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End of my Rope!!!

13

Comments

  • EricEric subscriber Posts: 8
    I have an invention for motorcycles. It will save lives. It uses existing parts. It is in-expensive to mass produce. It`s ingenious, even Revolutionary, 
    Five years & $40k later I`m still looking for the right people to help me take this Global, but we all know how hard it is to find Good People. I have Applied for Patent Protection in the U.S. & it`s Terratories, but Foreign Patent Protection is mandatory before I can sit with the likes of Honda, Yamaha, BMW, etc. 
      My goal is simple: Put this Device on every motorcycle made at the factory and support it with an aftermarket network that permits the retrofit of every previous model made. Sound too good to be true? This device also makes the operation of a motorcycle easier to perform- so not only will more people decide they want to own one, about ten times the number of women who currently ride will easily pick up the art of riding= essentially doubling the current sales of motorcycles worldwide
    Better Mousetrrap,
    I`m going to play devil`s advocate here so please bear with me. You make some extremely broad and unchecked claims here. I appreciate the enthusiasm but hoping to retrofit every motorcycle in with world is NOT a reasonable goal at this point. Your broad sweeping claims are the stuff of overzealous and unfocused dreams. Questions I would like to see answered, who would NOT want it? How will it affect the looks of every bike on the planet, and of course, how much will it cost to make these things custom for every bike imaginable? How much testing will have to be done to ensure that it is safe and how it affects the current performance of every type of motorcycle?
    I always find it interesting when people say "this idea will save lives" but then they are reluctant to bring it forward because they want to make millions more by building something themselves. You don`t have the resources to go worldwide............ask yourself.... who in the industry does? That`s who you need to go to. Use confidentiality agreements and stop being afraid of losing control of your product on a global scale. Instead, concentrate on being first and fast.  But how do you do that?  
    I say this. I say that until you bring it forward and form a consensus that your design is fully accepted by the motorcycle industry and it`s consumers you will not easily gain support that you seek If you prove unequivocally that your design is in demand by the industry and it`s consumers and you will have the funding and support that you seek or [I think better yet] an interested manufacturer that can take you to the next level. That time has come. What are you waiting for?
    One thing I have learned as an inventor is to avoid running around saying "everybody wants my idea....why won`t anybody help me?!"  I know that I have to prove that "everybody wants it"  and believe me, the bigger the idea, the more support you will need.  Imagine if just 2 of the worldwide manufacturers said "no way..... not on our bikes!" How would that change your pitch?
    I think it would mean a lot more if you could say "Honda likes my idea and they are considering an agreement. They said that they could get a test line out by the end of 2007 and be manufacturing by mid 2008....we just have to nail down the agreement."  Does that scenario not apeal to you? Think about it. What would that mean for you?
    The way I see this is that you seek the control of an entire orchard instead of just a tree or two (which could feed you and your family for the rest of your life) 
    Please don`t mistake what I`ve said with criticism of your product. I don`t even know what it is. I`m just tossing this out a reality check. I know that I appreciate when people question my enthusiasm over something because it requires a great deal of reasoning and understanding to counter. With that comes a clearer view of the goal and also the process required to best achieve it. 
     
  • Jimmy17Jimmy17 subscriber Posts: 0
    Bettermousetrap,
    I am catching back up here and would like to summarize a few points:

    First thing is, motorcycle manufacturers will not put something on their bike that doesn`t solve a problem that they have or isn`t required by regulation.
    An ugly fact, but safety is rarely pushed, unless it`ll give them more sales.  It`s a marketing thing.
    As
    1) This quote by ladderless is right on.  These companies don`t care about safety unless they are forced to by law.  Remember when Toyota pickups didn`t have bumbers?
    This strengthens my arguement for the bigboys buying your patent just to take it off the market.  They would want to kill your idea early, so that the regulators and the competitors don`t get wind of it.
    You have to put a reversion clause in your contracts with them.  It will say, "In the event that no royalties are generated in a 6-month time frame, all rights of ownership to the patent revert back to the inventor."
    2 ) Marketing:  Motorcycles are inherently dangerous. And from a user standpoint, I bet 3/4 of them like it that way.  I dont think the nut cases that I know will want your product. Neither will the Hells Angels. So your thinking on doubling the motorcycle market is slightly off. I would shoot for 10%, but only tell investors 5%.
    3) Telling somebody you have a provisional patent is like telling them you are broke or you were swindled by an Invention Marketing bad guy company.  It isnt worth the paper it is written on.  They will immediately know that you can`t defend it, that you are inexperienced in patent negotiations, and they will know that they can start working on stealing it.

