FOR INVENTORS

Looking to build a website to market your idea or invention?

Our Guest Blogger, Drew Anderson is an idea person from Portland, Oregon. You can see his entertaining collection of his ideas at his Millions of Hundred Dollar Ideas website, mohdi.com. He wanted to share some tips on building a website with the readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's his article:

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Our Guest Blogger, Barbara Carey, is the inventor of Hairgami® and dittieTM feminine protection brand, as well as over 100 other products. Barbara is also the author of "The Carey Formula: Your Ideas Are Worth Millions." For more information about Barbara and "The Carey Formula" check out www.CareyFormula.com.

Barbara believes there are some simple secrets to success as an inventor and she wanted to share them with the readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's her article:

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Here's some good news about the future of our country and the future of inventing from a recent press release from the Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO):

The Advertising Council joined with USPTO and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation (NIHFF) launched a national, multimedia Public Service Advertising (PSA) campaign to engage a new generation of children in innovation. read more »

Hi Folks:

Sorry for the last minute notice on this but we got this up as fast as we can.

For those who were planning to audition in Orlando for the American Inventor Show for 2007 in Orlando, Florida, it has been cancelled at the very last minute.

In it's place, it seems that the producers of American Inventor are now planning to hold auditions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 21, 2007 but have not announced a location or address yet.

UPDATE: Location for auditions announced

TAMPA Florida - APRIL 21ST
GRAND HYATT TAMPA BAY
2900 BAYPORT DRIVE
TAMPA, FL 33607 read more »

Radiosconde Recovery A new robot that could assist climate-change researchers has won the grand prize at the annual PennVention competition. read more »

Company Branding

Ever wonder how companies come up with their names?

FortyMedia.com, a business blog lists a collection of well-known company names from Wikipedia and their origins. Recognizing the importance of branding, its interesting how what was the inspiration for a company's name:

Here's a few of my favorites:

 

7-Eleven: this chain of convenience stores started in 1927 as U-Tote’m (so called because customers “toted” away their purchases). In 1946, U-Tote’m became 7-Eleven to reflect the stores’ new, extended hours: 7am until 11pm, seven days a week.

Apple: for the favourite fruit of co-founder Steve Jobs and/or for the time he worked at an apple orchard. read more »

Are your curious about what the auditions for American Inventor reality television show are really like?

An Average Inventor posted the following in the forums discussing the Chicago auditions for American Inventor. The discussion thread for our forums on the auditions are at
http://www.americaninventorspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1441#1441

I thought is was a particularly good post and wanted to share it witth those interested in reading about the inner workings of a reality television show in general and the American Inventor television show in particular.

Here's An Average Inventor's posting from this forum discussion:

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American Inventor Auditions for Orland have changed!

The Orlando event will not be taking place on April 10th and will no longer be
held at the Contemporary Resort. read more »

Curious about what's happened to your favorite inventors and inventions from Season One of American Inventor?

Well, we have lots of information but we didn't know for sure what we could share with you and what we couldn't since much of it was unconfirmed or confidential.

So we thought it would be a good idea to create a post where folks from Season One can report on what has been going on for them. read more »

Want to know what your protection strategy for your idea or invention should be?

Our Guest Blogger, Melvin J. DeGeeter, Ph.D., is the publisher and author of a book titled "Technology Commercialization Manual. Strategy, Tactics and Economics for Business Success." Dr. DeGeeter spent over 16 years in R&D with The Upjohn Company and Monsanto followed by another 16 years at Texas A&M, Indiana University and the University of IL where he was responsible for technology commercialization. He was the founder and owner of Med-Launch Inc., a company focused on asset development and deployment until he retired in 2006. More information about him and about protecting your intellectual property is available at www.tclearningcenter.com . Dr. DeGeeter wanted to share his asset protection tips with the readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's his article:

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(c) Warner Bros.THIS IS SPARTA! If those three words haven't echoed through your family room over the last few weeks, you haven't been watching much TV. "300" is tops at the box office, with the highest March opening for a film ever. And while the movie itself, with its hyper-stylized violence and groteque baddies, may not be your cup of tea, within the movie is a message about being true to your vision and values, and not letting those be corrupted, no matter how great the reward...an important lesson for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking for their big break. So strap on that leather loincloth and grab your shield. In this latest installment of "What I Learned From..." we're going to Thermopylae. read more »

According to the Associated Press , George Foreman will be a Judge on `American Inventor'. The "boxing great, ordained minister and grilling guru George Foreman just added another job to his resume: reality-TV judge. "

Foreman will be joined by former NBA executive Pat Croce, British businessman Peter Jones and undergarments entrepreneur Sara Blakely, creator of Spanx. The show's new host is Nick Smith. read more »

According to the Philadephia Inquirer, Pat Croce is going prime-time as a Judge on American Inventor.

The newspaper states "The Villanova entrepreneur has been signed as one of four judges for the next season of ABC's American Inventor, according to a rep of FremantleMedia North America, which also produces American Idol." read more »

PLEASE NOTE:
*The Los Angeles, Orlando, and Houston audition dates have changed.
*See city venues for location updates.

The auditions are scheduled to take place starting March 2007, in the following cities listed below:

LOS ANGELES – MARCH 18TH -
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA – 90015 read more »

Yes, I know, "There's no such thing as the perfect trademark search." That's the favorite caveat of every searcher and trademark attorney (just in case they flub-up). But you and/or your professional search team have done the most thorough trademark search you could do... The time has come. File that trademark application!

I hope that the actual filing will not be anticlimactic for you, because the Trademark Office has made applying so easy with the new TEAS Plus application.

Still, I have a few tips to make it even smoother.... read more »

The auditions for American Inventor are scheduled to take place starting March 2007, in the following cities listed below:

LOS ANGELES – MARCH 18TH -
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA – 90015
PARKING: Los Angeles Convention Center (See above address) - Cost: $12 per day.

More.. read more »

AMERICAN INVENTORS OPEN CALL AUDITION DATE FOR LOS ANGELES HAS CHANGED FROM MARCH 19 TH TO MARCH 18 TH . THE LOS ANGELES VENUE LOCATION IS:

Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015 read more »

"Next Best Thing," from Peter Engel Prods. and New Wave Entertainment, will settle into its normal one-hour slot at 8 p.m. the following week, June 6.

That leads into the return of the reality contest "American Inventor," from FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell at 9.

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The innocents do a Google or Yahoo search for their trademarks. Then they visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office, enter their favorite trademark in the blank box and no results are returned. Hurrah! Voila! This clever, creative, boss, rad, cool, hot trademark is all mine!

 

Little do they know... read more »

Need a better way to do market research?

Patrick Misterovich, our Guest Blogger, is a stay-at-home dad to three young boys and spare-time entrepreneur. He created the PEZ MP3 Player and
helped create the Helmet MP3 Player. His one-man company is Lincoln West
Studio, LLC. He wanted to share some helpful tips with the inventors and entreprenuers at AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's his article
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How do you know your great idea is really great? read more »