Many people bring me their ideas without any regard to protecting them. That is not a good idea. Ideas or inventions, known as “intellectual property,” should be protected.
Most of the time I have been busy developing products for major corporations, and I am honest; but, unfortunately, some people are not.
My own experience with dishonesty took me by surprise many years ago. I had invented an air freshener product that I wanted to sell or license to a company I thought would be a good fit. I was so excited when I got an appointment with the major manufacturer of one of the best-known air fresheners in the USA.
I prepared for the meeting very carefully and made functioning models of my new product (prototype). I met with the company’s R&D and marketing people. During the meeting we discussed the models I had made in detail.
My model was unusual because it could be stuck by tape to either the side of a toilet or the wall or door of any room. When someone would enter the room, or use the toilet, air in the room would move causing a draft that would send fragrance into the room.
It was a great system and my presentation went very well. After the meeting the company reps said they would study my model and get back to me. We all said our good-byes and shook hands.
I telephoned time after time and wrote letters asking what was going on with my product idea but never got an answer.
I telephoned my contact, who had been head of R&D, and was told he was no longer with the company! I tried to speak with the president of the company to no avail.
At the time of that meeting I did not have a patent for my product. I soon learned that the company had developed and was marketing a product very similar to mine. In fact, their product was even held up on the toilet or the wall by a sticky tape. Because I had no patent, I had no claim.
That is why I always recommend to new inventors to get all their information down on a patent application before they go to any meetings to discuss their ideas. Granted, today there are not many companies that will even speak to you without you being at least “patent pending” because they don’t want to take a chance on a lawsuit; but you should always protect your idea.
There are many people who feel that a patent is not necessary and in some cases people have successfully put products on the market without having one. They feel that there will be a spin-off right away and they can make money before that happens.
Still, I recommend you get a patent. Be sure you treat your ideas and thoughts as intellectual property and then make written deals with your customers so what happened to me can never happen to you.
Article – Copyright 2002 Stanley I. Mason. Syndicated by Paradigm News, Inc.
