Indiana Inventors Association

Inventors in our group gave us insight this month into the real world of innovation. Having a good idea and making a few items is just the start. You need to be creative, take risks, establish personal contacts, and persevere. A little luck helps too! What should you invent? Start with what you know best - the field in which you work. Ron Jackson ( Jackson Systems ), who works in the field of heating & air conditioning, has invented some 35 products (mostly unpatented ) in that field. He believes that if you have a good idea, understand marketing, and beat others to the marketplace, you have a good chance of dominating the market. Protecting that advantage with a patent may be a good idea if your invention is unique and you think someone might infringe. How do you create a place for your invention in the marketplace? Let the public know about your invention. Bob Dunlap ( The Cement Solution ) brings attention to his Reusable Concrete Mixing Bag in a YouTube video, in holding the

Mr. John Daniluck of the law firm Bingham McHale spoke to us about recent actual and potential changes to the patent system. As of 11/1/2007, there are two major changes to Title 37 - Code of Federal Regulations: In seeking patent protection for an invention, you are limited to filing one family of 3 patent applications (1 original application and 2 continuation applications) and 1 request for continued examination of an application, unless you make a "showing" of why you need more. Each of those applications is limited to 5 independent claims and 25 total claims (allowing you 15 independent claims and 75 total claims for the family of applications), unless you present an examination support document for all the claims of that application. These changes could affect your strategy for best protecting your invention. You may want to consult a patent attorney/agent. More change may be on the way. On 9/7/2007 bill HR 1908 passed the House. If the bill passes the Senate, U.

Marketing strategist Ms. Judy Knafel of Element Three helped us understand one of the most challenging topics with which an inventor must deal - the basics of marketing an invention - with a presentation entitled "Marketing in the Mix". Sooner or later, nearly every inventor must learn how to persuade a client to part with hard earned funds for a product that may seem far less valuable to the client than it does to the inventor. As defined by the American Marketing Association, "marketing is the process of planning and then executing the product, pricing, promotion, and place of ideas, goods, or services to create exchanges and satisfy individual and organizational NEEDs ." Start with a business plan, which reveals opportunities a marketing plan can then exploit. In developing your marketing plan, think about: the end users of your product. Who are they? Where are they? How many are they? How will your product benefit them and improve their lives? Realize that

Joe Palestino from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) guided our discussion. He helped us understand how important a business plan is, not just as a required document which can determine funding, but as an overall guide to the whole business enterprise helping the inventor succeed. SCORE executives offer someone starting a new business a great combination of needed attributes. Each has worked in a managerial capacity for many years in areas unfamiliar to inventors. Unlike operators who view the newcomer as a cash cow, SCORE charges fees that are the minimum consistent with good advice. SCORE is a service group with a genuine personal interest in you and in your success. SCORE offices are distributed widely, so you can meet with an executive within reasonable distance.

Chuck Bower introduced us to Endgame Technologies . He and his colleagues are marketing Zeus, a software tool that helps football coaches make decisions on calling the best plays, to National Football League teams. Zeus correlates data from past games to set up a multivariable simulation of a game in progress. With skilled inputs from several variables, the system provides a coach with an accurate, statistically objective path to maximize a coach's skill with game winning chance. Zeus has generated a lot of interest, but no sales yet. Zeus has a lot of potential and is customizable for poker, NASCAR, military activities, medicine, education, and business. We are eager to see what the next step in Zeus' evolution will be.

Mr. Matt Thie spoke on the subject of starting a business from an idea. Sometimes a business begins quite informally, with few rules. But as it develops, various points to consider arise. Such as: Where will the money come from? He who has the gold often makes the rules. Will the usual business functions be covered? Accounting, purchasing, material control, engineering, sales, supervision, inspection, manufacturing, regulatory compliance, insurance, shipping, etc. What legal form will the business have? Sole proprietor, partner, corporation? Read up on the various forms and talk to a lawyer. Will the group work well together? Does your proposed business have a real chance at success, or is your idea likely to be made obsolete by competitors who simply patent and market a better product than yours? Is your business legal, or does it inadvertently infringe another's patent?

Mary Lewis of Marydesigns gave us some insight into the world of the internet. Your website is your ticket to the future of commerce! The internet will be essential to future shoppers and researchers. We learned that everyone in the business of web designs brings a little something different to their client. Mary gives you the right to own her work product. Website costs vary greatly, depending on content and complexity. $500 is about the minimum cost, and an average cost is more like $2350. Changes can increase costs. And recurring costs for a hosting service approximate $120 per year, for a domain name approximate up to $35 per year. Get a domain name you want ASAP, and get many permutations of the name, the suffixes (.net, etc.) and even negatives of the name. This helps you prevent others from associating themselves with your success.

Mr. James Richardson of the law firm Brinks, Hofer, Gilson & Lione spoke to us about recent developments in patenting and gave us his thoughts on possible future developments. Patent litigation is expensive and should be avoided if possible. Most individuals cannot afford patent litigation. Some legal firms will take a case on a contingency basis, but you must convince them you have a good case. Few firms will take a case that has damages under $10 million. It will cost the firm perhaps $1½ - 2 million to handle the case. Litigation occurs in a federal court, and can last as long as 2 years. The U.S. Supreme Court has final jurisdiction. In response to one of its recent rulings, the patent office is increasing the stringency of the standard of "nonobviousness" - a patentability requirement for the subject matter of a patent application. An increasing number of companies based in Taiwan and China are now seeking U.S. patents. The Congress is considering legislation th