"Invention Promoters", who are also sometimes known as "Invention Marketers", "Invention Brokers", etc., typically offer to:
- tell an inventor if an invention is patentable;
- evaluate the invention's "potential";
- develop a product based on the invention; or
- market the invention.
Too often, however, customers of numerous unscrupulous Invention Promoters have reported paying substantial sums yet receiving in exchange remarkably little service. These rogue Invention Promoters are generally known for high-pressure sales techniques, misrepresentations, and even fraud.
Typically, Invention Promoters are not Patent Attorneys, who must be both licensed to practice by the state in which their primary office is located and licensed by ("registered" with) the USPTO.
Because too many inventors have had ugly experiences with Invention Promoters, in 1999 Congress enacted section 297 of the Patent Act (35 U.S. C. 1 et seq.), which provides substantial legal remedies for customers found by a court to have been injured by an Invention Promoter. Also, the United States Patent and Trademark Office provides warning signs and suggestions for dealing with Invention Promoters, and publishes complaints about Invention Promoters. The Federal Trade Commission also provides alerts and tips for avoiding problems.
For a list of allegedly suspect Invention Promoters, see for example, www.InventorEd.org, which identifies invention promotion firms against which complaints have been filed with the FTC.
Michael Haynes PLC is not an Invention Promoter. Although we can, among other things, provide patentability searches, prepare and prosecute patent applications, and draft agreements, our primary focus is not raising capital, product development, invention marketing, etc. We can, however, help you identify reputable professionals and resources to assist with your needs in these areas.