commissions. The ones that do charge say they are so inundated by submissions that they need to charge the fee for their time and dissuade less than viable concepts. I would love to see an independent accounting of the upfront fee versus the commissions’ earnings of these licensing agents. The USPTO, FTC or some other oversight organization should mandate that in order to call oneself a licensing agent, one should have to earn the bulk of their income from commissioned products.

I must admit, however, that Harvey Reese’s deal seems intriguing since he promises to create prototypes free of charge. If you choose to use him, Toni, please let us know how it goes. His articles in the Best of Inventors Digest section available to Gold Members seem knowledgeable, but no former clients are chiming in with positive testimonials.

Mark,
I think she was upset about the fact that she explain the game to him before hand and he knew there wasn’t a market for board games but still accepted the money then told her what he knew before hand.

Chic,
I read that rip-off report and it sounds more like a disgruntled customer than a real rip-off.
The person paid $175 for a review of a game and Harvey Reese decided, upon review, not to pursue it.
I sent a game idea to another marketing firm some time back with almost identical results. The fee was $125 and the report I received detailed why they thought it would not do well, even though they enjoyed the game. I did not feel ripped off. I think a rip off would have told them they loved it and tried to get development money from them.

Thank you Chic…we need to get back in touch. We can help each other I am sure…just been busy trying to figure my September marketing campaign kickoff…very important.

Maybe we will meet in Texas. I go every October, but it was supposed to be more…was supposed to move there by now…but sales are slow…here and internationally…really slowed down but I have lots of medical reports coming out from colleges doctors, all kinds of stuff. I don’t care. I will wait. Sometimes slower and manageable is better.

Thanks Chic. Still going to see if your invention has any industrial uses for the oil companies etc. That is who my manufacturer mainly services. Still say your invention works for pulling rolls of pipe or something.

Ron, there’s another sports figure in play. will keep you informed.

Thanks Chic, I will do that.

Toni, you may want to read this www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/269/RipOff0269272.htm

Thanks Ron, that’s what I was thinking too.

Hello Toni..Harvey Reese is a very respectable name in the inventors world. He has written a number of books, mostly about licensing.

I read his his book “How To License Your Idea” and I consider it in the top 3 books inventors should read.

He is a good source for licensing. I talked to him a couple times in length. Any deal in licensing you must first take into consideration how much % they want and then ask yourself how much better of a deal can they get you over doing it yourself, then do the math.

You will hear you can get 5% yourself…yeah…go try…see what it’s like…and if you mess up the contract you get 0%. That is the benefit of Edison Nation or others to help you with a licensing deal. Go sit in the conference room with 4 executives trying to chew you up on a deal and you will see why you can respect a licensing agent and their experience sometimes.

I think Edison Nation is the best choice right now for a licensing agent kind of deal. Just they are the “hot” ones right now and will be for a while. Just an exciting ride here.

You get the boot here, then maybe try someone like Reese or with the info you could obtain here…go at it alone.

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