    I can tell you that for me, if a translation was required, then the lawyer`s fees, translations, and filing fees ran from about $8,000 to $10,000 per country.  The maintenance fees have been running between $200 and $600 per year.
    As
    4) I would like to thanks ladderless for this correction about the filing of foreign patents and the cost to defend them.  Only $10K per country, eh?  Thats about the price in the USA also, since the patent office sometimes rejects your patent erroniously, and so you have to reword and refile sometimes.  But 10K or 60K sounds like it is something out of my league without VC or Angel backing.
    5) I am totally baffled as to why you think you have all the time in the world to get this idea funded.  You don`t think others will EVER be able to come up with this idea?  Let me scare you with some guesses: A gyroscope that holds it upright like a Segway skooter, a collision avoidance radar that takes over the steering, landing wheels that pop out when you stop,... I just though of these in the last 3 seconds.  All of these make a motorcycle safer.  You better quit messing around !
    6) I dont know how this tread got onto the subject of God, and earlier on Tesla. Those are two of my favorite subjects.  God only had to spend a week on his invention. 
    5 years can make you a little testy.  I have invested 22,000 hours and $160K on mine, outlived 2 investors, gone through 3 management teams, on version 71 of my business plan.  I am completely driven by Faith and Destiny.  You`d have to be,  to even be interested in this forum.
    Tesla was always successful with his inventions.  He also had underlying noble causes.  The problem Tesla had was that he was a good, decent person. Not a business man. So, he was constantly ripped off and trompled upon by investors, other inventors, and had famous people like Edison promoting him as a whacko in public.  Inventing is a battlefield.  Get out there and get wounded early. 
    And don`t get so emotionally tied to one invention.  This is the inventors downfall.

    I think it would mean a lot more if you could say "Honda likes my idea and they are considering an agreement. They said that they could get a test line out by the end of 2007 and be manufacturing by mid 2008....we just have to nail down the agreement."  Does that scenario not apeal to you? Think about it. What would that mean for you?

    7) I think ERIC made many excellent points and this quote really sums it up from a business model.
  • ladderlessladderless subscriber Posts: 3


    I can tell you that for me, if a translation was required, then the lawyer`s fees, translations, and filing fees ran from about $8,000 to $10,000 per country.  The maintenance fees have been running between $200 and $600 per year.
    As
    4) I would like to thanks ladderless for this correction about the filing of foreign patents and the cost to defend them.  Only $10K per country, eh?  Thats about the price in the USA also, since the patent office sometimes rejects your patent erroniously, and so you have to reword and refile sometimes.  But 10K or 60K sounds like it is something out of my league without VC or Angel backing.

     
    Just to clear things up...  I presume that you file first in the USA, then file the PCT application, and then file at the national level outside the US.  When you file outside the US based on a PCT (Which is what you do 99.999% of the time), there are not too many legal fees involved, as the time spent writing the patent was already done:
    $10,000 for a US patent would be $7,000 for the lawyers writing the patent, and $3,000 for filing and other fees (drawings, etc).
    $10,000 for a foreign patent would be $2,000 for lawyers to do the filing and misc fees, and $8,000 for the translation.
     
    Sorry for the confusion, if there was any.
     
