Links to useful information

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Articles by members and others

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Associations and clubs

  • Chesapeake Area Metalworking Society A group of people with interest in metalworking. Check out their web site for links and resources.
  • Houston Inventors Association Inventor's organization serving the Houston area.
  • Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Industrial designers create the form, appeal and user interface of mass-produced goods, as well as devise the processes used to manufacture them. IDSA promotes the value of industrial design by promoting the exchange of information and fostering innovation.
  • Institute of Trademark Agents
  • Intellectual Property Owners Represents the views of the big corporations.
  • MIT Enterprise Forum Meets every 3rd Tuesday at 6:30-8:30 at the NRECA Conference Center; 4301 Wilson Blvd; Arlington, VA (Ballston stop on the Orange line). Come and meet other entreprenuers and financiers. Free to Forum members, $10 for non-members.
  • MIT Lemelson Center More links, MIT prizes.
  • National Association of Patent Practitioners
  • National Inventor's Hall of Fame
  • Product Development and Management Assoc is a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization. PDMA's mission is to improve the effectiveness of people engaged in developing and managing new products (mostly corporate practitioners). This mission includes facilitating the generation of new information, helping convert this information into knowledge which is in a usable format, and making this new knowledge broadly available to those who might benefit from it.
  • United Inventors Association / Inventors Awareness Center
  • The Rapid Prototyping Association of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers has a page filled with useful information on the subject.
  • The Intellectual Property Society is a donor supported membership organization working to increase public awareness of, and participation in, the evolution of intellectual property rights and emerging technologies. We have a special mission to provide outreach from the intellectual property professions to entrepreneurs, technologists, artists and investors.
  • Blue Ridge Inventor's Club used to meet in Charlottesville, VA. Their real web site is gone, there are just advertisements there now. Blue Ridge Inventor's Club; PO Box 6701; Charlottesville, VA 22906. Call Mac Woodward @ 804/973-3708 or mac@comet.net.

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Books and magazines

  • A Guide to Patent Drawing, Veronique Siebmann-Lucas. $15. Call 804/973-2648
  • Eukeka! The Entrepreneurial Inventor's Guide to...., Robert J. Gold.Prentice Hall. $17.
  • How to be a Successful Inventor, Gordon Griffin. Wiley. $20.
  • How to Sell & Promote Your Idea, Project or Invention, Reece Franklin. Prima Publishing. $17.
  • Innovator's Dilemma, Christenses
  • Invention by Design, Henry Petrowski. Harvard University Press. 242pp. 1997. $25.
  • Intellectual Property, Arthur Miller & Michael Davis. West Publ. Co. 437pp. 1990. At legal libraries.
  • Invent & Grow Richer, Vernon Brabham. Tapes and manual. $37.
  • Inventor's Guide to Successful Patent Applications, Thomas DeForest. Tab Books. $15
  • Inventors Digest Magazine, "America's leading inventor's magazine since 1985".
  • Lindsay's book list A broad range of technical books.
  • Marketing Your Invention, Thomas Mosley, Jr. Upstart Publishing. $23.
  • Patent it Yourself, David Pressman. Nolo Press. $40.
  • The Age of Spiritual Machines, Ray Kurzwell
  • The Art & Methods of Invention, Raoul Drapeau (INCA Member). 144pp, 1999, $17.95. Available from amazon.com
  • The Inventor's Desktop Companion, Richard Levy. Visible Ink Press. 458pp. 1995. $25. Check your library.
  • They all Laughed, Ira Flatow. Harper Collins. 238pp. 1992. $20.
  • Transistors Today by John Ruff (INCA Member), A common-sense approach to transistor operation. $6.85 postpaid.
  • Web Pages That Such, Vincent Flanders & Michael Willis
  • GOAL/QPC is a not-for-profit educational institution whose mission is to help organizations and communities to grow and prosper with their books, journals, software and courses.
  • Filing Patents Online: A Professional Guide. This self-patenting manual walks inventors through each step of filing and prosecuting patents via the Internet at a fraction of the usual cost. It teaches the art of writing winning claims that result in commercially valuable patents. $69.95.

