Leeds Inventors Group

Sheffield Inventors Group 6/2/2012

2012-01-31T13:54:00.003Z

Sheffield Inventors Group

Monday 6th February 2012 6 - 7.45pm

Talk by Kalim Yasseen of UK IPO on Filing a GB patent application - process and procedures

Free admission

Contact details;
Reference and Information Library
Central Library
Surrey Street
Sheffield
S1 1XZ
Tel: 0114 2734736
Email: information.library@sheffield.gov.uk

Leap into Action business support event 29/2/12

2012-01-19T11:58:00.000Z

Leeds Inventors Group 15/02/2012

2012-01-14T16:52:00.000Z

Leeds Inventors Group Meeting

A great opportunity to mix with other inventors and get advice from people involved in the business of protecting and exploiting new ideas and products. An invited speaker attends each monthly meeting. Open to all. Free admission.

Next meeting: 15th February 2012 6pm-7.45pm

Where: 3rd floor Meeting Room, Leeds Central library

Speaker: tba

Central Library

Calverley Street
Leeds
LS1 3AB
Ring (0113) 2478266 to book your place
For further information tel 0113 2478266 or email piu@leeds.gov.uk

The Enterprise Club 6th Feb 2012, Leeds Central library 6pm

2012-01-09T15:07:00.000Z

The Enterprise club provides an opportunity to network and access information, support and advice on starting and running a business from set-up onwards.
Workshops will start on Monday 23rd January and
run fortnightly from 6pm – 7.45pm.
The following topics are covered:

23rd Jan Is starting a business right for you?
6th Feb HMRC-Tax and NI
20th Feb Financing your business
5th March Marketing your business
19th March Researching your business

The workshops are opento anyone

thinking about setting uptheir own business or becomingself employed.

To find out more andbook into the workshops contact:

Business and Patent Information Services

Tel: 0113 247 8266

Email: piu@leeds.gov.uk

Web:www.businessandpatents.org

The Enterprise Club runs at:

Leeds Central Library

3^rdFloor Meeting Room

Calverley Street

LS1 3AB

Leap into Action 29th Feb 2012 Enterprise event

2012-01-03T13:35:00.002Z

To read the full seminar programme and to book your free place please visit http://leapintoaction2012.eventbrite.co.uk

Council urges business to leap into action in 2012

Leeds City Council is asking owners/managers of new start up and micro businesses to ‘save the date’ for an important enterprise event to be held on a date which only comes around once every four years – 29th February.

The ‘Leap into Action’ event is free and will provide an opportunity for businesses to see first hand what business support is available from Leeds City Council and a number of other organisations in the city. It is hoped the event will inspire and inform businesses and new start ups to help them develop and grow their businesses in 2012.

In addition the event is being held as a reminder of the huge variety and scope of information and help available from the Business and Patent Information Service of the council based in Leeds Central Library.

The day will include an exhibition area as well as a number of seminars aimed at anyone thinking about starting up or who has already taken the plunge and wants guidance on areas such as sourcing finance, business support, finding office space, tax and national insurance, how to network, protecting new products and developing brands as well as the hot topic of social media and making the best of it for business.

Simon Brereton, enterprise support team manager for Leeds City Council said:
“At a time when there is a great deal of uncertainty about what business support is available we felt it was important to highlight the large amount of useful information, a lot of which is free, currently available from the council and local organisations.

“For example it’s little known that Leeds has one of the few full-time patent libraries in the UK. An effective patent or trademark search can be a vital first step when developing a new product and can ultimately save you time and money. The event in February will also give business owners a chance to expand their knowledge of business issues and talk to some of the providers.”

The event takes place on Wednesday 29th February 2012 at the Leeds Central Library from 11am to 6.00pm.

The council have also produced an electronic guide which outlines what support is available and how to get in touch with the relevant department or organisation. The guide is available by emailing katie.dunlevey@enterpriseleeds.co.uk or calling 0113 220 6350. It can also be downloaded from www.enterpriseleeds.co.uk
The event is supported by Europe Direct.

Intellectual Property Clinics 2012

2012-01-03T09:47:00.000Z

Attending an IP clinic offers the opportunity of a FREE confidential one-to-one consultation with a registered patent agent to discuss your ideas, products or brands.

The Leeds clinic takes place once a month on a Monday evening in the Central Library and appointments must be booked in advance (0113 2478266). The clinics are free but we do ask for a £20 deposit when you book an appointment - this is returned to you when you arrive at the clinic. Dates of forthcoming clinics are given below.

next clinics 2012
13th Feb
12th March
16th April
21st May
18th June
16th July
13th August
10th Sept
15th Oct
12th Nov
10th Dec
All attending patent attorneys are members of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys

For more information please see our website events page http://www.businessandpatents.org/ or to book a place tel: 0113 2478266

Happy & innovative Christmas

2011-12-12T10:04:00.001Z

Just to confirm - there will be no December meeting of the group. We will resume on Wednesday January 18th - details of this meeting will be sent out in the New Year.

Hope you all have a happy & innovative Christmas.

