Helpful Inventions

(as per inventors.org)
The Links listed below are some of the ones we have found to be particularly helpful to Inventors. We hope that you find them helpful.

For local services, check out
HIA Members Providing Services for Inventors
Patentstuff.com Ken Roddy, patent agent-patent searches, applications, information and INVENTION EMPORIUM online shopping for unique new products and general merchandise.
Law Office of David Fink, Contingency Patent Litigation (if unsuccessful, no fee for legal services, only disbursements must be paid) PatentAuction.com  Byron Donzis' site for buying, selling, and licensing intellectual property, domain names, and more.
Toy Invention SuperSite is David Ayers's web site for inventors interested in coming up with new toys and games. David has years of experience in this industry.
Venture Assistance (VA) is Dan Altman's service where he helps inventors, entrepreneurs, companies, universities, and government agencies with licensing (intellectual property transfer), product commercialization and management consulting services.
Cyrospace, Inc.Specializes in time and cost efficient design and development, R & D mining, and technology commercialization and transfer services. Cyrospace also offers an Internet marketplace platform for listing your breakthrough technologies and inventions.
LawAce.net  Mark Young - Attorney At Law

Be Careful Dealing with Invention Marketing Companies
See the U.S. Patent Office complaints and responses regarding invention promoters/promotion firms
National Inventor Fraud Center Please check the good guys and bad guys before dealing with an "Invention Development" or "Invention Marketing" firm you may have seen advertised!!
Ron Riley's Invention Development Co. Caution List List of companies to approach with caution.
ABA Comments on Invention Marketing Companies
Invention Scams - Neustel Law Offices
UIA/USA Inventors Awareness Center
Invention Promotion Firms- What the Federal Trade Commission says them
Avoid The Scams- Some Advice from Inventor's Digest
How to File A Complaint Against an Invention Promoter
KHOU TV video segment (mpg) "Inventors Beware"

Other Marketing & Product Evaluation:
Wal-Mart Innovation Network  The WIN program is an innovative service designed to help inventors or manufacturers of new products evaluate the potential of their ideas. An honest, objective third-party analysis of the risks and potential of your idea, product or invention.
 QVC Product Evaluation How to get your product evaluated for possible airing on QVC television and online shopping.
 One Stop Business Center - Provides you with information on city, county, state and federal regulations affecting your current or proposed business. Free "Getting Started Packet"-your roadmap to operating a business in Houston-are available by mail or in person to anyone opening or expanding a small business.
The Texas Marketplace A FREE online tool that the State of Texas uses to facilitate electronic commerce, including government procurement and private-sector trade opportunities.
Springboard Ventures®, Inc. - A Houston company assisting early stage technology companies with all phases of business development by connecting Entrepreneurs to a network of Investors, Mentors, Professional Service Providers, online/offline educational resources.

Patent Searching:
Our Friends at the US Patent Office  Free-full text and pictorial copies of U.S. patents.
European Patent Office  Worldwide patent database foreign patents and U.S. Patent.
Patent & Trademark Depository Library at RICE
KuesterLaw: The Technology Law Resource
Another Manual of Classification and Index to the manual; this one from Univ. of North Carolina and includes current patent laws.
The 'Lectric Law Library has good basic information for inventors on everything from Invention Promotion firms to Frequently Asked Questions on patents and trademarks.
IP Menu - is a global portal to Intellectual Property Information on the Internet. IP MENU is maintained by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick, Australian and New Zealand Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys.

Patent Plaques and Gifts:
www.PatentPlaques.com - Proudly display your accomplishments with a US patent plaque. An eloquent way for individuals and companies to display their patents. They also make a great gift for someone else who may be an inventor.

Copyright Info and Forms:
Copyright Office Home page

Trademark Info, Searching, and Forms:
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (free)

Specialties and Sources for Components:
Thomas Register Search ThomasNet, the most comprehensive resource for industrial information. Go straight to the source of product, company information, CAD drawings and more...
www.scientificsonline.com Edmund Scientific - Anything to do with science, exploration and nature - strange gadgets, unusual lighting, and unique techie toys - telescopes - microscopes - optical instruments - binoculars - spotting scopes - magnifiers - science kits - components - robots - chemistry labs, unique tools, balances and scales, and more. Product line covers physics and electronics, magnetics and magnetism, solar energy and technology.
American Science & Surplus A unique mix of industrial, military and educational items, with an emphasis on science and education. A wide range of unusual and hard to find items (some bizarre stuff) for the hobbyist, inventor, tinkerer, artist, experimenter, home educator, do-it-yourselfer, and bargain hunter. Good items for prototypes, models, and innumerable science projects.

