Information: Tips for Inventors

John Lambert
Barrister
NIPC

24 Dec 2005

The old adage "necessity is the mother of invention" is very true. It is very much harder to market an invention than it is to invent something for a market. That is one of the reasons why a successful invention is more likely to come from someone already in the relevant industry than from someone outside it. It follows that the very first question for an inventor is whether anyone would want to buy his or her invention in the first place.

Would anyone want to buy the Invention?

For most, though perhaps not all, inventions the best way to approach that question is to look at the existing market and consider how it has been supplied to date. What are the nearest substitutes? Is there anything wrong with those substitutes? If not, what is the advantage of your invention? Who would buy it? Could the market afford it and is there any reason why consumers might wish to switch from their established supplier to you? These and similar questions are things that you should ask yourself at the very start. If you don't, you risk wasting a lot of time or money, and, quite possibly, both. This is likely to involve a lot of technical and commercial research. For tips on how to get started, I cannot recommend too highly The Inventors' Handbook by Peter Bissell and Graham Barker's. Even better is their little guide, "The Business of Invention". That publication is available only from their website at www.abettermousetrap.co.uk.

If there is a Market for the Invention, how would you supply it?

There are really only four options:

	license or assign the invention to someone else in return for a royalty;
	go into business with someone with greater resources and experience;
	procure someone to make the invention for you; or
	manufacture it yourself.

Each of those options has its advantages and disadvantages and again Bissell and Barker can help. Their advice is particularly useful because Peter is himself an inventor and he has actually made money from an invention.

Other Sources of Wisdom

Other people with something to say include Trevor Baylis (the inventor of the wind-up radio). His company, Trevor Baylis Brands Plc, claims to have helped over 1,000 inventors and entered agreements with over 120. Trevor was guest of honour at the first Brass from Gumption event in Huddersfield on 18 Feb 2005. His inventors' pack contains some useful information. Another British inventor who has become a household name is James Dyson. His "Help for Inventors" page is really useful. So, too, is his "Links" page. Other inventors with good websites are Mandy Haberman and Heather Kitching.

Information on Licensing

A multinational company that buys a lot of technology from outside its own R & D resources is Procter & Gamble. A lot of information pm how to license to P & G is available from its P&G Connect + Develop website.

Inventors Clubs

You can get valuable information from fellow inventors. A good place to look for them is an inventors club. There are three close to Huddersfield:

	Leeds Inventors Club which meets the third Wednesday of every month at Leeds Central Library from 18:00;
	Manchester Inventors Group which meets the first Tuesday of every month at Manchester Central Library from 18:00; and
	Second Tuesday Club, the Manchester Branch of Ideas21 which meets the second Tuesday of every month at CUBE from 18:00.

Details of these and other local meetings likely to be of interest to inventors are available on the "Events" page. There are also many other inventors' clubs around the UK and beyond. Some of these are listed in the side panel of my "Invention" blog.

Golden Tip

If you take nothing else from this article, you must remember this. Try not to say anything to anybody about your invention if there is any chance of your applying for a patent for it. The reason for that is that patents are granted only to inventions that are new as at the date of application. If the public knows about an invention, or can find out, then by definition the invention cannot be new. If you must discuss your invention with say a potential partner or investor then do it in confidence. There is a lot of stuff on our IP/It Update website, including my wife's article on managing intellectual property called "Can you keep a Secret?" which is really good.

Getting Professional Advice

There are monthly patent clinics in Leeds, Manchester and other towns with patent agents, business advisors and other professionals. I also hold a free monthly workshop on the last Friday of every month between 11:00 and 13:00 at the Huddersfield Media Centre. Again, details of these are in the "Events" page.

The Invention Blog

I have been running a blog for inventors for several months now. One of the features which will integrate with this page is called "Tips for Inventors". You will see links to those in the left hand side panel of this page. I also run am IP and Technology Law blog addressed more towards lawyers and patent agents but which you may still find interesting called "IP/it Update".

Any Questions?

If you want to ask anything that is not covered on this and the connecting websites please give me a call on +44 (0)870 990 5081 Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 19:00 or send me an email.

 

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