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Sites you should NOT use

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Post  Admin Fri 29 Apr 2011 - 8:25

The inventing industry has many holes you can fall in on your journey. One such hole is the use of crowd sourcing sites. Those are sites that ask you to list your invention and allow others to comment or give you feedback.

Here are some things you should know about using these sites.

Other than the Terms & Conditions sections are often written in such a way that you forfit all, or a significant part of yoru rights to the owners of the site. There are 3 main reasons the UIA does not recommend you use them.

1. Posting your invention on a site like this is public disclosure and can cost you the opportunity to gain patent protection on your invention

2. Any person that makes any suggestion to your invention that you use, could later make a co-inventor claim against you

3. Many companies that license innovation refuse to work with a product that has been listed on these sites for both of the reasons listed above.

Please do not list your inventions or ideas on these sites.

Quirky
Ahhha
MomQuestion
Genius Crowds


These are just the few that we know about – if you run across these kind of sites please let us know so we can let others know.

As always, the UIA recommends that you consult a practicing attorney in your state before enrolling in any site or listing your invention on the internet.

Admin
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Post  SandraLima Sat 23 Feb 2013 - 19:15

I just read it, and I agree with the author of this announcement. I recently called QUIRKY, and what I heard compelled me to publish a public warning about QUIRKY.
Anyway, I would like for the author of this announcement, or anybody else with UIA to explain how for example TVgoodsInc., InventionHome, QVC and some others ask for us to send them detailed information about our invention, photos, videos, links, application numbers with dates, etc?

I received a rejection email from TV GOODS INC. and solicitations from two different people in INVENTORS HOME, telling me that I was referred to them by TV GOODS INC. because I needed help with my invention, and they can license, or distribute my invention.

I am going to talk to them. Should I expect them to ask me for money in exchange for "their help"?

PS: Let me know who wrote this original announcement. I have a personal and private message to the author.


SandraLima

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Post  Admin Sat 23 Feb 2013 - 19:57

Sites like Quirky (and other crowd sourcing sites) use a system where people you don't know offer you advice on your invention. That's nice, but when (and if) money starts to flow people change. It's very possible those same nice people may claim co inventor if they think you are getting rich off an idea they helped you develop.

More and more companies are staying away from inventors that use those sites, not because they don't like the people at the site, but because to them the risk of that co inventor claim down the road simply isn't worth it.

Companies like TV Goods, Invention Home, TeleBrands, and QVC have no such system of "team inventing" They deal with in house development or partner companies but never with the general public, and never on an open internet site.
Will they change you money, maybe - but it's okay to charge an inventor money for legitimate products and services. Just because they are in the inventor industry doesn't mean they should work for free, and it doesn't mean they should take the financial risk in developing a product that in the end may fail - likely will fail in fact.

That being said, try to remember purchasing things in the inventing industry is no different than buying any other good or service. It's always a risk, and it requires you the consumer to know what you are buying before you dig out your wallet.

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Post  Kleerz-All Sat 22 Jun 2013 - 8:41

Before getting involved in any sort of crowd-sourcing sites, you should definitely check the terms and conditions. I was at a 3D CAD industry conference a few years back, and the founder of Quirky made his pitch there. I joined just to see what it was like, but when I read the terms and conditions, it was clear from the get-go that they would take ownership of a lot of the process, as well as the intellectual property.

Quirky seems to be for people who like to get together with other folks and come up with ideas together - I don't consider it a viable approach for folks who have an idea of their own that they want full ownership to. Also, their payment terms didn't synch up with what I was looking for -- they take a lot more than I was prepared to give, in terms of money and process and ownership.

So, obviously they were not the choice for me.

I am launching a Kickstarter in another couple of weeks, but ONLY because my invention is patent-pending. I am also waiting until the Kickstarter to reveal details on my invention, the Kleerz-All materials mover, which is going into production with its "G-1" first generation in the fall -- just in time to clear all the leaves off your driveway.

Having adequate protection for your intellectual property is key -- make sure you have all your paperwork in order before you say anything to anyone about it. You don't want any unhappy wake-up calls, on down the line.

Kleerz-All

Posts : 1
Join date : 2013-06-22
Location : Massachusetts

http://www.kleerz-all.com

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