February 2015
And they asked me how I did it; and I gave 'em the Scripture text, "You keep your light so shining a little in front o' the next!" They copied all they could follow, but they couldn't copy my mind, And I left 'em sweating and stealing a year and a half behind. — Rudyard Kipling, The "Mary Gloster" Richard McVicker, member of the Indiana Inventors Association for 40 years, patent illustrator at Barnes & Thornburg LLP for 49 years, and patent-holding inventor for 54 years, graciously shared his hard-won insights into innovation with us. Spend money to get a good prototype of your invention, but try to save on everything else. A good, tested prototype helps you understand your invention and helps you explain it to others (patent attorney, investor, manufacturer, customer, etc.). For example, Mr. McVicker invented and patented a 10 foot tall yard light, advertised it at the Indiana Home and G