If your idea of a great home business is to patent an invention you’ve created and market it from your home, great! The right invention can be worth hundreds of thousands, even many millions of dollars to you if properly protected and marketed.

But how do you protect yourself from getting scammed by invention scammers? According to the Commissioner for Patents at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, every year thousands of independent inventors and small business people are targeted by unscrupulous invention promotion, marketing and licensing firms.

According to the USPTO, these firms may make exaggerated promises and make false claims about the potential market success of your invention. They may also provide you with basic market research at a large fee and ultimately obtain for you an overly narrow or USELESS patent that is worthless in the marketplace. Your home business could end up losing all of the money it invested in the patent service and even worse, end up with a worthless patent that could result in your invention getting stolen.

Here’s how they Lure You

First, they offer you a “free” inventor’s kit. Seems innocent enough. You’re hooked.

Second, they call you to get your money for an invention evaluation.

Third, the evaluation leads to a request for more money to create a report.

Fourth, the “report”, in a nicely bound book, says that your invention is patentable and marketable.

Fifth, the company tells you that you should spend more money to continue the process of getting a patent and marketing your invention.

According to the USPTO, you don’t need one of these services to help you obtain a patent and market your invention.

To protect your interests, your invention and your home based business contact the Patent Office directly or a competent attorney that specializes in patents and similar legal work.

NOTICE: This information is not intended to provide legal, business or accounting advice. For proper advice concerning patents and protecting and marketing your inventions, please contact competent professionals, such as a patent and trademark attorney, or other professional to property advise you on tax, business or other matters.

United State Patent and Trademark Office, 866-767-3848

email: independentinventor@uspto.gov

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