Ive been blessed with so many positives since my early introduction into the world of inventions, inventing and inventing help companies. I’ve taught myself the secrets of the Invention World, where the big players who  prey on inventors rule with advertising dollars and slick campaigns. I’ve stuck to the premise that being honest, blue-collar and just me will get me further with potential inventors than going the route that others have taken. I feel that looking at myself in the mirror every morning and liking who is looking back is so much more the path I want to travel.

I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts that Ive heard the horror stories, and one in peticular sticks with me, it’s one that I repeat most often and happened less than one year ago. I was at a large store chain getting new tires installed on my truck and began a back and forth with the department manager. He asked me what I did for work, my initial reaction to this is “Oh No”, because my answer is usually followed by that deer caught in the headlights look, but on this occasion, I was somewhat surprised. The reply was music in my ears, “I’m an inventor too”. So it was natural for the conversation to steer in his direction and to his invention. He mentioned that he with his partners had an invention they’ve  invested  over 200,000.00 dollars into its developement, wow, that floored me,  up to that point I’d only heard those horror stories on the dreaded Shark Tank TV Show. He stated that he had patent work filed so I knew he had some type of I.P. so I asked if he minded discussing his innovation.  He began explaing it to me and again, I was somewhat taken back by the concept and saw potential for it. I asked him who was working on the marketing,  and felt I knew what his answer would be prior to him stating it. He proudly told me he was taking vacation in 8 days to visit the company that filed his patent work. Just as I feared, (Invention Help Company), the enemy! I asked him when he was leaving for Pennsylvania and the look on his face was golden, he was shocked I knew where he was going and when I asked him if it was 10,000.00 or 12,000.00 dollars he would be taking with him, the shock grew.  We discussed details a bit more and at that point I advised  him not to follow through with his travel  plans but he was determined. (how can a guy in jeans and a t-shirt compete with a slick talking invention help company), right? So after a little more conversation, my truck was done and I wished him all the luck and gave him one of my cards,  just in case.

Jumping a head almost 9 months I happen to be in the store and went back into his department with hopes of getting an update. With every step I took towards him, his head hung further and further down, I knew what was coming and he didn’t disappoint me. I asked how things were going,  he stated what I already knew, that the company took his money and he has not really heard any updates from them, I asked him again about the patent he stated they filed for him, during our first conversation, he stated that he paid them for a full patent, I informed him it was most likely a provisional application, he disagreed back then but admitted I was correct on the patent status. My next comment restored a smile on his face, I advised  him  he’d be hearing from them within the next 3-4 weeks with news of a possible interested party. Again, the shock from the first conversation was there again. He knew I was right back then so he became  very  excited that I made this new prediction. He inquired why I thought they’d be calling, what I told him, deflated him all over again. My response was this…. because your provisional application was about to run out and they are going to inform you  they have someone  interest in your product and you should consider filing  a full patent application quickly while the window is still open to do so. Also, they’d be using their Patent Attorney and the cost would be another 10,000.00 and up knowing the complex designs of his invention. He looked down again, then looked up and informed me that they have no additional funds and they’d  let their dream and their invention just die.

If you as a young inventor think that this is isolated, it is not. If you think it won’t or can’t happen to you, you’re wrong. These are the stories I hear all to often. They break my heart but more important, they break the hearts, backs and families of the inventors whose dreams are crushed by these money grabbing scumbag. I have not found one yet that is any good………..