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Science Forum Index » Medicine - Transcription Forum » Wish I thought of that~oh, I did!
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| im1whalen |
 Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:07 pm |
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anyone ever have a great idea or, in fact, been using something, doing
something for years, and then found out someone else marketed it and is
making millions off your idea? i know there are some inventors on this
board. case in point - i finished my shower and was spraying the
plastic curtain and walls with bleach to keep away the mildew. i have
been doing this for years and years and years - and someone made that
little wall squirter that does the same thing and is making the big
bucks. what about the *reminder* recording on some answering machines
now where you can leave yourself or housemates a message - or one of
those little hand held gizmos to record your grocery list as you think
of it, or a message for the kids. for years, i tell you, i have been
calling my phones and leaving messages for myself. i have always used
markers to *fix* scratches on the car, furniture, floors, what have,
and mascara for a quick gray coverup - and those have all been marketed
now. burns my big ol butt...
--
im1whalen |
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| JCav |
| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:44 pm |
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Me too. I had actually mentioned the audio memo thing to my DH about 5
years ago and mentioned that something to clip on my keychain would be
great. He told me to contact one of those invention companies but I
didn't have the gizmo to remind me to do it. The thing that really
bites me is I had the idea for zip-off pant legs so that your pants
could become shorts. I was about 8 when I had that idea. My mother
told me that was stupid, but I see those all the time and have been
seeing them for a while now.
Jen
im1whalen wrote:
Quote: anyone ever have a great idea or, in fact, been using something, doing
something for years, and then found out someone else marketed it and is
making millions off your idea? i know there are some inventors on this
board. case in point - i finished my shower and was spraying the
plastic curtain and walls with bleach to keep away the mildew. i have
been doing this for years and years and years - and someone made that
little wall squirter that does the same thing and is making the big
bucks. what about the *reminder* recording on some answering machines
now where you can leave yourself or housemates a message - or one of
those little hand held gizmos to record your grocery list as you think
of it, or a message for the kids. for years, i tell you, i have been
calling my phones and leaving messages for myself. i have always used
markers to *fix* scratches on the car, furniture, floors, what have,
and mascara for a quick gray coverup - and those have all been marketed
now. burns my big ol butt...
--
im1whalen |
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| Liz |
| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:08 pm |
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Yeah...years ago when Atari was all the rage I got the idea of installing
those little screens on the back of airplane seats. Oh well...
"im1whalen" <im1whalen.2kkq49@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:im1whalen.2kkq49@nospam.com...
Quote:
anyone ever have a great idea or, in fact, been using something, doing
something for years, and then found out someone else marketed it and is
making millions off your idea? i know there are some inventors on this
board. case in point - i finished my shower and was spraying the
plastic curtain and walls with bleach to keep away the mildew. i have
been doing this for years and years and years - and someone made that
little wall squirter that does the same thing and is making the big
bucks. what about the *reminder* recording on some answering machines
now where you can leave yourself or housemates a message - or one of
those little hand held gizmos to record your grocery list as you think
of it, or a message for the kids. for years, i tell you, i have been
calling my phones and leaving messages for myself. i have always used
markers to *fix* scratches on the car, furniture, floors, what have,
and mascara for a quick gray coverup - and those have all been marketed
now. burns my big ol butt...
--
im1whalen |
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| Barbara Carlson |
| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:37 am |
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My husband has had several things like that. A lot of those "invention
places" are just rackets--they will do the patent for you, and it is
expensive. Bob holds several patents on stretch-wrapping machinery, but he
sold them with his company many years ago. If you take ideas to someone
they can be easily stolen unless you patent them first, and that is
expensive. Also, a lot of useful ideas take thousands in advertising to
make them pay. Simple little plastic gizmos are expensive to manufacture
unless you make them in quantity, which means advertising and a lot of
money. Once you get past the "break even" point maybe you can get rich, but
it takes a lot to get there. Bob has an idea right now for producing energy
efficiently--but it cannot be patented without a working model which we
cannot afford to do. He has had a couple of engineers look over the idea,
and agree it should work. (He has had them sign a non-divulgement agreement
before showing the plans--as suggested by an attorney). He has been trying
to get either a company, or a university to develop it for part interest,
but so far no luck. Makes you wonder how many great things are out there?
Barb C.
"im1whalen" <im1whalen.2kkq49@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:im1whalen.2kkq49@nospam.com...
Quote:
anyone ever have a great idea or, in fact, been using something, doing
something for years, and then found out someone else marketed it and is
making millions off your idea? i know there are some inventors on this
board. case in point - i finished my shower and was spraying the
plastic curtain and walls with bleach to keep away the mildew. i have
been doing this for years and years and years - and someone made that
little wall squirter that does the same thing and is making the big
bucks. what about the *reminder* recording on some answering machines
now where you can leave yourself or housemates a message - or one of
those little hand held gizmos to record your grocery list as you think
of it, or a message for the kids. for years, i tell you, i have been
calling my phones and leaving messages for myself. i have always used
markers to *fix* scratches on the car, furniture, floors, what have,
and mascara for a quick gray coverup - and those have all been marketed
now. burns my big ol butt...
--
im1whalen |
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| Chris |
| Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:08 am |
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I actually think of things that aren't easily found, and when I get
around to making a prototype and searching, etc. I find something
similar, but not quite the same, with my ideas containing more helpful
options....then I have to wonder whether or not I could afford
defending an actual patent against any person(s) who claim I am
infringing, even if I was granted a patent, etc. lol. Then there are
some things that have six similar items patented, and then you have to
wonder what spending all of that money on a patent gets you anyway.
lol. What bothers me is why these things that I would buy in a second
aren't readily visible so I could buy them in the first place. Money,
money, money.
I've been told that the invention marketing firms are a scam as well.
Some more so than others, but they are designed to take even more of
your money. Did anyone else here watch that American Inventor show?
There was a woman on there talking about how she had spent five figures
so far and didn't believe the panel when they told her that it already
existed. I contacted one of those places years ago and they sent me a
packet in the mail....they wanted me to just give them the whole thing
right there on paper without any confidentiality agreements, etc. Yeah
right. lol.
I'm gearing up to call a patent attorney I've been talking to after
finalizing something just this weekend. I have six things I would love
to do, but the one I really want to do first...I could never dream of
raising enough money to even get a prototype probably made, so I've
picked one that I could "wing" it on. I'm excited and nervous and
scared as hell about all of the money it involves, but I have to do it.
If I don't try at least one, I will spend the rest of my life
regretting it. The next big question for me is whether or not to start
the patent as the product stands as I've made it currently and then pay
extra money to revise it to suit any manufacturer specifications or
just get all of those work-for-hire, confidentiality, etc. agreements
first and then apply for a final one. (trying to think of the safest
way to do it while watching the expenditures).
im1whalen wrote:
Quote: anyone ever have a great idea or, in fact, been using something, doing
something for years, and then found out someone else marketed it and is
making millions off your idea? i know there are some inventors on this
board. case in point - i finished my shower and was spraying the
plastic curtain and walls with bleach to keep away the mildew. i have
been doing this for years and years and years - and someone made that
little wall squirter that does the same thing and is making the big
bucks. what about the *reminder* recording on some answering machines
now where you can leave yourself or housemates a message - or one of
those little hand held gizmos to record your grocery list as you think
of it, or a message for the kids. for years, i tell you, i have been
calling my phones and leaving messages for myself. i have always used
markers to *fix* scratches on the car, furniture, floors, what have,
and mascara for a quick gray coverup - and those have all been marketed
now. burns my big ol butt...
--
im1whalen |
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