Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Can anyone recommend a reputable invention promotion firm?

NO! But I do suggest advertising in www.shop4patents.com for $50/year. Which includes unlimited picture and description. They have a great web page ranking/search results (no I don`t have any affiliations - I use them).

I also recommend advertising at www.marketlaunchers.com (more expensive).Or, possibly advertising in the "Inventor`s Digest Magazine" (Magazine and Website). Inventor`s Digest is the first National Publication devoted to individual inventors. It is a wealth of "honest" information/resources.

If you DO opt to look into Invention Marketing Firms? I suggest visiting the USPTO`s Fraud Alert Listings. As well as "Inventor Ed`s Fraudulent Company database.

Hello SG and welcome to the board!  Just out of curiosity, what makes you think you need an invention promotion firm?

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Leslie
Founder and President
Charmed Life Products LLC
Grill Charms™… The MUST HAVE grilling accessory that is revolutionizing the American Cook-out AND The perfect gift for any occasion!
Grill Charms
                                                                                                    

Thanks for asking. I`m not so sure that I do.  I am new to this and was contacted by a company.  It sounds like the most efficient way to go about working through the necessary steps, provided the company is a reputable one.  However, I`m having second thoughts and considering contacting a local patent attorney to do the patent search. 

This is good info, Rumpelstiltskin.  Thanks for responding.

You really do not need an invention promotion company and also before paying a patent att. to do a patent search, I would do one on your own at www.uspto.gov first then proceed with a patent att. if you come up with nothing. 

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Leslie
Founder and President
Charmed Life Products LLC
Grill Charms™… The MUST HAVE grilling accessory that is revolutionizing the American Cook-out AND The perfect gift for any occasion!
Grill Charms
                                                                                                    

Only go with an "Invention Promotion" firm that works on percentage of resulted revenue, NEVER pay an upfront fee.

To my knowledge ALL of them make money on upfront fees, with less than 0.0...01% success. (add as many zeros as you want.


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Thanks for the advice, Innovator7.  The one that approached me asked for $675 to do 2 different types of patent searches then 10% of anything I make on the product.  I have decided to proceed on my own, based on the disclosure statements sent by the company and the advice of other members of Startupnation.

Hi SG,
       I`d have to agree with the sentiments of the others.  There are many invention promotion companies out there that will take your money up-front and deliver zero in the way of results.  It`s a challenging path, but there are many inventors out there who have found ways to commercialize their product and/or idea by building a business themselves.  I also think this can be one of the most rewarding paths.  You should at least talk to a lawyer, but might not need to go the whole distance of a full patent yet.  You might want to think about filing a provisional patent, which gives you a year of protection while you explore other parts of building your business and seeing if you have a viable venture.  Try and limit your initial costs to that which is truly necessary, develop and test your product, and start pulling pieces of the team you`ll probably want to build (e.g. sales/marketing, manufacturing, legal, etc.) as you move forward.  Hope this helps.

Ashton


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