Invention Con 2023 - Practical Advice for Inventors, Makers and Entrepreneurs from across the Pond

Author US Patent and Trademark Office Licence Standard YouTube Licence Source USPTP

Jane Lambert

An important difference between the United Kingdom and the United States lies in the public's appreciation of independent inventors. The life of an American inventor is not exactly a bed of roses as the story of the film Joy shows, but it is fair to say that independent inventors in the USA are encouraged in a way that British independent inventors are not.  One of the ways in which they are encouraged is an annual online conference called Invention-Con which I discussed in Invention-Con 2022: The US Patent and Trademark Office's Online Conference for Inventors, Makers and Entrepreneurs on 22 July 2022.

It will be obvious from the video clip above that another Invention Con has taken place since I wrote that article.   This time some of the proceedings have been recorded on YouTube.   They include:

• A welcome from Derrick Brent, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office; 
• A welcome from Vaishali Udupa Commissioner for Patents, 
• Licensing your intellectual property;
• Branding and trademark protection;
• Sean Wilkerson, Robyn James and Eric Peterson: Turning passion to profits; and 
• Understanding Manufacturing.

All those clips are well worth watching.  Much of the information and advice would apply here though it has to be remembered that the USA is a different country with different laws, different institutions and a very different business culture.

In my article, I wrote:

"There is no reason why other countries (including ours) should not stage similar conferences. We do stage events like the British Invention Show but there is nothing like Invention-Con. There is a great need for practical advice on patent, design and trade mark prosecution, grant, equity and loan funding, setting up businesses and scaling up which Invention-Con appears to deliver."

For the last 20 years, I have founded and chaired inventors' clubs, given talks, run IP clinics and given practical advice to independent inventors in this and my other publications.  I think the time has come to consolidate these activities in one place.  I am assembling my articles and case notes into a single pdf manual which will be free to download.   I shall continue to canvass support for a British equivalent to Invention-Con.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form,

Immediate IP First Aid Nationwide

Field Hospital in First World War

Author National Museum of Health and Medicine
Source Wikipedia
Creative Commons Licence

Jane Lambert

I have been conducting free monthly consultations on IP law in London and the North for the last 10 years or so. I have seen lots of clients in that time and can count a number of successes as a result.

However, that service does have some five limitations.

1. it requires my presence and I can only be in one place at any one time. 
2. A month can be a very long time to wait when a  matter is urgent or you are impatient for information. 
3. I often need to refer clients to another professional such as a patent or trade mark attorney or a product design consultant which results in further delay. 
4. Many problems can be dealt with by a simple phone or Skype call or email. 
5. Clients who need to see me sometimes have to travel for miles.

I have therefore decided to improve and extend my IP Clinic in the following way.

Anyone who wants a free IP consultation with me or some other IP professional should call

020 7404 5252

during office hours and ask for an appointment to speak to me by telephone. I am not always available because I may be in court or a meeting but someone will take your name and number and arrange for me to call you back. Tell the person who takes your call that you are calling about my IP clinic.

Alternatively, you can send me a message through my contact form.

I should be able to give you some basic advice there and then and there will be no charge for that service. Should it appear to me that you need to see some other professional I will call at least one member of the relevant profession who practises in your area wherever possible and ask whether he or she would be willing to see you for an initial meeting or talk to you by telephone for up to 30 minutes free of charge. If the answer is "yes" I will pass you on to him or her.

Please note that you can only use this service once. If you want to consult me or any of the other professionals to whom I may refer you again you will have to instruct us in the usual way and that will usually require a fee the amount of which will be negotiated at the time.

In the next few days, I shall launch an IP clinic website which will provide further information including a knowledge base of answers to frequently asked questions.