    I feel for you... I`m five years and over $1 million into my project...
  • invent1invent1 subscriber Posts: 0
    I have 3 US patents, and 2 others currently pending, I have also managed to do something that 90% of patents don`t do, I have made some money with my patents. I most stronly agree with the guy that said , don`t try to own the whole orchard, when a few trees will feed you for the rest of your life. Also you need to file a real patent, in the US, forget trying to file, or litigate in a foreign country. It does not matter how big a foreign entity is, although there are no Patent Police, if a patented device is manufactured overseas, and is in violation of your patent, your attorney can file for protection with the US Customs, and they will stop, and send back to country of origin, any container that contains your device, the whole container. That can be a very expensive deterrent to keep foreign made devices that infringe your patent out of the US. I think you need to accept that the US market is quite large, and you are not giving up as much as you are gaining. I manufacture my own products, most license agrements are very difficult to police, how many units will they tell you they make, the only other way I can see to control this is to make at least one part of the device, and sell it to the licensee , you can make it unique, and even change it from time to time to spot monitor the end market to make sure they are not counterfitting that part. Your royalty is tied to selling them that part, so you do not sell it at its normal manufactured cost, but at an inflated cost that includes your royalty.
  • ladderlessladderless subscriber Posts: 3
    Also you need to file a real patent, in the US, forget trying to file, or litigate in a foreign country. It does not matter how big a foreign entity is, although there are no Patent Police, if a patented device is manufactured overseas, and is in violation of your patent, your attorney can file for protection with the US Customs, and they will stop, and send back to country of origin, any container that contains your device, the whole container. That can be a very expensive deterrent to keep foreign made devices that infringe your patent out of the US. I think you need to accept that the US market is quite large, and you are not giving up as much as you are gaining. 
    There are some notable exceptions to this.  Many international companies will not seriously consider licensing a product that isn`t proected in most of their major markets.  It`s simply not as valuable to them.  As far as policing a licensing agreement, you patent lawyer can help you with that.  Your agreement will have clauses that provide for external audits, which can be done by law firms in that licensor`s country.
    If you file in the US, you essentially have about 3 years to license it internationally before things start to get really expensive.  If you don`t license it overseas in that time, you can always pull the plug on those filings.  You don`t have that much to lose.
  • BetterMousetrapBetterMousetrap subscriber Posts: 1
    TO ALL WHO HAVE WRITTEN A POST SINCE THE SLOAN BROS. MADE IT
    THE "HOT TOPIC" I WANT TO SAY THANKYOU!!!

    More people have looked at this forum in two days than have visited in
    Two Weeks! I really appreciate everyone`s brainstorming & collective input
    on my situation- I will try now to address as many questions as I can. If
    you`ve been following along up `till now these answers will be self-
    explanatory.

    First- A Provisional Patent Application is one of the most powerful tools in
    the arsenal of Intelectual Property Law (IPL). Why? It obscures what the
    embodiment of the device is for a period of Twelve Months in the interest
    of giving the private inventor the very protection they will need to find the
    commercial value of that device while providing sufficient time to produce
    working prototypes. This does not leave the inventor vulnerable- but
    instead makes it a very risky proposition for a potential infringer to try
    and steal that design simply because they run the risk of "Re-inventing"
    what you already invented.
    I must say here I`m really getting tired of the general public assuming that
    the guy with the money always wins the court battle. The Law is there to
    protect me- Ignorance of the law is no excuse- the "high dollar" lawyer
    usually beats the low-dollar lawyers simply because they SPENT more
    TIME knowing the laws.
    Armed with the information I need to protect my interests, I have a very
    powerful case that I have mock-run through every infringement scenario I
    can think of ( I have a big imagination). If "Big Bad Company X" comes
    along & decides they want to start producing a device similar in scope to
    mine tomorrow, & the Prior Art that I have pre-dates their "prior art"-
    ANY Honorable Judge would rule in favor of me- ESPECIALLY if I represent
    myself AND possess Carnal Knowledge of my rights under the law. Were
    he to rule in favor of "BBCo X" He would no longer be HONORABLE
    because he would not be upholding the law. Does it still happen? Of
    course it does. Is it grounds for an appeal? Or, even worse- a Mistrial?
    ABSOLUTELY!
    So what`s my point? You Need to Know your rights, You Need to Know the
    Law, You DO NOT NEED A LAWYER! But, having said all that, if you CAN
    find a good lawyer, he or she will will not only be able to verify any claims
    you state, they may invariably learn something they were not previously
    aware of, because of the simple FACT that you are the person best able to
    describe and cite the scope & embodiment of your idea. If you don`t know
    the tools that are at your disposal- it now becomes the task of your
    attorney to find the protection needed for the idea they didn`t think of. It
    would be akin to asking someone elses opnion on how best to show your
    affection to your spouse on your wedding night- who`s better able to do
    that- You, or the person your asking? Know what you need to Know!

