Inventors love to fantasize about the overnight success of their inventions, and reality TV, invention contests, and invention submission companies play right into those fantasies. But most of us don’t get discovered overnight; we have to work pretty hard until we make it. After marketing almost a dozen new products, on my own and through licensees, I write to share with you a practical approach to the invention process and to help you recognize some of the inventor “traps” out there before they ensnare you.
Surface Reactions Impact Many Industries
So far this week, the 2007 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to the "fathers" of certain modern technologies, specifically the recipients of the Nobel Prize for Medicine and the Nobel Prize for Physics. Today's announcement of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Chemistry winner is no exception: Gerhard Ertl, of the Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin, Germany, is a father of the science of surface chemistry. Let's see what developments his seminal work has led to....
Giant Magnetoresistance The two winners of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics -- Albert Fert, of the Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France, and Peter Grünberg, of the Institute of Solid State Research at the Jülich Research Center in Germany - made their contributions to the computer age as far back as 1988. Now that the smallest commercially available hard drive is an IPod, the inventors that led to its development, and many yet to come, have received the grand prix of awards.
© The Nobel Committee for Physiology Illustration: Annika Röhl
The 2007 Nobel Prize winners in medicine -- Mario R. Capecchi, 70, of the University of Utah; Oliver Smithies, 82, of the University of North Carolina; and Sir Martin J. Evans, 66, of Cardiff University in Wales - worked independently, but their genetics research overlapped greatly. Many other geneticists contributed to the state of the art, but the discoveries of Capecchi, Smithies, and Evans are considered watershed.
In layman's terms, what exactly did these Nobel Prize winners do?
Functionalized Nanoporous Thin Film 
Read about what Jim Newton has created and about how he approaches his inventions...
Yes, I absolutely recommend that every inventor who's decided to go out on his own with his invention spy on other companies. Spy on all the businesses that have great products, great service and great reputations, and figure out what they're doing right. Put your detective hat on, smoke a pipe, do whatever it is that gets your own product and ego out of the way while you discover what makes other companies successful.
Cameron Kruse With His Invention (Photo Intel.com)
That last inning of the All-Star baseball game last night should be the cover story for Nail-Biter Magazine!
I watched the whole game real intently though, because I had just learned an interesting bit of detail about baseball -- that the balls are rubbed with mud before they're put in play. Apparently, new baseballs are slick and slippery and can lead to the dropsies unless they are deglossed. Did every fan already know this?
Sixteen-year-old Cameron Kruse knew it. ...
Just when you were ready to hang it up on invention shows, the Golf Channel is airing a new program tonight. Fore Inventors Only begins its series with inventions sure to spice up a round of golf!
What could your highschool do with an extra $10,000?
When you finish your list, keep reading...
One way to get that much needed dough and encourage creative thinking and invention in your highschool is to form an invent team and a project now... because applications for the 2009 Lemelson-Mit InvenTeams awards begin this fall....
Like the poor soul who’s all dressed up with nowhere to go, a good press release doesn't want to sit on your desk.
Though your press release must blare "This is a great story!" its true success is determined by who pays attention to it, who prints it, and who decides to follow up and write a story about your new product or business.
Press releases are more formulaic than the modern romance novel... and that's a good thing for those of us who want to keep press writing simple. I'll show you the formula and suggest a few tips to increase your chances of getting your releases published. Oh, did I mention that you should be writing your own press releases? (see 10 Marketing Tips For Inventors And Entrepreneurs )
A 117-year-old silver spoon, innovative at the time, inspired me to write a short press release as an example for you. Can you guess why this spoon is innovative in both concept and manufacturing process?
Let's face it. If you're not Microsoft, a rock star, or a presidential candidate you can't afford to hire a public relations firm. And frankly, even if you could afford one, PR firms are not likely to do the down and dirty work you need.
While a stash of dough is always very nice, with or without it you'll need tons of energy, unfaltering passion for your product, and unrelenting perseverance to overcome any obstacles, to be a winner! Here are some things you can do yourself without a big marketing budget. So, let's get going!
Quick Clip: Available at Sunglass HutsRoger Brown is nothing short of incredible.
When it comes to inventions, he's prolific with a capital P, and I don't know any free-lancer with a successful licensing approach like his. With six inventions licensed, another six about to be licensed, and 247 inventions in his Power Point file on call at all times, I think he might be on to something. ...Read and Learn!
Yes, I know, "There's no such thing as the perfect trademark search." That's the favorite caveat of every searcher and trademark attorney (just in case they flub-up). But you and/or your professional search team have done the most thorough trademark search you could do... The time has come. File that trademark application!
I hope that the actual filing will not be anticlimactic for you, because the Trademark Office has made applying so easy with the new TEAS Plus application.
Still, I have a few tips to make it even smoother....
The innocents do a Google or Yahoo search for their trademarks. Then they visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office, enter their favorite trademark in the blank box and no results are returned. Hurrah! Voila! This clever, creative, boss, rad, cool, hot trademark is all mine!
Little do they know...
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