Inventing For Dummies

, by Bird, Pamela Riddle; Bird, Forrest M.

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ISBN: 9780764542312 | 0764542311
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 5/7/2004

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Full coverage of the ins and outs of inventing for profit Protect your idea, develop a product - and start your business! Did you have a great idea? Did you do anything about it? Did someone else? Inventing For Dummies is the smart and easy way to turn your big idea into big money. This non-intimidating guide covers every aspect of the invention process - from developing your idea, to patenting it, to building a prototype, to starting your own business. The Dummies Way * Explanations in plain English * "Get in, get out" information * Icons and other navigational aids * Tear-out cheat sheet * Top ten lists * A dash of humor and fun Discover how to: * Conduct a patent search * Maintain your intellectual property rights * Build a prototype product * Determine production costs * Develop a unique brand * License your product to another company

Foreword

xix

Introduction

(4)

About This Book

(1)

Conventions Used in This Book

(1)

Foolish Assumptions

(1)

How This Book Is Organized

(2)

Part I: Making Your Idea Yours

(1)

Part II: Securing Other Intellectual Property

(1)

Part III: Developing Your Idea

(1)

Part IV: Commercializing Your Invention

(1)

Part V: The Part of Tens

(1)

Part VI: Appendixes

(1)

Icons Used in This Book

(1)

Where to Go from Here

(1)

Part 1: Making Your Idea Yours

(50)

Chapter 1: The Innovation Process

(10)

Deciding Where to Go with Your Idea

(2)

Protecting Your Idea

(3)

Keeping good records

(2)

Participating in the Disclosure Document Program

(1)

Spinning Through the Product Life Cycle

(5)

Chapter 2: Patent Basics

(10)

Finding Out the Functions of a Patent

(2)

Knowing What's Patentable

(1)

Looking at the Types of Patents

(2)

Make yourself useful; get me a utility patent!

(1)

Design patent

(1)

Planting the seeds of invention: The plant patent

(1)

Hiring a Patent Agent or Attorney

(3)

Patent agent versus patent attorney

(1)

Knowing what they can do for you

(1)

Choosing the right attorney or agent for the job

(1)

It's a Small World: International Issues

(3)

Applying for foreign patents

(1)

Foreign applicants for U.S. patents

(2)

Chapter 3: Conducting a Patent Search

(8)

Do I Really Need to Do a Patent Search?

(1)

Determining Whether Your Idea Is Really New

(1)

Searching for Existing Patents

(2)

Searching for patents via the Internet

(2)

Searching for international patents

(1)

Getting Professional Help

(2)

Questions to ask

(1)

Knowing the cost

(1)

Using Your Search Results

(2)

Chapter 4: Applying For and Receiving Your Patent

(12)

Knowing Who Can Apply for a Patent

(3)

Applying as co-inventors

(1)

Choosing a representative

(1)

Filing for Different Types of Patents

(6)

Paying attention to the process

(2)

Filing a utility patent

(2)

Filing a design patent

(1)

Filing for a plant patent

(1)

Filing for a provisional patent

(1)

Making the Most of a Pending Patent

(1)

Getting Your Patent

(2)

Chapter 5: Maintaining and Defending Your Patent

(8)

Keeping Current by Paying Your Fees

(2)

Valuing Your Patent

(1)

Taking a businesslike view

(1)

Assigning your patent

(1)

Licensing your patent

(1)

Defending Your Patent Against Infringement

(1)

Insuring Your Patent

(6)

Offensive patent insurance

(1)

Defensive patent insurance

(2)

Part II: Securing Other Intellectual Property

(40)

Chapter 6: Trademarks and Trade Secrets

(16)

What Is a Trademark?

(1)

Federal versus State Trademarks

(2)

Using the Trademark and Service Mark Symbols

(1)

Understanding the Basics for Filing a Federal Trademark Application

(7)

Having a basis for your application

(1)

Filing electronically

(1)

Filing via snail mall

(1)

Owning the trademark

(1)

Providing correspondence info for the USPTO

(1)

Drawing your mark

(1)

Listing goods and services

(1)

Including a specimen

(1)

Paying to play - filing fees

(1)

Filing an Intent-to-Use Application

(1)

Trade Secrets - Shhhhhhhh!