    One more point on this case- If I had a dollar for every person that told
    me that the best protection I could find was to mail my idea to myself- I
    could retire by now. Pre-Conceived beliefs have a weird way of tainting
    the truth-
    KNOW THE TRUTH
    AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!
  • ladderlessladderless subscriber Posts: 3
    [QUOTE=BetterMousetrapANY Honorable Judge would rule in favor of me- ESPECIALLY if I represent myself AND possess Carnal Knowledge of my rights under the law. ..  You DO NOT NEED A LAWYER!
     
    You have passion, and some interesting theories.  In the real world, ideals aside, things don`t work the way you think they do (or think they should).  How many patent cases have succesfully been fought without competant legal representation?  Do your homework, and find out!  Don`t kid yourself into thinking you posses something that nobody else before you had.
    Remember the saying:  He who represents himself in court has a fool for a client.
    ...And like I said before, be VERY careful of provisional applications for patents if you`re planning to file a PCT; there are few precidents for how they will work with foreign patent rights.  You do NOT want to be the one to have to set the precident.
    Passion is good, but don`t let it cloud your judgement.  In the end it could be your downfall.ladderless2006-11-18 12:7:14
  • BetterMousetrapBetterMousetrap subscriber Posts: 1
    Please, if you would, for my benifit as well as those in the community-
    Define what a "PCT" is...
    Thank you.BetterMousetrap2006-11-19 20:30:37
  • ladderlessladderless subscriber Posts: 3
    Please, if you would, for my benifit as well as those in the community- Define what a "PCT" is... Thank you.
     
    PCT=Patent Cooperative Treaty
    Essentially, most governments got together and agreed on a streamlined way to apply for patents in multiple countries.  You have a year after filing for a US patent to then file the PCT application.  It`s essentailly the same; you use the same patent write-up you used for the US patent.  You then pick a PCT filing office (most people in the US pick the European patent office), and state which countries you are targeting (there is a fee per country, with a maximum total fee).  The PCT office will go through the examination process, and either approve or deny your PCT application (denials typically mean that you have a chance to fix something, unless there is a serious problem).
    You then have (I believe) an additional year during which to apply to each country you stated in your PCT application.  With the PCT examination done, most of the other countries will do a basic "rubber-stamp" approval, although some countries have different requirements (usually based on the number of claims your patent has, or the scope of the claims).
    Filing the PCT application isn`t very expensive; it`s when you get to the national level that the costs start to add up.
    Some people choose to file their PCT application BEFORE filing in the US -- They simply add the US to their list of intended countries.  The primary reason to do this is that the PCT examination process is usually quicker than the USPTO process.
    Here`s the thing -- The last time I checked (and it`s been a few years), nobody was sure what would happen to the PCT process if you file a preliminary application for patent, and then one year later files for a US patent -- I believe that you can`t delay the PCT process the standard one year... The deadline is based on when you files your preliminary application.
    Also -- Just so you know, most countries prohibit you from ANY public disclosure of your invention before you file for the patent (file anywhere)... So it`s VERY important to do something before you start showing it.  The US has a slightly different rule, in that you have a year.
    The fact that you didn`t know what a PCT is tells me you have some homework to do.  Be careful telling people that you can act as your own lawyer...
    Here`s a good launching site to learn more about PCTs:
    http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/index.html</A>
     