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Business

  • Security & Exchange Commission's EDGAR database of publicly-owned companies.
  • Classified ads (Excite) for buying that needed component or selling that surplus gear.
  • About Find an expert in any field
  • All Business Lots of good information.
  • Wall Street Journal's new site for startup businesses.
  • Brint.com (Business & Technology portal)
  • Patent and License Exchange, Inc. is a financial marketplace for intellectual property (IP) rights. Because a patent is a call option on technology, pl-x uses standard financial tools to unlock value from intangible assets and to create a liquid IP marketplace.
  • Try the Small Business School web site. Sponsored by PBS, it carries classes, seminars and other resources delivered by streaming video. It will work best for those with cable or DSL internet connections.
  • SBA Business Plans page
  • BizPlanIt. BizPlanIt provides business plan consulting services to early-stage, emerging-growth and established companies. We partner with clients to prepare clear, concise and compelling business plans that get results. Our team has developed plans resulting in several hundred million dollars in start-up and expansion capital on behalf of our clients.
  • MIT Enterprise Forum's Business Plans Guide. The guide is a list of resources focused entirely or substantially on writing a business plan. It has been developed to address one of the most frequently asked questions of Forum chapters: "How can I learn about writing a business plan?" The resources on the list are available at most public libraries and bookstores with good business sections.
  • View sample business and marketing plans at bplans.com.

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Capital, finance, VC

  • Alfred "Hank" Artze, a Puerto Rico-based retired stockbroker and ex-SCORE counselor is interested in investing in environmental, agrucultural, biotech and energy inventions. Contact him by fax at 787-758-9468 or aaasj@coqui.net.
  • NextGen Management - 10807 Main Street Suite 200; Fairfax, VA 22030; 703-352-2697; Zimri Putney/Managing Director; submitted by Raoul Drapeau.
  • VFinance. Web site for finding venture capital resources.
  • Corp Finance Network. Web site with financial resources, including banks.
  • The Morino Institute's Netpreneur Program is a nonprofit organization created to advance Greater Washington's netpreneurs and the businesses they create. Contact Linda Shives at 703-620-8971

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Catalogs

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Contests, solicitations

Contests

  • The Emhart Design Contest, co-sponsored by Emhart Teknologies and NASA Tech Briefs, has a top prize of $20,000 or a hybrid automobile. Every qualified entrant will earn a prize and be recognized in the pages of NASA Tech Briefs. Entries solicited in the areas of: everyday.
  • The U.S. Department of Energy has an Inventions and Innovation solicitation open now through April 11, 2003. Check their web site for further info. Try this URL.
  • Invent Now America is sponsored by Popular Mechanics Magazine and QVC. They are conducting a nation-wide search to find everyday people who invent in America. Our team of judges will evaluate each entry submitted (deadline is February 15th) to this secure and confidential web site. The judges will select the 100 best examples of everyday people who invent for a free trip to Epcot(r) at the Walt Disney World(r)


Solicitations

  • Bohning Co. is looking for new products in the archery, golf, fishing & Christmas tree colorant industries. Contact Karen Abrahamson/New Product Development Director. 616-229-4247.
  • Corning Glass is searching for new product ideas. Contact Henry Oat; 2964 Peachtree Rd.; Suite 700 Atlanta, GA 30305; 404-233-0332. e-mail: hoat@flash.net.
  • KRACO is looking for automotive-related inventions. Call Bradley Kraines at 800-678-1910.
  • Nordic Track. 800/967-2113. Seeking new inventions for the in-home fitness industry, including accessories for their existing products.
  • Presto Industries is inviting outside inventions. Write to Jeff Madison; Inventor Relations, National Presto Industries, Inc.; 3925 N. Hastings Way; Eau Claire, WI 54703; 715-839-2121.
  • Sharper Image; New Products Committee; 650 Davis Street; San Francisco, CA 94111; 415-445-6125. They are soliciting new products.
  • Shindaiwa, a Japanese manufacturer of grass trimmers, will entertain submissions about new outdoor power equipment. Write to Direvctor of Business Development; P.O. Box 1090; Tualatin, OR 97062.
  • Black & Decker is now accepting proposals for innovative product ideas. Contact Craig DuBois, Manager of New Product Concepts; 6 Armstrong Road; Shelton, CT 06484; 203-926-3015.
  • The Wall Steeet Financial Group is looking for patented inventions in the medical or internet field. Get an application for by calling 800-791-3133 or print it from www.inventorsdigest.com.
  • WalMart, Southwest Missouri State University and the I2 Innovation Institute are partners in the Wal Mart Innovation Network Program, an invention evaluation and product assessment service. Since Wal Mart is a huge potential outlet, and the program now has an expanded world-wide focus, it's worth checking them out.
  • Proctor & Gamble has a technology transfer program. Contact RoseAnn Dabek.
  • Big Idea Hunts. "Present your ideas for innovative kids' products or home and garden concepts to a panel of industry experts". This site has not been vetted. Proceed at your own risk.

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Education

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Engineering

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Government agencies

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Government programs and solicitations

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Government publications

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Incubators, SBDCs

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Internet info

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Inventor information

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Inventors associations

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Language

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Legal

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Licensing

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Manufacturing

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Marketing, promotion

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Media

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PCT

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Safety, liability

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Product Scouts

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Patent searching

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Research sources

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Suppliers

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Technical ideas

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Trade shows

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