(5)

Looking at examples of trade secrets

(1)

Pondering the pros and cons of trade secrets

(1)

Protecting your trade secret

(3)

Chapter 7: Stopping Copycats with a Copyright

(16)

What Is a Copyright?

(1)

Who Can Claim Copyright?

(1)

(6)

What works are protected? You took the words out of my mouth

(1)

What's not protected by copyright

(1)

Securing copyright protection

(3)

How long does copyright protection last?

(1)

Registering Your Copyright

(7)

Knowing who may file an application

(1)

Applying for an original registration

(1)

Renewing your registration

(1)

Registering unpublished collections

(1)

Considering special deposit requirements

(1)

Effective date of registration

(1)

Correcting and amplifying existing registrations

(1)

Paying registration fees

(1)

Contacting the Copyright Office

(1)

Transferring a Copyright

(1)

Chapter 8: Mum's the Word: Keeping it Confidential

(6)

Spilling the Beans about the Basics

(2)

Sharing with the People in Your Life

(2)

Securing dinner-table talk

(1)

Signing on employees

(1)

Zipping your lips at work

(1)

Talking to the big boys

(1)

Running into Someone Who Won't Sign

(2)

Part III: Developing Your Idea

(50)

Chapter 9: Prototyping: Making It Work

(12)

Understanding the Importance of Prototyping

(1)

Obtaining Your Prototype

(6)

Going through the process yourself

(2)

Hiring a prototype maker to do it for you

100

(3)

Prototyping with an existing manufacturer

103

(1)

Protecting Your Ideas During the Prototyping Process

104

(1)

Cost-Effectively Producing Your Product

104

(5)

Meeting product safety standards

105

(1)

Developing design control documents

105

(1)

Considering graphic design and packaging

106

(1)

Pricing your product

107

(1)

Choosing the right manufacturing materials

107

(2)

Chapter 10: Hiring Helpers and Working with Work-for-Hire Agreements

109

(8)

Hiring Professionals to Turn Your Idea into a Reality

109

(3)

Picking a prototyper

110

(1)

Arranging for packaging personnel

111

(1)

Protecting Your Idea and Your Product

112

(2)

Working Out Work-For-Hire Agreements

114

(3)

Chapter 11: Evaluating Your Invention's Potential

117

(10)

Answering Questions about Viability

117

(2)

Is your idea original?

118

(1)

How will your invention be produced?

118

(1)

Will your invention make money?

119

(1)

Asking for Evaluations

119

(7)

Hiring a professional evaluator

120

(1)

Bracing for feedback

121

(1)

Looking at evaluation techniques

122

(1)

Cutting into PIES

123

(3)

Maximizing the Results of Your Evaluation

126

(1)

Chapter 12: Looking at the Production Process

127

(18)

Focusing on the Process

127

(4)

Examining product cycling

128

(1)

Subcontracting

129

(2)

Making Up the Materials

131

(6)

Figuring out what you need

131

(1)

Taking on tooling

132

(1)

Controlling inventory

132

(1)

Packaging for profit and protection

133

(1)

Shipping news

134

(2)

Delivering the goods

136

(1)

Storing things away

136

(1)

Inspecting Facilities

137

(3)

Finding housing

137

(2)

Lining up your equipment

139

(1)

Calculating Costs

140

(2)

Finding ways to save

141

(1)

Judging economies of scale

142

(1)

Working with People

142

(1)

Checking Quality Control

143

(2)

Part IV: Commercializing Your Invention

145

(158)

Chapter 13: Developing a Business Plan

147

(26)

Realizing that You Need a Business Plan

147

(1)

Working Up a Business Plan

148

(2)

What your plan can do for you

148

(1)

Who should write the plan?