Starting A Business:
How to Get A Bar Code
Entrepreneur.com - One of the largest and most frequently visited small-business Web sites on the Internet, provides business owners with practical information, expert advice and answers from recognized business authorities.
One Stop Business Center - Provides you with information on city, county, state and federal regulations affecting your current or proposed business. Free "Getting Started Packet"-your roadmap to operating a business in Houston-are available by mail or in person to anyone opening or expanding a small business.
www.business.gov is a government site that tells everything you could want about starting a small business.
SCORE-Houston, Service Corps of Retired Executives is a nonprofit organization providing small business counseling and training. SCORE members are retired business men and women who volunteer their time to assist aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. There are SCORE chapters in every state. National SCORE Office
score online this is SCORE Chapter 55, Seattle, WA, web site; it has all you want to know about starting your own business; all information is free but they do sell a disk with all the fill-in your own data templates you need for a business plan etc. It lists all SCORE chapter web sites but the three listed in Texas have little more than their meeting locations and times.
Springboard Ventures®, Inc. - A Houston company assisting early stage technology companies with all phases of business development by connecting Entrepreneurs to a network of Investors, Mentors, Professional Service Providers, online/offline educational resources.

Advertising and Public Relations:
 The Fernau Group - Public Relations and Marketing - Identify your audience, determine your message and get public exposure for your business, product or project.

For Kids and Teachers:
 U.S. Patent Office Kids Page
 Ron Riley's Kid Inventor Homepage Great website for Young Inventors and Teachers.  Keep up the good work Ron!
 Howstuffworks.com Award-winning site providing Internet users with clear, straightforward information on how stuff works.

Trade Show Directories
Trade Show Network News A searchable database of tradeshows for various industries and markets.
Type in "Texas" or "Houston" for local events.
Tradeshow Week Directory of tradeshows

Magazines, Publications, Media:
Inventors' Digest - A great website and publication just for inventors.
Books for Inventors
Videos & DVD's of Famous Inventions & Inventors
Posters & Prints of Famous Inventions & Inventors
Baker Botts Technology Calendar A collection of current seminars and meetings of nonprofit organizations and technology-related companies.
FARM SHOW Magazine - A website and publication that focuses on latest new products and "made it myself" inventions born in farm workshops and features the world's first database of farm inventions
Engines of our Ingenuity - Radio Program Scripts by John H. Lienhard, Professor of M.E. U of H
Houston Chronicle Business Section    Business Calendar    Technology Section    Other Houston Clubs/Associations
Tradepub.com - Many (but not all) Trade Magazines for various industries and markets.

Other Inventor Groups:
United Inventors Association of the USA - A national organization of inventor groups.
Texas Inventors Association (Dallas/Plano)- Mary Sarao - TEL: (972) 312-0090  E-mail Mary@asktheinventors.com
San Antonio Inventor & Entrepreneurs Group - a special interest group of TASA, Technology Advocates of San Antonio.
Austin Inventors and Entreprenuers Association
Amarillo Inventors Association
Inventors Club of K.C. (way to go CJ!)
Rocky Mountain Inventors Association
Inventors Network of the Capital Area - D.C.
Inventors' Alliance (IA) is an all-volunteer resource and mutual help group for inventors in the San Francisco Bay Area. A major objective is to share and pool know-how for the benefit of their members.

Government Programs & Agencies
SATOP (Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program) provides up to 40 Hours of Free Technical Assistance from the NASA and Educational Community. SATOP has helped companies (and several of our members) with machine design, process engineering, materials selection and many other technical issues.

Search Google Government Websites for Grants
DOE Inventions and Innovation Program
Small Business Innovation Research Awards
Small Business Administration Federal Grant Resources Page
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHA Publications
Argonne National Laboratory - One of DOE's largest research centers
National Science Foundation
Nasa JSC Technology Transfer