Invention Promotion Fraud

Want help marketing your invention? Be careful! Before you start responding to TV or magazine ads take a look at the websites below. Fraudulent marketing firms are out there. Here are some websites that will give you tips on how to avoid increasingly frequent scams targeting inventors.

• Frequently Asked Questions from Inventor’s Digest
  12 Important questions and answers that every inventor should be asking, or already know about before signing any contracts or other papers. When you’re finished, make sure to take a look at the additional resources available on this site.
• Invention Promotion Firms
  If you would like to do business with an invention promotion firm take a look at the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) website for suggestions that will help you avoid making a costly mistake.
• National Inventor Fraud Center, Inc.
  Founded by a Registered Patent Attorney, the National Inventor Fraud Center is designed to provide information to inventors on promotion firms. Discover organizations, news sources, websites and books that can be helpful to inventors in the Good Guys section. Ask the 25 questions from the Good Guy Test before paying any money to an invention promotion firm.
• Patent Attorneys & Agents Registered to Practice before the USPTO.
  While not required, it is highly recommended that you retain a Patent Attorney as you progress in this process. This USPTO list is divided geographically, and searchable by Zip Code, City, etc.
• Scam Prevention – USPTO (PDF file).
  Here’s a concise two-page brochure from the USPTO that highlights what you should be aware of and questions you can ask if you feel an offer is too good to be true. This and additional information are available through the USPTO’s Inventor Resources pages.
• “Spotting Sweet-Sounding Promises of Fraudulent Invention Promotion Firms”
  The FTC has put out an alert on invention promotion companies; within the alert are typical lines you will hear from unscrupulous companies.