Beware of the Scams

You called an 800 number for free information. What you received was a brochure along with a piece of graph paper and a confidential disclosure. In all likelihood you are dealing with one of the so-called "invention marketing" companies...more accurately called SCAMS!

They all operate the same way. They ask you to sketch your idea on graph papers and send it to them. The next thing you'll hear from them is their initial review indicates the idea has great potential and they recommend a patent search and market evaluation.

Of course, that's music to any inventor's ears. But it's also the way these scams get into the inventor's heart—and bank account! The fee for that step will depend on what they feel "the traffic will bear"—usually $800 to $1,000.

Very soon after paying that fee, an "evaluation" will come back in an impressive looking binder which will confirm that there is a global market waiting for this product and that it is a winner. (These crooks have never seen an idea that wasn't a winner—to them!)

The inventor, who is always sure the idea is worth millions, now sees an opportunity for fame and fortune and is fair prey for the next step. A contract is offered costing from $2,500 to $20,000 and thousands of inventors take the bait—hook, line and sinker.

Every year, an increasing number of inventors fall victim to the siren song of these scams in spite of their being regularly exposed in both broadcast and print media. There are over 120 of them, legally stealing hundreds of millions from thousands of inventors each year!

We say legally stealing because their contracts are full of performance disclaimers, overlooked by inventors whose eyes are glazed over by a vision of their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It may be a pot, but it won't be filled with gold!

Get the facts. We are here to help, which is why we make this material available to you, the inventor. For more information, read the Federal Trade Commission's Facts for Consumers – Invention Promotion Firms. The Inventors Assistance League also offers products to help you market and sell inventions and ideas to companies all over the world. These are tried and true methods that have helped thousands of other inventors.