From Patent to Profit: Secrets & Strategies for the Successful Inventor

Since 1987, this author has received 14 patents and has achieved a 100% success rate in developing and marketing them. This is particularly impressive when you consider only about 3% of patents earn any money at all for their inventors. In this handbook he shares his hard-acquired knowledge concerning product creation, patenting, licensing, manufacturing, and marketing. The author, Bob DeMatteis, offers several opinions that differ from what other writers in the field currently offer. For example, he puts down the need for a business plan if you go the licensing route. He never wrote one and feels that the company licensing your invention should and will do their own plan. However, getting an honest, unbiased evaluation is good even though potential licensees will want to gather their own facts. In his chapter on invention strategy, he calls attention to the fact that inventors often fail to grasp that marketing and manufacturing can take 68% to 93% of your time. In America, he points out; we have a fascination with thinking big. But the key to success is often in thinking small. That is filling a small (niche) market. He notes that it is often the fourth or fifth improvement patent that results in a commercial breakthrough. He notes how the Japanese have applied this principle with great success. He stresses the importance of customer-driven innovations (CDIs). He lists a dozen areas where the right invention can turn customers on. For example, the environment area is now a hot button area and if you can double the life of a product, you also reduce trash by one half. In the past, a basic design guide was "form follows function." Today, he suggests that "form follows emotion." He writes, "Don't kid yourself. People usually buy because the purchase raises a positive emotion." He discusses 14 ways to arouse emotions. He observes that today's inventors are living at the right time because "in the world of patents, it is well known that patent values have increased 20-50 fold in just the past several years." He explains how the "Doctrine of Equivalence" and the 1997 Hilton-Davis case justify this observation. Bob disagrees (and explains why he does) with some patent attorneys that feel a provisional patent application should include claims. He is strong on inventors using provisional patent applications, but cites several precautions to observe when doing so. He notes that while many worry about possible interference proceedings, it comes up only about once in 1500 patents filed. He strongly recommends doing a preliminary patent search. It can save you a great deal of time and money. He stresses not overlooking similar words when searching. As an example, he lists 14 words that may be used in place of an ordinary word like "glue," such as "binder," "conjoining compound," and "adherent." He takes note of how often inventors endure negative comments from pessimists. Many of his patents deal with plastic grocery bags and their racks and dispen

The book is very easy to read, and it is very interesting. The author weaves in the need for patents and other intellectual property protection very well into the invention process. This is far better coverage on the strategy of patents than I have ever read before.But for me the best part was the overall process recommended by the author. He shows us how to have marketing and manufacturing concerns guide the invention process from the beginning. He also presents a very detailed analysis of how to go about inventing a product using the problems and concerns of the customer as a basis for your product. This, again, was very well done.The author has invented, and now teaches inventing. This book serves as his seminar material.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.John Dunbar

I had an idea for a product, but didn't know where to go from there. I borrowed this book from the library, and it not only answered all my immediate questions, I'm ordering it as a reference to use through the whole "patent to profit" process. Great book!

I have found this book to be an invaluble asset as I have brought my idea through the patent process, and especially now as I am beginning to market it. From patent searching to explaining the nuts and bolts of the entire patent process I cannot say enough about how well it is written. As well, I have come to the conclusion that without reading this book I certainly would not have known how to REALLY go about getting my product to market! It is written in easy to understand language explaining the do's and don'ts of the entire process. I found the information given about how to detect and avoid the scam artist involved in the invention industry especially interesting. The companion "frompatenttoprofit.com" website was very useful in this regard. What I found most valuable about this read was how well the author details how to bring a product to market with a minimum of resources being spent. An acquaintence of mine so far has poured over $200,000 into his invention with no results. If he only would have read this book first, he would have known how to avoid such risk!

From Patent to Profit is the first book anyone considering developing a new idea should buy. FPTP catapulted me right into licensing negotiations. It teaches who to talk to, how to talk to them, and how to protect yourself and your product. FPTP is very thorough yet easy to read. It takes you step-by-step from idea to profit. A priceless book!