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U.S.Patent

#19026

U.S.Patent | 1 March, 2002

When I do a patent search, I find that most of the patents related to our business come out of Japan. I wonder, if in this country, government and business do enough to encourage employees and reward their ideas. For entrepreneurs a patent is quite expensive and nothing worth, if you can�t sell your idea. I do not believe in TV commercials and how easy it is to get a patent or free money from the government. Are there any organizations, funding patents but not greedy?

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#19041

U.S.Patent | 4 March, 2002

First, filing a patent is not expensive [http://www.uspto.gov/go/fees/index.html ]. The cost of developing a product worthy of being patented, now THAT�S expensive!!! Finding �free money� is a very difficult proposition for people with GREAT product ideas. And it becomes progressively more difficult as the perceived import of the product and size of the market decrease. We raised money a couple years ago during the �dot.com boom�. It was ridiculous. Investors expected us to promise 200% gains, go public in 6 months, and not need �bricks and mortar�.

Patent laws and their enforcement seem totally out of touch.

TV commercials and other get rich quick promotions are just that => �get rich quick promotions�. Unfortunately, they are not aimed at getting YOU rich quick, which is your assumption, they are aimed at getting the promoter rich quick. These are aimed at people that are too lazy and stupid to do their own work. And those are the people that will always be making flimflam men rich.

There is a cycle of funding for new products. Each succeeding level of the cycle involves greater amounts of money, less control by the owner, and more people with increasing divergent interests from the idea person. * Friends & relatives * Credit cards * Small Business Administration [Micro Loans - Personal Unsecured Loans] * State & local business development * Private [angel] investors * Seed level venture funding * Mezzanine venture funding

In most larger cities, there is a whole network that helps guide people though the cycles. Usually the toughest part is getting into the network. For leads try: * Small Business Administration, Georgia District Office, 233 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 1900, Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 331-0100, Acting District Director, Mitchell Morand * Georgia Business Information Center, U.S. Small Business Administration, Atlanta District Office, 233 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 1900, Atlanta GA 30303, (404) 331-0100 Ext. 704, Catherine Williams, Catherine.Williams@sba.gov

* Tom Robertson, Dean, Goizueta Business School at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

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#19049

U.S.Patent | 4 March, 2002

Dave:

We can added the local of Service Corp Of Retired Executives (SCORE) to the list. I was surprised at the array of assistance that is available. You can find the local chapter in the phonebook or as the SBA for a referral

Stu

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