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The Driven Divorcée Sandra Kopecky was a computer programmer for years, but bowed out of the profession to raise her two children. “In 2010,” says Kopecky, “I was handed a divorce.” Approaching her 40s and a few years removed from the workforce, prospective employers told her she was under-qualified. In the fall of last year [...]
Ask the Commish Q. Why does it take just as long to get a first office action when you file for a patent electronically as it does when you file the old fashioned paper way? It seems electronic filing would speed up the process. A: Once cases have been assigned to an examiner, they [...]
By Daniela Baker If your company isn’t innovating, it’s slipping behind the competition. With the Internet and the increasing flow of ideas and information, internal R&D departments alone aren’t always the answer. More than ever, business owners are embracing open innovation to stay ahead. Rebuild your corporate culture around open innovation Open innovation is more [...]
Before you start calling 800 numbers and responding to TV, radio, print or web ads for invention submission services, follow these tips: Know how long the company has been in business Know who the officers of the company are and their backgrounds Know to check on the company through your state’s attorney general’s office to [...]
Complaints about AbsolutelyNew Resurface By Mike Drummond Invention submission company AbsolutelyNew says it changed its ways when it changed management a few years ago. But a spat of complaints from inventors has the San Francisco-based company back on the defensive. Disgruntled inventors say AbNew sales reps pressured them to pay upwards of $24,000 and assured [...]
By Lawrence J. Udell When creating a new company, there are many critical parts. None more so than an advisory board. Based on my 60+ years of launching some 40 companies, I’ve found quality advisory boards provide credibility, contacts and critical feedback. They also offer a reality check to “group think” because they are not [...]
How to Decide What to Do Next By Jack Lander The burning question most inexperienced inventors ask me is, “I have this great idea, what should I do next?” My answer: 1) Determine what has already been done that’s similar to your invention. 2) Decide which road to success is best for you, based on [...]
Trevor Lambert runs Lambert & Lambert, a licensing agency that helps inventors bring products to market. Last year he launched Enhanced Product Development to further help inventors get their consumer goods onto store shelves. We decided we needed to know more about his services. ID: How does Enhance Product Development differ from your other company, [...]
FIRST LEGO Team Makes Prosthetic to Help Adopted Orphan By Shana Benzinane & Christina D’Auria In Yangquan, China, a baby is born without fingers and is left at the steps of an orphanage. A family in Duluth, Ga., decides it may be time to grow. Meantime, six girls descend from a fir tree in Ames, [...]
The Tale of Two Hair Tools By Joan Lefkowitz In the last 20 years, the United States has experienced two rough recessions. We’ve all heard the hemline theory: Bullish times raise hems; bear markets drop them. A similar phenomenon seems to happen in hair fashion. Hair goes up in down markets. At least it did [...]
