• Stand Alone, Inventor       Author:    Robert G. Merrick,
  available fromThe Inventor's Bookstore, 37 Seneca Road, Danbury, CT. 06811-4422, Ph. # 1-800-214-2833, or viaemail. $19.95. This is very basic reading with guidlines for your invention if it is something intended for the mass market. Read this one first. Mr. Jack Landers, owner of the bookstore, is quite an inventors advocate.

 
 
• Marketing Your Invention       Author:    Thomas E. Mosley, Jr.,
  available fromThe Inventor's Bookstore, 37 Seneca Road, Danbury, CT. 06811-4433, Ph. # 1-800-214-2833, or viaemail. $22.95. Based on over 1,000 invention evaluations and negotiating countless licensing and joint venture agreements, Mr. Mosely clearly communicates what inventors need to know to successfully bring their inventions to market. From channeling the initial inspiration in a marketable direction to protecting the idea, from identifying the characteristics of a successful new product to positioning it, finding money, and licensing, this book dispels the myths and outlines invaluable tactics for launching your invention. My admin guy calls it "Very Readable", and it is useful to note that Jack Landers uses this book in his invention classes.

 
 
• The Inventor's Desktop Companion: The Guide to Sucessfully Marketing and Protecting Your Ideas       Author:    Richard C. Levy,
  Visible Ink Press. $24.95.
  Available fromAspen Books & Software, 908 S. Tracy Ave., Suite D-2, Bozeman, Mt, 59715. Ph. 800-319-2665. Mr. Levy has invented and commercialized a number of toys. Great resource appendix.

 
 
• From Patent to Profit       Author:   Bob Dematteiswith Mark Antonucci.
  $29.95 Toll free (888) 53-Profit. Mr. DeMattais lays out a good strategy on how to profit from your invention. This is one of the best books I've read on the subject. The part on how to file your own patent has good information in it, going into detail on the specifics of the filing process. However, his main thrust is on how to profit from your invention. Well worth reading.

 
 
• Will It Sell?; How to Determine If Your Invention is Profitably Marketable (Before Wasting Money on a Patent)       Author:   James E. White.
  Published by James E. White & Associates, Marketing Consultants, 4107 Breakwater Drive, Okemos, Michigan 48864. Copyright 1999. Price $19.95. I read the Prepublication draft. The book is a scream. It not only has some good information, the cover alone is worth the price. I was nearly helpless giggling at the prose on the front page: "An explosive little book that will have your patent attorney seeing red.....and will turn your view of the invention process upside down. Warning: This book may be banned in Texas! The Texas Supreme Court's Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee has been granted the right to ban books and/or software that might help you understand the law. The UPLC has met in secret to investigate other books providing information similar to that in this book." Unquote. The author has dilligently tried to eliminate any errors, and solicted my opinions on the matter. I found a few minor technicalities, but overall, the book is right up there with "From Patent To Profit". This is going to primarily be of interest to mass retail items for consumers, as I see it. It is not an easy read. lf I were paranoid, I would suspect it is a text written by a consultant trying to hustle up clients by making it seem overly complicated. But, I am not, so believe it is a worthwhile addition to your library. From the viewpoint of a patent practitioner, it contributes to the very desirable end of helping an inventive person to become an informed qualified inventor who knows what he is doing & has his act together before taking advantage of a free initial consultation from a local patent practitioner. Many patent practitioners do not want to work with individual inventors because they haven't done their homework before trying to engage their services. For the conscientious practitioner, that is not a win/win situation. For any sharks out there, it is an opportunity to wreak economic havoc. I recommend it to my clients. "Whether you agree or disagree with the emphasis of the book, you are bound to profit from the insights you get from reading the many stories it contains. Enjoy!" Winner of the 2000 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards in the How-To category.

 
 
• Millions from the Mind, Second Edition,        Author:    Alan R. Tripp,
  $29.95.
  Taletyano Press, http://www/booksforinventors.com
  4107 Breakwater Drive,
  Okemos, Michigan     48864
  ISBN 0-9676494-2-0,
  Endorsed by David Pressman, Don Kelly, Jack Lander, Robert G. Merrick, and myself. I only wish I had read it 40 years ago at the start of my industrial career. While the title might suggest to many that it is just another "con job" written by some hustler, that definitely is not the case. It is a serious read for the serious inventor or invention developer.

