词条 | Invention promotion firm |
释义 |
An invention promotion firm or invention submission corporation provides services to inventors to help them develop or market their inventions.[1] These firms may offer to evaluate the patentability of inventions, file patent applications and license them to manufacturers, build prototypes, and market inventions. They are distinguished from more conventional consulting firms and law firms offering the same or similar services in that they market their services primarily to amateur inventors through the mass media.[2] The US government estimates that there are hundreds of companies offer invention-promotion services and that "virtually all of them are either ineffective or outright fraudulent." An official at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office "says he believes there are fewer than a half-dozen legitimate invention promoters in the country." [3] PerformanceAccurate statistics of the success rate of invention promotion firms is difficult to come by. Nonetheless, as a result of certain legal actions taken against some of these firms, overall success rates have come to light. One such firm, Davison Associates, disclosed that of 900 ideas where a client had a prototype built of their invention at an average cost of $11,000, only 30 of those inventions were licensed within 6 months. Of the inventions licensed, only 10 made more in license fees than the cost of the invention promotion services.[3] Sources of revenueInvention promotion firms generally make their money from fees charged to clients for services. These fees normally must be paid up front and a customer may be told that they may have very little time, such as three days or less, in order to make a decision. Invention promotion firms may also receive a portion of their fees as a share of the royalty that an inventor earns on his or her invention. The total fraction of an invention promotion firm's revenue obtained from royalties, however, may be less than 1%.[3] US legal protections for inventorsAfter a massive fraud was being launched by a significant amount of invention promotion companies[6] the 1999 American Inventors Protection Act (AIPA) established disclosure requirements for invention promotion firms. These disclosure requirements include:
The American Inventors Protection Act also provides civil penalties that can be assessed against invention promotion firms engaged in fraudulent or deceptive practices, defined by the FTC as "invention promotion scams".[4] The USPTO and the FTC both provide guidelines for finding legitimate invention development, prototyping and promotion firms, that comply with the AIPA. Legal actions against invention promotion firmsProject MousetrapIn 1997, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched "Project Mousetrap" to identify, prosecute and fine firms engaged in fraudulent or deceptive practices, in what was alleged as a massive fraud by a significant amount of invention promotion firms.[5] AftermathIn 1998 all of the accused parties except one settled with the FTC and a $250,000 redress fund was set up for inventors taken in by the firms.[6] In 2006, judgment was rendered against Davison & Associates.[7] They were fined $US 26 million to be used to compensate defrauded clients.[8] Davison appealed the judgment,and then settled with the FTC for $10.7 million in 2008.[9] World Patent MarketingIn 2017, the company World Patent Marketing was shut down by the FTC.[10] Members of the advisory board of the company included the 2018 acting United States Attorney General Matthew Whitaker,[11] Republican Congressman Brian Mast, and the scientist Ronald Mallett.[12] Public posting of complaints against invention promotion firmsThe United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) posts complaints online from dissatisfied clients of invention promotion firms and provides an opportunity for invention promotion firms to respond to the complaints. The USPTO, however, does not investigate the validity of any of the complaints or responses.[13] Guidelines for identifying unscrupulous firmsBoth the USPTO and the US Federal Trade Commission[14][15] publish guidelines on how inventors can better determine if an invention promotion firm is scrupulous or not. Signs of an unscrupulous invention promotion firm include:
See also
References1. ^35 USC 297(c) Definitions of invention promoter 2. ^Contact the USPTO before you get burned! Advice from the USPTO concerning Invention promoters 3. ^1 FEDERAL TRADE COMM v. DAVISON & ASSOCIATES, et al., FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW. Signed by Judge Gary L. Lancaster on 3/17/06. pages 6 & 8 4. ^[https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2006/04/court-halts-bogus-invention-promotion-claims "Court halts bogus invention promotion firm claims" FTC press release 19 April 2006] 5. ^1 "FTC/STATE 'PROJECT MOUSETRAP' SNARES INVENTION PROMOTION INDUSTRY", US Federal Trade Commission, Press Release July 1997 6. ^1 [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB912466234876991500 Stout, Hilary "Redress Readies for Victims Of Invention-Promotion Scam", Wall Street Journal, 1 December 1998] 7. ^Order of Final Judgment, Fed. Trade Comm'n v. Davison & Assocs., No. CV 97-1278-GLL (W.D. Pa. Mar. 17, 2006) (Lancaster, J.). 8. ^[https://web.archive.org/web/20091012122850/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_436695.html Kim Leonard, "Firm to pay $26 Million", Tribune-Review, 26 March 2006] 9. ^Kim Leonard, "O'Hara invention promoter, FTC settle case for $10.7 million" - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 14 July 2008. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026124220/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_577525.html |date=26 October 2008 }} 10. ^{{cite news |last1=Moreno |first1=Peter |title=Fraudulent Marketers Banned from Invention Promotion Business – USA Herald |url=https://usaherald.com/fraudulent-marketers-banned-invention-promotion-business/ |accessdate=7 November 2018 |work=USA Herald |date=18 May 2018}} 11. ^{{cite news |last1=Swaine |first1=Jon |title=Trump's acting attorney general involved in firm that scammed veterans out of life savings |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/matthew-whitaker-acting-attorney-general-wpm-scam |accessdate=10 November 2018 |work=The Guardian}} 12. ^{{cite news |last1=Shammas |first1=Brittany |title=Trump's Acting Attorney General Was Part of Miami-Based Invention Scam Company |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/trumps-acting-attorney-general-matthew-whitaker-was-part-of-world-patent-marketing-a-miami-based-invention-scam-company-10893091 |accessdate=7 November 2018 |work=Miami New Times |date=7 November 2018}} 13. ^The USPTO public forum for invention promoters/promotion firm complaints and responses 14. ^[https://web.archive.org/web/20081108025447/http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/invnalrt.shtm FTC Consumer Alert: Spotting Sweet-Sounding Promises of Fraudulent Invention Promotion Firms, FTC publication, October 2003.] 15. ^[https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0184-invention-promotion-firms FTC Facts for Consumers: Invention Promotion Firms] 1 : United States patent law |
随便看 |
|
开放百科全书收录14589846条英语、德语、日语等多语种百科知识,基本涵盖了大多数领域的百科知识,是一部内容自由、开放的电子版国际百科全书。