149

(1)

Breaking Down Your Business Plan

150

(23)

Making your plan look presentable

150

(1)

Sketching It out

150

(1)

Writing an Executive Summary

151

(1)

Putting your research on the market

152

(7)

Introducing yourself

159

(6)

The corporate bigwigs

165

(2)

The money

167

(1)

Getting even and getting out

168

(2)

Stuff tacked on at the end

170

(3)

Chapter 14: Finding Funding

173

(20)

Determining How Much and For What

174

(2)

Looking at what you need money for

175

(1)

Determining how much you need

175

(1)

Figuring Out the Types of Financing

176

(3)

Defining the terms

176

(2)

Rating risk and return

178

(1)

Seeking Out Sources of Capital

179

(10)

The most important source - you!

180

(1)

Getting a little help from your friends

181

(1)

Going the conventional route with bank loans

181

(1)

Calling on angels

182

(1)

Letting employees invest

183

(1)

Acquiring funds though acquisitions - If you can't beat 'em, acquire 'em!

184

(1)

Venturing over to venture capitalists

184

(3)

Obtaining a government loan

187

(2)

Getting Free Money from Your Uncle Sam

189

(4)

Locating local grants

190

(1)

Going to the SBA

190

(3)

Chapter 15: Keeping Control with Your Own Business

193

(22)

Considering Carefully

194

(3)

Asking yourself some basic questions

194

(1)

Evaluating your skills

195

(1)

Realizing that most small businesses fail

196

(1)

Deciding to Go for It

197

(6)

Assessing your skills, education, and experience

197

(2)

Planning the steps

199

(1)

Finding a home for your business

200

(2)

Buying business insurance

202

(1)

Building a Business Structure

203

(4)

Going solo with a sole proprietorship

203

(1)

Partnering up

204

(1)

Looking at limited liability companies

205

(1)

Incorporating

206

(1)

Adhering to Government Regulations

207

(3)

Business licenses

208

(1)

Certificate of Occupancy

208

(1)

Fictitious business name

208

(1)

Tax information

208

(1)

Sales tax number

209

(1)

Employee protection

209

(1)

Minimum wage

210

(1)

Doing Business with the Federal Government

210

(2)

The Prime Contracts Program

211

(1)

Subcontracting Assistance Program

211

(1)

Certificate of Competency Program

212

(1)

Procurement Marketing and Access Network

212

(1)

Making Use of Contacts and Sources of Assistance

212

(3)

Chapter 16: Partnering and Manufacturing Arrangements

215

(12)

Paying and Partnering Arrangements

215

(3)

Contracting out or joining up

216

(1)

Mergers and acquisitions

217

(1)

Teaming Up with a Manufacturer

218

(5)

Locating potential manufacturers

218

(1)

Assessing plants

219

(2)

Examining the manufacturer's track record

221

(1)

Negotiating a contract

221

(2)

Partnering Abroad

223

(4)

Matching up with the right foreign partner

223

(1)

Issues to consider when partnering abroad

224

(3)

Chapter 17: Preparing to Take Your Invention to Market

227

(18)

Discovering What You Need to Know

227

(6)

Finding out about your customers

228

(1)

Keeping up with the competition

229

(1)

Packaging for appeal and profit

230

(1)

Pricing your product to sell

231

(2)

Doing Market Research

233

(12)

Defining the opportunity or problem

235

(1)

Setting objectives, budgets, and timetables

235

(1)

Selecting research types, methods, and techniques

236

(1)

Designing research instruments

237

(5)

Organizing and analyzing the data

242

(3)

Chapter 18: Marketing Your Product

245

(16)

Developing Your Market Strategy

245

(14)

Mixing it up

247

(1)

Targeting your market

248

(1)

Making sales presentations

249

(1)

Attending trade shows

250

(4)

Getting your product and customers together

254

(2)

Steering clear of invention promotion companies

256

(3)

Evaluating Your Ongoing Progress

259

(2)

Chapter 19: Advertising Your Product

261

(14)

Exploring Advertising Basics

261

(1)

Designing Your Advertising Campaign

262

(5)

Tying into a theme

263

(1)

Targeting your audience

263

(1)

Choosing the best media for your message

264

(1)

Setting objectives and measuring results

265

(1)

Coming up with a budget

266

(1)

Supplementing Your Regular Advertising

267

(5)

Pursuing promotions

268

(1)

Pushing public relations

269

(2)

Working up some free publicity

271

(1)

Looking At a Few Tricks of the Trade

272

(3)

Chapter 20: Licensing Your Product

275

(14)

Contemplating Licensing

275

(2)

What are your chances?