 
 
• The Quest For Capital -- A Financing Guide For Entrepreneurs       Author:    Dee Power and Brian Hill.
  Available throughProfit Dynamics, Inc., P. O. Box 18460, Fountain Hills Arizona, 85269. A very practical, readable book on the subject of raising capital.

 
 
• License Your Invention       Author:    Attorney Richard Stim,
  Nolo Press, Berkely, California. License Your Invention gives detailed instructions on how to work with manufacturers, marketers and distributors who handle the details of merchandising an invention. It shows step-by-step how to draft a license that will be fair to all parties and addresses issues like ownerhip, applicable patent, necessary sample agreements and forms on a PC disk and as tear outs.

  License Your Invention also helps you:

  • understand the licensing process
  • determine ownership rights
  • know what agents offer and how to work with them effectively
  • find potential licensors
  • show the invention without getting ripped off
  • understand and negotiate fair terms for a licensing deal
  • draft a comprehensive licensing agreement
  • review and negotiate changes to a licensor's proposed agreement and more
  Now, the above material is taken from the press release. I read the book, carefully, myself. I have no quarrel with their assessment. Now, I myself would never try to do my own license, if I could avoid it. The last time I negotiated my own licensing arrangements, 18 years ago, I was not happy with the results. If I had to do it again, I would suggest the licensee draw up an agreement he is comfortable with, and then the licensor should look it over to see what tips from the above book should be incorporated. Then I would have my own attorney look it over. I do believe reading this book is a very good defensive measure and highly recommend it. I am not an attorney, nor a "wannabe" attorney. I am a Patent Agent. I prosecute patent applications. But, I have a very high esteem for the legal profession and believe in getting them in the act for licensing arrangements. However, in self defense, if you are gtting into a licensing arragement, you need all the smarts you can get. So, I added this text to this book review page. Warning: It is work to read it.

 
 
• What Were They Thinking? Marketing Lessons I've Learned from over 80,000 New-Producxt Innovations and Idiocies       Author:    Robert M. McMath and Thom Forbes,
  Times Books, a division ofRandom House, Inc.1998 List Price $23 USA . ISBN 0-8129-2950-0 This book is primarily directed to new products and innovations in the food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, cleaning supplies, and sundry products. If you have an idea for a new product to supplement or compete with existing brands, please read this BEFORE consulting a patent, trademark, or copyright practitioner. It may save time for all concerned. It is a tough world out there. Most of the products offered by the folks in the business fail, usually for reasons that should have been quite predictable. Mr. McMath has quite a warehouse of examples of product failures he uses to reinforce his consulting activities out of his office in Ithica, New York. Instead of paying big buck consulting fees, read his book. He gives some good general rules on avoiding disasters. For example, the mistake of the tobacco industry with smokeless cigarettes, a product that appealed only to non-smokers. As a number of people call me with ideas for products for the convenience or health of non-smokers that they hope will be bought by smokers, that part of the book was quite interesting to me. I bought mine for $3.95 plus $3.00 fromEdward R. Hamilton, Bookseller, Falls Village, CT 06031-5000http://www.HamiltonBook.com

 
 
• Adventures of an Entrepreneur or War Stories From American Industry        Author:    Lawrence Kamm,
  Published by Lawrence Kamm 1515 Chatsworth Blvd, San Diego, California 92107Mr. Kamm is a very inventive highly technical engineer who, from his experiences, draws basic conclusions to which every inventor should pay close attention. He basically learned from his mistakes. Although experience may be the best teacher, it is also the most expensive teacher. Buying this text, and reading it, is a much more economical approach. To quote one of his pearls: "If I have one primary piece of advice for prospective entrepreneurs, it is that marketing and finance are the chief problems for a new business." He gives some very good concrete examples of sales, marketing and advertising approaches that could be invaluable to an inventor trying to sell his invention. This is not a theoretical book. It is very concrete with down to earth examples. He details various mistakes as well as various crooks and deadbeats who cost him time, money, and at least one business. As he said in his conclusions: Many of these stories are about crooks and failures, not about successes: companies started, products developed, sales made and capital gains achieved. Those stories are less dramatic and interesting as literature, but they happen too, and I am here to prove it.... I highly recommend it as a very worthwhile, easy to read book for inventors and entrepreneurs.

 
 

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