    Disclaimer:  I am NOT a patent lawyer or patent agent.  I am not trying to give any legal advice.  Please do not take anything I have stated as any more than conversation points, and before acting on anything I might have said, consult with a qualified lawyer.
    Also -- If I am wrong about anything I might have said, I invite any patent professionals to correct me.
  • BetterMousetrapBetterMousetrap subscriber Posts: 1
    Eric posted some interesting questions- I will attempt to answer them
    one at a time-

    "I`m going to play devil`s advocate here so please bear with me. You make
    some extremely broad and unchecked claims here. I appreciate the
    enthusiasm- but hoping to retrofit every motorcycle in the world is NOT a
    reasonable goal at this point. Your broad sweeping claims are the stuff of
    overzealous and unfocused dreams."
    ANSWER: What if I invented a better Gas Tank, or better Foot Pegs, or a
    better type of Rubber for Motorcycle tires? Why is it so un-reasonable,
    after seeing the obvious advantage over the "known art", to assume that
    anyone with experience in the field would desire the improved version
    over the norm? What`s more efficient- Steam Engines or Diesels? But look
    how long it took before Steam was Obsolete. Now what used to come by
    rail comes by truck, as the saying goes: If you got it- A truck brought it!

    "Overzealous & Un-Focused"?
    ANSWER: Let us say you have a company, and YOU came up with a way of
    DOUBLING your profits- are you going to try it, or are you going to call
    yourself a "crack-pot" for coming up with such an innovative way of
    increasing your income? What if your neighbor- not You, came up with
    the very idea? Does the fact that your neighbor happened to come up with
    it instead of you change your reason for implementing it?

    "Questions I would like to see answered, who would NOT want it?"
    ANSWER: Anyone so comfortable with the old way of doing thing`s that
    they see no reason to change it.(The "if it ain`t broke don`t fix it" types)
    The Real question I should be asking myself is who Would want it? The
    answer being: Anyone who wants to do things as well as they can do
    them. Which is easier: Cut & Paste or re-type? But when Bill Gates told IBM
    they could put a PC (that`s Personal Computer) in EVERY household, IBM
    didn`t respond by saying "Great! What`s your Idea?" They said "Why the
    heck would everbody want a PC?" You see- until you know the problem it
    fixes it`s difficult to envision it`s POTENTIAL value.

    "How will it affect the looks of every bike on the planet, and of course,
    how much will it cost to make these things custom for every bike
    imaginable?"
    ANSWER:No change in appearence unless you choose to remove what my
    device will augment and/or replace. It improves an existing device, which
    is it`s greatest attribute. As far as the cost to the manufacturer-How much
    does it cost them to put next years paint schemes on last years bike? In
    it`s purist form it uses components only slightly modified from their
    current use- same tooling, different specification.

    "How much testing will have to be done to ensure that it is
    safe and how it affects the current performance of every type of
    motorcycle?"
    ANSWER: About as much testing as it takes to decide how much Freeplay
    to put into the clutch lever to adjust to the riders preferance, or how
    much ratio to put into the throttle assembly to come up with how far the
    rider must twist their wrist to get full throttle. It`s not rocket science- It`s
    a very simple device.

    "I always find it interesting when people say "this idea will save lives" but
    then they are reluctant to bring it forward because they want to make
    millions more by building something themselves. You don`t have the
    resources to go worldwide............ask yourself.... who in the industry
    does? That`s who you need to go to. Use confidentiality agreements and
    stop being afraid of losing control of your product on a global scale. But
    how do you do that?"

    ANSWER: I go to START-UP NATION.COM and pick the brains of anybody
    willing to lend me their thoughts and/or their Hard-Earned cash!
    I know money doesn`t grow on trees, I`ve spent Thirty-plus years at the
    University of Hard Knocks. It`s a tough world out here. But I also feel that I
    have Earned the "as of yet unrealized" revenues that WOULD be realized if
    this device was Capitalized upon.
    Why? Because I`m one of the few who didn`t get hurt or killed when I
    should have been hurt or killed, by the very event my Invention can help
    millions of others avoid getting hurt or killed from. I place a REASONABLY
    HIGH value on my life based on what I have to contribute to others. If
    others don`t want or need bettering that`s their perogitive. But sooner or
    later improvements will come whether we ask for them or not. If I want to
    keep me & my family out of the "poor house" then Sooner would be better
    than later.