276

(1)

Weighing the pros and cons

276

(1)

Regarding Licensees

277

(4)

Locating potential licensees

278

(1)

Considering potential licensees

279

(2)

Getting in Touch with Your Potentials

281

(2)

Gathering the materials you need

281

(1)

Making your way to making your pitch

282

(1)

Considering the company's side

282

(1)

Facing Rejection

283

(2)

Examining Types of Licensing Agreements

285

(3)

Being exclusive

285

(1)

Opening up to nonexclusive agreements

286

(2)

Taking Care of Foreign Licensing

288

(1)

Chapter 21: Negotiating a License

289

(14)

Employing the Art of Negotiation

289

(7)

Submitting to an evaluation

290

(1)

Prepping for the meeting

291

(2)

Laying out the agenda

293

(1)

Regarding your bargaining position

294

(1)

Negotiating like a pro

295

(1)

Estimating Your Invention's Value

296

(1)

Contemplating Compensation

297

(8)

Getting reimbursed upfront

298

(1)

Getting bucks no matter what

298

(2)

Researching royalty rates

300

(3)

Part V: The Part of Tens

303

(22)

Chapter 22: Ten Key Contacts

305

(6)

Evaluation Services for Your Invention

305

(2)

Innovative Product Technologies, Inc

305

(1)

Wisconsin Innovation Service Center

306

(1)

The Innovation Institute and the WIN Evaluation Center

306

(1)

The Federal Trade Commission

307

(1)

Inventors' Digest Magazine

307

(1)

The Library of Congress Copyright Office

307

(1)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

308

(1)

Small Business Development Center Program

308

(1)

Toy Industries Association

309

(1)

United Inventors Association

309

(1)

The United States Patent and Trademark Office

310

(1)

Small Business Administration

310

(1)

Chapter 23: Ten Inventions (and Inventors) That Changed the World

311

(6)

Cottoning On to Eli Whitney

311

(1)

Meeting Metal Man Henry Bessemer

312

(1)

Reaping with Cyrus Hall McCormick

312

(1)

Sterilizing and Louis Pasteur

312

(1)

Calling Alexander Graham Bell

313

(1)

Cooling Off with Willis Haviland Carrier

313

(1)

Flying High with the Wright Brothers

314

(1)

Assembling Henry Ford

314

(1)

Animating Walt Disney

314

(1)

Plugging In to Steve Wozniak

315

(2)

Chapter 24: Ten Inventors to Emulate

317

(8)

Dr. Forrest M. Bird

317

(1)

James L. Fergason

318

(1)

Helen M. Free

319

(1)

Dr. James Hillier

319

(1)

Dr. Marcian E. (Ted) Hoff

320

(1)

William P. Lear

320

(1)

Edward Lowe

321

(1)

Dr. Jay Morton

322

(1)

Dr. Robert H. Rines

322

(1)

James E. West

323

(2)

Part VI: Appendixes

325

(18)

Appendix A: Sample Agreements

327

(10)

Appendix B: Online Resources

337

(6)

USPTO and Related International Links

337

(1)

Important Links for Copyrights

338

(1)

Domain Name-Related Links

338

(1)

Law-Related Links

339

(1)

Other Important Legal, International, and Organizational Links

340

(1)

News, Search, Manufacturers, and Law Associations-Related Links

341

(1)

Additional Government Resources

342

(1)

Index

343

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Inventing For Dummies

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials