Theresa

[Theresa]

Yes, I believe there are plenty of eager people out there that want to buy things that don’t “solve” problems. Like the 8 Ball and Twister… Silly Putty, Superballs, Slinky, Pacman, Pez dispensers, Bazooka Joe bubble gum …

Why I’m developing one right now… based on adopting an old product popular 70 years ago and adding a completely new ‘twist’ to it!

…and it’s gonna be a fun one!!!

[Theresa]

Yes, Danny. You can license your innovation more than one seller. There is no problem in it.

[Theresa]

Contact a patent attorney for a frank and realistic analysis.

[Theresa]

Hi. I completely agree with Danny. Your question entails many options. What I understood from your question is you want to know more about trade show devoted to industrial design, prototyping, and manufacturing of different kinds of products. AmCon shows arrange many events for the help of the manufacturers. From prototypes to production parts. The most competitive companies in the U.S. use AmCon shows to find new suppliers. Click here for a sample list of companies that have attended in the past. You can assess their website from here.

[Theresa]

I am sure this is confusing but I guess this would be a helpful read. This article explains how each one contributed to the invention of the light bulb that we are using today.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/who-really-invented-the-light-bulb/

[Theresa]

It is best to apply PPA and then license your innovation. PPA doesn’t take much time and it gives you one year time period to find a licensee for your innovation and persuade him to pay for your patent as he will be the beneficiary of this invention too. I hope that helps. Good luck!

[Theresa]

Hi, Veronica. In United States patent law, those applying for a patent, i.e. applicants, and patentees may claim a particular status depending on the number of their employees. The fees to be paid to the patent office depend on the applicant’s status. The statuses include the “large entity” status and the “small entity” status. The “micro entity” status is a further status, which was introduced with the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), enacted in 2011. They have made a category further to encourage and facilitate independent investors i.e. micro entities by offering them reductions. To qualify as a micro entity, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
• Qualify as a USPTO-defined small entity.
• Not be named on more than four previously filed applications.*
• Not have a gross income more than three times the median household income in the previous year from when the fee(s) is paid. For 2011, the most recent year that data is available, the median income was $50,054.
• Not be under an obligation to assign, grant, or convey a license or other ownership to another entity that does not meet the same income requirements as the inventor.
On the other hand, small entities get 50% discounts and are defined as
A small entity is an entity that:
• (i) is a nonprofit organization; OR (ii) does not, together with all affiliates, have 500 or more employees;
AND
• has not assigned, licensed or otherwise conveyed an interest in the invention to a non-small entity
Large entity: any entity that is neither a small entity nor a micro entity. I believe that there will be no confusion now.

[Theresa]

Aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs need to focus on these tips to turn an idea into a product quickly:
—-Don’t do every step of your product yourself e.g. manufacturing, marketing, funding etc. it can be overwhelming to try to take care of everything yourself.

—-Inventing a product requires a lot of initial investigation, patience, and resilience. Before you begin the process, make sure you have the time to dedicate to due-diligence research.

—-Once you’ve found your market and ensured that your legal path is clear, it’s time to start bringing your idea to fruition by creating a prototype. At this point, you’ll need to decide if you’re going to have your product manufactured or licensed.

—-Pitch customers for your product even close family friends and colleagues.

—-Continually test your product

[Theresa]

Yes, Lucy, you can patent your packaging idea and can sell it further. Many companies have used packaging patent and their success mostly depends on it. You can Google all these companies. Good Luck!

[Theresa]

Yes, this is a long debate. There is no possible answer to this dilemma. All these arguments have been made to researchers and they are finding a way to balance the knowledge sharing and intellectual property rights. hope that helps.

[Theresa]

I was going to create this topic here as well but you beat me to it. Glad to have someone giving their due light to female inventors.

[Theresa]

He deserves to be known by everyone. I have read somewhere that Steve Jobs is influenced by him. Jobs considered him as his childhood hero. He also follows him in business ideologies.

[Theresa]

Hi, I’ve heard about Arizona Inventors’ Association but I’m not a member and I’ve personally never been to their meetings. But they’re pretty popular and I think the biggest group out there so you can take a chance with them. Maybe look up feedback from members or go to the association and ask them directly whatever you want to know. Hope this helps.

[Theresa]

Sell sheets seem to work really well indeed. The goal is to fit everything that you want to communicate about your idea on a single sheet of paper, hence the name “sell sheet” (or “one sheet”, as I’ve seen many people call it).

I mainly use Fireworks for the graphics, it’s very similar to Photoshop. But there are free tools out there, like Gimp. You could also use Paint but I find it so time consuming! Also, I recommend printing on glossy picture paper, looks much more professional.

[Theresa]

Every case depends on the details but IMO there are certainly some things you can and can’t do. Others may have different views.

I think the short answer to your question would be no if someone has something they make and I’ll assume are selling you wouldn’t be able to patent their creation. For you their creation would be seen in the eyes of the US patent office as being prior art and prevent you from getting a patent since this creation was already being made by someone else before you filed your patent. Even though you would be the first to file the creation would be classified as in the public domain. The person who created the item would have a short window in which they could make and sell their creation and still get a patent.

Can you change something enough to make it novel and non obvious and get a patent? The answer would be yes but that can be a hard sell when you try convincing the patent office/examiner your new creation is novel and non-obvious. Every case is dependent on the details and to make an informed decision you would ultimately need to contact a patent agent or attorney.

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