    "Instead, concentrate on being first and fast."
    ANSWER: Remember the Golden Rule: The Last will Be First, and the First
    will be Last.
    Haste makes Waste.

    "I say this. I say that until you bring it forward and form a consensus that
    your design is fully accepted by the motorcycle industry and it`s
    consumers you will not easily gain the support that you seek. If you prove
    unequivocally that your design is in demand by the industry and it`s
    consumers then you will have the funding and support that you seek or (I
    think better yet) an interested manufacturer that can take your idea to the
    next level."
    ANSWER: I HAVE A CONSENSUS. Whether I poll ten people or a hundred
    people or a thousnd people the numbers won`t lie. And if I spend so much
    time double-double checking to make sure I don`t fail- I could realize the
    greatest failure yet: Losing the virtue of surprise. Nothing is guaranteed-
    why waste more time than already lost proving what I already know. I`m
    not the one who needs more convincing here- And the person or persons
    whose money and resources will back this product will not need more
    either- Due diligence has been done- I need only the money to make it
    run.

    "That time has come. What are you waiting for?"
    ANSWER: What I`m waiting for are the people that have the resources AND
    the desire to double their money, yet aren`t too scared to try a different
    approach to a problem so old few recognize it as a problem.

    "One thing I have learned as an inventor is to avoid running around
    saying "everybody wants my idea....why won`t anybody help me?!" I know
    that I have to prove that "everybody wants it" and believe me, the bigger
    the idea, the more support you will need. Imagine if just 2 of the
    worldwide manufacturers said "no way..... not on our bikes!" How would
    that change your pitch?"
    ANSWER: It wouldn`t change it in the least- I already thought of that. Who
    builds a house without first asking what it will cost? If I have overlooked
    something I want to know it- But if I worry about what hasn`t happened
    there`s an excellent chance I`ll miss something that`s happening right in
    front of my eyes! Don`t start building unless you intend to finish- and
    don`t spend more than you have unless you know something no one else
    Knows.

    "I think it would mean a lot more if you could say "Honda likes my idea
    and they are considering an agreement. They said that they could get a
    test line out by the end of 2007 and be manufacturing by mid 2008....we
    just have to nail down the agreement." Does that scenario not apeal to
    you? Think about it. What would that mean for you?"
    ANSWER: THAT would be swell. But don`t you think I better make sure that
    everywhere Honda sells motorcycles I have Intellectual Property Protection
    at very least applied for if not in Full Force so they can clearly see they are
    dealing with a worthy advesary? I`d love it if we lived in a world where
    everything could be done- or at least discussed- in Good Faith, but we
    don`t. Tesla had the right Ideas- He just brought them to the wrong
    people because "time was of the essence". No one I know personaly has
    gambled on an idea with as much at stake as I have over the last five
    years- But a lot of people I know have lost more to foolish decisions than
    I ever would have needed to bring this product to market.

    "The way I see it is that you seek the control of an entire orchard instead
    of just a tree or two (which could feed you and your family for the rest of
    your life)"
    ANSWER: If all I cared about was Myself- Then I would have been sittin`
    fancy somewhere long ago and `to hell with everybody else.
    Instead I genuinely desire to show anybody who wants to know, all the
    incredible things that God The Father has to show through Jesus his son.
    God has the control- I just want to do what he asks. The orchard is dying
    and the farm will go out of business even if two or three trees are fruitful.
    If the people in charge of the orchard had done what they were supposed
    to do, ther fruits would clearly indicate that. I happen to be VERY good
    with trees, and even better with people. A good tree can NOT produce
    Bad fruit, and a Bad tree can not produce Good fruit.

    "Please don`t mistake what I`ve said with criticism of your product. I don`t
    even know what it is. I`m just tossing this out as a reality check. I know
    that I appreciate when people question my enthusiasm over something
    because it requires a great deal of reasoning and understanding to
    counter. With that comes a clearer view of the goal- and also the process
    required to best achieve it."
    ANSWER: No offense taken. I welcome insight & if someone points out the
    error of a fool they will heap scorn on their head- But if you rebuke a wise
    man he will be forever grateful. Thanks for taking the time.
    Rob O.
  • BetterMousetrapBetterMousetrap subscriber Posts: 1
    THANK YOU FOR DEFINING PCT!
    It`s funny but I knew that you would tell me I have more work to do if I
    don`t even know what the PCT is. I just want to encourage people to
    define the acronyms or initials they use at least Once in the body of their
    post. CIP (stands for case in point:-) Seriously, though- some poor
    woman was on SuN for MONTHS before she learned that SuN stands for
    Start-up Nation.

    TO ANSWER A RECURRING QUESTION: The reason I am so careful with
    who I try recruiting for help was re-iterated by Ladderless & it is the
    single most important rule of Patent Protection- DO NOT MAKE PUBLIC IN
    ANY WAY & HAVE ALL PARTIES SIGN NDA`s (non-disclosure agreements)
    In other words: It`s a need to know basis- If the person your talking with
    has no need to know- Don`t tell them!
  • Jimmy17Jimmy17 subscriber Posts: 0
    After you file a untility patent, you can file corrections to it for 2 years.  Most companies file a utility patent that has holes in it, then they file the real corrected version just before the 2 years is up.  This tends to stall the competition.
  • ladderlessladderless subscriber Posts: 3

    After you file a untility patent, you can file corrections to it for 2 years.  Most companies file a utility patent that has holes in it, then they file the real corrected version just before the 2 years is up.  This tends to stall the competition.

    You can make changes as long as you don`t add any "new" stuff to it.  If you do add something new, you can file a CIP -- Continuation In Part -- Sort of a new patent that uses the original patent`s filing date for priority.  You do lose in terms of the life of the patent, as this CIP will expire 20 years after the original filing date of the original patent.
  • Innovator7Innovator7 subscriber Posts: 9
    I have 3 US patents, and 2 others currently pending, I have also managed to do something that 90% of patents don`t do, I have made some money with my patents. I most stronly agree with the guy that said , don`t try to own the whole orchard, when a few trees will feed you for the rest of your life... This is good advice, and a good thread.Inventor needs to keep in mind that making a profit is a main goal of inventing.  Forget about reaping $big buck$.  That happens very rarely.Successful inventions solve BIG problems or have HUGE benefits/cost ratio.  So far bikers have managed without the new gizmo.  Thus is there a real need for it?  I would make some and have friends use them to determine the need for the product.I don`t mean to hitch the thread, but like some posters I`m a product innovator myself.  I invent what I`d like to think the next generation inverter (for solar energy for example).  Twice the life at half the cost.  Sound compelling enough?  Nope.  VCs are not signing their check yet, and probably when they do they want control of the company I founded, installing their buddy as CEO.Therefore I decided to do the development on my own resources, and will even sell them in small quantity myself.  With cost and other advantages that should fly.  It may stay small, or it may take over the inverter leadership, who knows.  At least I`d bring home the bacon with just a hundred or so sold per month.  After such market validation, VC would open their wallet more easily, if I still need them.  Then there`re larger corporate players who want to gain market share via more advanced products at low risk, that I`ll try to get as partner.  Again, only after my inverter is fully validated.So is my advice: start small but fast.  Big reward comes only later.
  • acalacal subscriber Posts: 3
    Holy smokes gentleman.  This thread is like a suspense movie.  I find myself secretly wishing that BMT (BetterMousetrap) will break down and give it up.  I keep looking for the fastforward button.....does anyone know how this one ends?  All kidding aside, best of luck BMT.
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