Best Wishes

Leeds Inventors Group

Cost Effective Product Development. Alex Smith, Trig Creative. Leeds inventors group 16 – 11 – 11

2011-12-07T14:39:00.001Z

After graduating with a degree in industrial design, Alexworked for a product design consultancy before taking a masters degree indesign practice and starting his own company Trig Creative. He also lectures atHuddersfield and Leeds Met universities.

He has worked with limited companies, plcs and individuals(he estimates that around 25% of Trig’s work is for individuals and inventors).Trig can get involved in many aspects of product development – in some casesbeing involved from a very early stage right up to manufacture. In one instanceAlex described how they had developed a product for tagging sheep. In order tounderstand the problem which the product was intended to overcome they went andhad a go at tagging sheep. Innovation doesn’t have to be ground-breaking – justgood ideas solving problems.

The first step in any project is a feasibility study, whichinvolves research, competitor analysis and a patent search. This will give aclearer picture of how things are looking and around 50% of ideas can berejected at this stage. The concept stage involves innovating in order tocreate a saleable product. Alex emphasised that an invention is not a product. It needs to bedeveloped and issues such as attractiveness and sustainability need to belooked at. Product visualisations are produced from CAD data – obviously it’shelpful to see what the product may look like before it actually exists.Sometimes they have produced animations to show how a product will work.

Alex then went through some case studies of products whichTrig have worked on. The award-winning table chocolate fountain which theydesigned for Giles & Posner included some innovated features which enableda smoother flow of chocolate and a much easier means of cleaning the product.These features were patented.

The market which a product is aimed at can have a biginfluence on how it is developed. Alex described how their work on an amplifierwhich was a low volume / high end product gave them more flexibility in whatthey could do with it. It was designed so that no tooling was needed (amass-market product is more likely to need tooling) and therefore costs in thatarea could be reduced. Generally the more complex the product, the moreexpensive the tooling and tooling costs can run into tens of thousands ofpounds.

Alex then discussed patenting and timing in relation toproduct design. Sometimes people come to Trig after having already obtained apatent and the problem with this is that Trig can only do what is in the patent– there is little flexibility for improving the design. He feels that it isbetter to go to the designer with the broad idea and discuss it under anon-disclosure agreement before filing the patent. The designers may then comeup with better ways of carrying out the invention which can be covered by asubsequent patent filing. He also stated his view that a patent is only as goodas the money you’re going to spend on it. If you don’t have the money to spendon enforcing a patent it’s probablynot worth spending thousands on obtaininga patent – even though an attorney can draft a very good patent.

A newly designed product needs testing – and retesting. It’simportant to know that it will work – and not just once. Once you have aworking prototype it’s easier to show to prospective manufacturers or buyers.Alex suggested setting up Facebook or Twitter pages to advertise the newproduct before it is available and ask for opinions. Feedback like this can beimportant in improving or tweaking the product before it goes to market.

Alex gave a breakdown of costs involved in Trig’s work ontwo different products – from the initial free consultation to the finaltooling. One was a magnifier for an Iphone® case; the other a knitting device. It was a good illustrationof likely costings at different stages.

Alex summed up his requirements for success:-

Have belief

Never stop researching. You can never do enough – whetherit’s market research or patent searching etc.

Actively look for funding

Think carefully before filing a patent early.

(If you can’t patent the product, all is not lost).

Test, evolve and develop the product.

Decide whether to sell, licence or manufacture the product

Make sure you devote enough time and resources to marketing& sales. The product will notsell itself.

“Looking for Funding” Tom Bathgate & Charles Lucas of “Going for Grants” Leeds Inventors Group 19th October 2011

2011-11-04T14:46:00.003Z

Tom and Charles, through their business “Going for Grants”help businesses and individuals locate and secure funding for their projects. Inthe current economic climate finding funding for a new product has become moredifficult but one of the main messages of this talk was that money is available– you just need to know where to look.

Tom and Charles compared the process to going fishing. Tobegin with you need to decide what fish you’re trying to catch. Eight out often people who come to them for assistance in getting grants don’t know howmuch they need, what they need it for, or when. You need to know which rod touse: you have to have a plan and know your figures – grant funding may be freebut it isn’t easy to get. Which ponds are you going to look in?: Most funderswant to know what you are willing todo. What effort will you put in? Why shouldthe person who has the money fund you? Where else can you gain funding? –family and friends? Would some of your customers be interested in providingfunding?

As far as grants are concerned, there are approximately10,000 grants available – anything from £1,000 to over £1 million. Many grantshave to be match-funded. Often the first qualification you need in order to geta grant is that you’ve been unable to get a loan from a bank (very often thisis because you’re a start-up business and you haven’t got to the point ofbringing in revenue).They will also want you to explain the economic benefit ofgiving you the money.

Many grants which were available are no longer there and thenew Local Enterprise Partnerships are in their infancy so it’s likely to besome time before it becomes clear how they’re going to operate things. Howeverthings are starting to happen and it’s a good idea to keep checking regularly asthe situation can change quickly.

