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From the Inventors of Ghostline

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Common Questions:

I have an idea for an invention, now what?

How do I get a Patent?

Are there any good books on inventing?

Other Frequently Asked Questions

                                          Good News!

There are two ways we can help you!

1.  If you are looking for legitimate agents to help you find a licensee for your great invention we can help!  We have extensive contacts with legitimate agents who can give genuine help (and steer you clear of the scam artists who are so prevalent in this industry!).  Please contact us If you would like a referral.*  

 2.  So many of the people who write to us are looking for someone they can trust to help them with their inventions that we have decided to offer our services as licensing agents on an extremely limited basis.  We will offer a preliminary product evaluation for visitors to Ask the Inventors! without charge.  This evaluation is simply to see if it is something that we feel we can help you to get licensed.  It is not a thorough product evaluation. 

We have contacts with manufacturers in many industries.  If it is an invention that we feel confident that we, personally, can help you to get licensed, we can work as your licensing agents for reasonable rates (No upfront fee, 35% of the royalty (each year of the license agreement).  If it is something that we do not feel that we can help you with, we will be happy to refer you to other legitimate licensing agents who may be able to help you.  (See above)  If we refer you to another legitimate agent then your agreement is with them, not us, and the 35% of the royalty does not apply.  The portion of the royalty they charge as a licensing fee would be between you and them. 

We happily provide you with a signed non-disclosure agreement if you wish to submit your idea for consideration.  You will find it below.   Please copy it into Word then print it out.  All you need to do is fill it out, sign it and file it with your records to prove that you disclosed your idea to us.  It is for your records.  We do not need a copy.  We will not divulge your idea to anyone else.  Then snail-mail (e-mail is not a secure way to send your idea) the description of your invention along with a description of any protection you have obtained (e.g. patents numbers, trademarks, copyrights, etc.) as well as any prototypes and the results of your market and patent searches.  It is not necessary to have obtained protection before submitting your idea to us but it essential that you have done a thorough market and product search. 

A thorough market and patent search is time-consuming but essential.  DO NOT send us ideas for products that have not been thoroughly researched.  In our opinion, it takes a minimum of 3 to 5 days to do a thorough patent and market search. 

Send the results of your market and patent search to us at the time you submit your idea.  Include the products currently on the market that are closest to your idea as well as the patent numbers of inventions that are closest to your idea. 

When we receive all that information we will assess whether we feel we can help you to get a license or not.  We are much too busy to do market or patent searches on items submitted to us. 

In order to make sure that your idea is unique, it takes a little 'detective work'.  First, visit all of the stores that might carry merchandise similar to your idea.  For example, if your idea is a new kitchen gadget, go to kitchen specialty stores, department stores, discount stores, etc. and check to make sure that you do not see your idea.  Then, check catalogs that carry similar merchandise.  You can probably do most of the catalog research online as almost all catalog outlets are online now.  If after looking in all of these places you still have not found your idea, it is time to do a patent search.  You can do this online, too.  The reason that you need to do a patent search even if you have not found your idea 'out there' is because over 97% of the patents that are issued to independent inventors never make it to the marketplace.  But, if they are patented, and the patent is still active, then it is an infringement to create that product.  If you need help in doing a good preliminary patent search ask for our free e-book, Super Easy Guide to Online Patent Searching through the "Contact Us" page of this website.

Mail your information and a prototype, if you possibly can, to:

Ask the Inventors!

P. O. Box 251248

Plano, TX 75025. 

Include a statement about why you feel your product is needed and how it is superior to similar products already on the market.

Please do not send anything that must be returned!  Make copies before sending to us.

We will contact you with the determination of whether or not we can help you within 30 days of the receipt of your idea.  

We look forward to hearing from you.   It’s time to get your great idea on the market

Follow your dream!

* If we put you in touch with an agent who licenses your product to a manufacturer we may receive a small share of the agent's portion of the royalty as a referral fee.  This does not come from the inventor's portion of the royalty.

Confidential Disclosure Agreement 


This Agreement is between

 Barbara Russell Pitts and Mary Russell Sarao, 

hereinafter called “Recipient”, and

 ____________________________________________, 

hereinafter called “Owner”. 



WHEREAS Owner possesses certain confidential information concerning: 


_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________; 

WHEREAS Recipient is desirous of obtaining said confidential information for purposes of evaluation thereof and as a basis for further discussions with Owner regarding assistance with development of the confidential information for the benefit of Owner or for the mutual benefit of Owner and Recipient; 

THEREFORE, Recipient hereby agrees to receive the information in confidence and to treat it as confidential for all purposes. Recipient will not divulge or use in any manner any of said confidential information unless by written consent from Owner, and Recipient will use at least the same efforts it regularly employs for its own confidential information to avoid disclosure to others. 

Provided, however, that this obligation to treat information confidentially will not apply to any information already in Recipient’s possession or to any information that is generally available to the public or becomes generally available through no act or influence of Recipient. Recipient will inform Owner of the public nature or Recipient’s possession of the information without delay after Owner’s disclosure thereof or will be stopped from asserting such as defense to remedy under this agreement. 

Recipient will exercise its best efforts to conduct its evaluation within a reasonable time after Owner’s disclosure and will provide Owner with its assessment thereof without delay. Recipient will return all information, including all copies thereof, to Owner upon request. This agreement shall remain in effect for ten years after the date of its execution, and it shall be construed under the laws of the State of Texas. 


 _________________  Mary Russell Sarao    BarbaraRussell Pitts

Date                       Mary Russell Sarao       Barbara Russell Pitts
                              Ask the Inventors!       Ask the Inventors!



 

___________________ _________________________________ 

(Date)                          (Owner)

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