- The Wall Street Invention Brokerage, which claimed "10 years proven performances," offered to develop and help sell ideas and inventions, patented or unpatented. "Our national manufacturer clients are urgently seeking new items for outright cash sale or royalties."
- Pioneer Invention Service, located on Broadway in New York City, offered inventors "free expert analysis" and, whoa, a "free invention certificate," whatever that means. Everything was "strictly confidential."
- Voron Electronics, located on East Mermaid Lane in Philadelphia, was seeking electronic or electrical inventions. The George Voron Company was, among other things, involved with "piped-in music," according to this article on Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.
- Gilbert Adams, Invention Broker, of New York City urged inventors to "sell your invention for cash or royalties! Our client manufacturers eagerly seek new items. ... Financial assistance if needed. 25 years proven performances."
The Federal Trade Commission (which has been targeted this year by the Trump administration) has worked over the decades to protect inventors from those who might use deceptive or unfair practices to acquire their work and ideas. A 1980 synopsis of FTC decisions over the years states, "It is an unfair or deceptive act or practice for a seller of idea or invention promotion or development services to misrepresent, directly or indirectly, that potential purchasers will be provided with evaluations or appraisals of the patentability, merit or marketability of ideas or inventions."
In 1997, the FTC set up Project Mousetrap, which was aimed at identifying, prosecuting and fining firms that engaged in fraudulent or deceptive practices aimed at inventors. In a news release,
"It is a fact that less than one percent of all new product concepts succeed in the marketplace," Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, stated that year. "Yet the fraudulent firms in this industry conclude, after a 'professional' evaluation, that virtually every new idea or product crossing their desks is patentable and has 'tremendous market potential.' They promise enthusiastic inventors that they can provide professional assistance in getting a patent and securing licensing and manufacturing agreements with manufacturers. Time after time, however, these firms lie to consumers about the sincerity of their belief in an idea and its marketability. Mark Twain once said that the name of the greatest inventor is accident. But it is no accident that these firms profit while the dreams of their customers die. That is their plan, and up to now, they have been very successful in perpetrating that plan. Virtually no consumers have even made back their investment, let alone any profit, from these companies' services."
We should be very thankful for the FTC.
Footnotes
1. See, for example:
- Classified ads from 1974 issue of The Monster Times
- "Fate" classifieds, August 1975
- 30 classified ads from the June 1971 issue of "Fate" magazine
- Some 1965 Amazing Stories ads were too amazing to be true
2. The rest of the Electronics Market Place classifieds include For Sale, Plans and Kits, High Fidelity, Shortwave Listening, Wanted, Tubes, Tape and Recorders, Repair and Services, Instruction, Personals, Government Surplus, Books, Authors' Services, Music, Musical Instruments, Rubber Stamps, Magnets, Photography — Film, Equipment, Services, Records, Hypnotism, Plastics, Educational Opportunities, Printing, Remailing Service, Business Opportunities, Real Estate, Stamps, Taxidermy, and Miscellaneous. Yes, taxidermy.
No comments:
Post a Comment