| Acknowledgments | ix |
| Top Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by New Inventors | x |
| Introduction | xi |
| 1 | Me-an Inventor? | 1 |
| What Is an Inventor? | 2 |
| It Starts with a Great Idea | 5 |
| Make Money while You Sleep | 8 |
| A Typical Day | 9 |
| Love What You Do | 11 |
| Inventing as a Profession | 12 |
| 2 | Do You Have What It Takes? | 13 |
| Mental Preparation | 14 |
| Think Outside the Box | 15 |
| A Light Bulb Moment | 16 |
| Are You a Dreamer or a Doer? | 17 |
| Go for It! | 18 |
| Reality Check | 21 |
| 3 | Protecting Your Idea | 25 |
| First to Invent Rule | 26 |
| One-Year Rule | 28 |
| Create an Inventor's Journal | 29 |
| File a Disclosure Document | 31 |
| Keep It Hush-Hush! | 33 |
| Nondisclosure Agreements | 35 |
| 4 | Join the Club! | 37 |
| Benefits of Joining a Club or Organization | 38 |
| Inventors' Associations and Clubs | 40 |
| Inventors' Seminars and Workshops | 42 |
| Trade Associations | 45 |
| Trade Shows | 47 |
| Trade Magazines and Journals | 49 |
| 5 | Whom Can You Trust? | 51 |
| How to Tell the Good Guys from the Bad Guys | 52 |
| Big-Time Crooks | 55 |
| Small-Time Crooks | 60 |
| Patent Attorneys and Patent Agents | 61 |
| Prototype Designers | 61 |
| Legitimate Marketability Evaluation Services | 62 |
| 6 | Your Idea-Your Responsibility | 65 |
| Preliminary Searching | 66 |
| Is Your Invention Worthwhile? | 67 |
| Steer Clear of Assumptions | 68 |
| Doing the Preliminary Market Search | 69 |
| Put It on Paper | 72 |
| 7 | Your Own Patent Search | 75 |
| What Is a Patent? | 76 |
| Why Search? | 77 |
| Internet Searching | 78 |
| The United States Patent and Trademark Library | 81 |
| The Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDLs) | 82 |
| What if You Find Your Invention? | 83 |
| Moving Forward | 83 |
| 8 | Professional Patent Search | 85 |
| What Is a Professional Patent Search? | 86 |
| Choosing a Professional | 88 |
| Calculating Search Value | 90 |
| What a Searcher Needs from You | 90 |
| What if They Find Your Invention? | 91 |
| Does a Positive Result Guarantee a Patent? | 92 |
| Negative Legal Opinion | 94 |
| 9 | Your Prototype | 95 |
| What Is a Prototype? | 96 |
| Developing a Prototype | 98 |
| Can You Make Your Own Prototype? | 99 |
| Rapid Prototyping and Molding | 100 |
| Professional Prototype Designers | 101 |
| Other Sources for Prototyping | 102 |
| 10 | Invention Marketability Evaluation | 105 |
| What a Marketability Evaluation Tells You | 106 |
| Benefits of a Marketability Evaluation | 109 |
| Where Can You Get a Marketability Evaluation? | 110 |
| Cost and Duration of Marketability Evaluations | 111 |
| In the Event of a Positive Marketability Evaluation | 113 |
| In the Event of a Discouraging Marketability Evaluation | 114 |
| 11 | Patenting Your Invention | 117 |
| An Overview of the Process | 118 |
| Are All Patents Equal? | 119 |
| Types of Patents | 120 |
| Who May Write, File, and Prosecute Your Patent? | 125 |
| What's Included in a Patent Application? | 129 |
| Now What? | 131 |
| 12 | Not Patentable? Other Options | 133 |
| Figure It Out | 134 |
| Trademarks | 134 |
| Copyrights | 138 |
| Trade Secrets | 140 |
| Expired Patents | 140 |
| Patented but Not Marketed Products | 141 |
| 13 | Funding Your Invention | 143 |
| On a Shoestring | 144 |
| Friends and Family | 147 |
| Bank Loans | 148 |
| Partners | 149 |
| Investors | 151 |
| 14 | Your Ultimate Goal | 155 |
| Choosing to Sell Your Patent | 156 |
| Choosing Not to Sell Your Patent | 157 |
| Choosing to License Your Patent | 158 |
| Choosing Not to License Your Patent | 161 |
| Choosing to Become a Manufacturer | 162 |
| Choosing Not to Become a Manufacturer | 163 |
| Where to Get Guidance | 164 |
| 15 | Building a Business Around Your Invention | 167 |
| Setting Up Your Business | 168 |
| Resources | 168 |
| Your Business Identity | 171 |
| Financial Needs | 172 |
| UPC Code | 172 |
| Distribution Channels | 174 |
| Offshore Manufacturing | 177 |
| Risks for Business Owners | 180 |
| 16 | Finding a Licensee | 183 |
| Existing Products | 184 |
| Trade Shows | 185 |
| Let Them Find You | 188 |
| Licensing Agents | 189 |
| Library Resources | 191 |
| Internet Searches | 192 |
| 17 | Getting the Word Out | 193 |
| Publicity | 194 |
| News Releases | 197 |
| Proof of Marketability | 198 |
| Displaying at Trade Shows | 199 |
| The Phone Call | 200 |
| Product Publicists | 202 |
| 18 | Presenting Your Invention for Licensing | 205 |
| Who Is Your Target Customer? | 206 |
| The Importance of Your Presentation | 206 |
| Putting It Together | 208 |
| Presenting Your Product | 212 |
| Know What You Want | 214 |
| Follow Up and Prepare to Wait | 214 |
| 19 | Your License Agreement | 217 |
| What Is a License Agreement? | 218 |
| Exclusive Versus Nonexclusive License Agreements | 219 |
| Let's Talk Royalty | 221 |
| Negotiating a Contract | 224 |
| What Belongs in a License Agreement? | 224 |
| Realistic Expectations | 228 |
| 20 | Toy Inventing: A Whole Different Ball Game | 229 |
| Throw Out All the Rules! | 230 |
| Should You Patent a Toy? | 230 |
| Do You Need a Prototype of Your Toy or Game? | 232 |
| Toy Marketing | 233 |
| Professional Associations and Magazines | 236 |
| Representing Yourself | 237 |
| Toy Contracts | 238 |
| Take the Money and Run! | 239 |
| 21 | Me-an Inventor! | 241 |
| You're in the Money Now | 242 |
| Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships | 242 |
| Limited Liability Companies and Corporations | 244 |
| Don't Be a One-Hit Wonder-Invent Again! | 245 |
| Life in the Slow Lane | 246 |
| Share the Wealth | 247 |
| Appendix A | Glossary of Terms | 251 |
| Appendix B | Resources for Inventors | 261 |
| Appendix C | Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries | 267 |
| Appendix D | Forms and Samples | 271 |
| Index | 285 |
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