GRAND – a Grant for Research & Development will beavailable through the Technology Strategy Board (which is likely to beresponsible for most R&D grants). In each case when you apply for thesegrants you get feedback, so if you fail you can see why and you can re-apply.It’s also likely that Innovation Vouchers will start up again.

No matter how much or how little money you’re hoping to get,you need evidence. What do you need the money for and how did you work out theamount that you need? It’s important to understand that you need the funding tofit in with what you need, not theother way around. In other words, it’s not a case of asking how much isavailable and then trying to find reasons for needing that amount. It needs tobe well planned, and it’s useful to ask the question – would you invest in you?

A potential investor – whether it be grant money or otherfunding – will want to know the details of what you’re doing and how committedyou are. They will want to know whether you have the necessary skills andexperience to do what you’re doing and also to deal with the amount of moneyyou’re asking for.

A clear business plan is vital – and it should inspire thereader rather than putting them to sleep! It has to be viable and includefinancial forecasts, realistic funding options and a clear strategy as to howyou’re going to get to where you’re going. Very often an investor will not beworried about initial losses as long as they can get their investment back overa reasonable period of time.

Funding can often be related to postcodes – so where yourbusiness is located can be important. It may be that you’ll need to be flexibleand think about where you couldoperate from.

LIG 21st Sept 11 Fablabs – Factories of the Future? Jane Keats

2011-11-02T14:21:00.000Z

Jane described how she first came across Fablabs – offeringdigital fabrication - when she was in the Netherlands. The first one appearedat MIT in the US around 2003 where computers, laser cutters and other equipmentwere set up to enable people to produce their own prototypes. They have nowdeveloped into a global network and there are 90 Fablabs worldwide, includingplaces such as Kenya and Afghanistan. The most recent one to open was inManchester last year and it is possible that one may be opening in Keighley.

Typically, the range of equipment can include laser cutters,wood routers, 3d printers, milling machines, basic hand tools, mouldingequipment, embroidery machines, welding equipment and some electronicequipment. The normal procedure is to book in for a free introduction to theequipment and there are some periods, particularly at the weekend, when it canbe used for free – this, of course, can be a good way to start and learn how touse the equipment effectively. Total lack of familiarity with some equipmentand software can mean a steep learning curve though tutorials are available.One aspect of this which should be borne in mind, however, is that when using itfor free you are expected to share what you learn. If you need to protect yourintellectual property then you would need to rent space. In this way you couldavoid the need to share.

Jane then looked in more detail at some of the equipmentfound in Fablabs and handed round some examples of smaller products which haverecently been produced. This included necklaces, clocks, lights and a saltshaker.

All the Fablabs are linked internationally which means thatif you have a problem which can’t be overcome in the Fablab where you’reworking, there may be someone in one of the others who might be able to assist.Material can also be distributed more effectively between labs which can makeit more effective than posting.

Discovering Yorkshire Website - Inventors & Inventions

2011-10-06T13:47:00.000+01:00

Discovering Yorkshire Website - Inventors & Inventions

The website contains a searchable database of historical Yorkshire patents available electronically for the first time. The patents have been indexed and are searchable by keywords, inventor, date and patent number. The front page of each patent has been scanned and can be read from the site. Where available a diagram to go with the patent has also been scanned. Over 2,000 patent are searchable through the site with more being added all the time.
Three learning trails are also provided aimed at students in keystage 3. Discover more about the inventions which came from this area and the people behind them. From the mousetrap to the Hansom cab to the inventions which influenced transport development. Learn about the man who made tram travel between Leeds and Bradford possible, the entrepreneur who enabled the first manned flight 50 years before the Wright Brothers, and the pioneering cinematographer who disappeared and was never found. In addition to our own resources Bradford Industrial Museum and Wakefield Libraries have also given us access to resources in their collections. Teachers materials are also available with the site.

The site is available at http://www.discoveringyorkshire.org/

Sheffield Inventors Group 3rd Oct 2011 and patent Clinics

2011-08-26T06:10:00.000+01:00

Sheffield Inventors Group

Monday 3rd Oct 6.00 - 7.45pm

Speaker Jane Keats - Fab Labs, factory of the future?

Patent Clinics

Thursday October 20th

Tuesday November 22nd

Tuesday December 13th

Reference and Information Library
Central Library
Surrey Street
Sheffield
S1 1XZ
Tel: 0114 2734736
email: information.library@sheffield.gov.uk
www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries

Manchester Inventors 4th OCTOBER 2011

2011-08-23T14:06:00.000+01:00

6pm - 7:45pm Tuesday 4th OCTOBER 2011
City Library, Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WD (see map)
Guest speaker - Claire MitchellClaire Mitchell is the Inventor of the multi-award winning Chillipeeps teats, a teat that attaches directly to cartons and water bottles, a fabulous convenience for when you are out and about with a hungry baby. Claire will share the highs and lows, the tears and laughter of the incredible journey from her 'Eureka' moment to selling to consumers & retailers in the UK and abroad.

www.manchesterinventors.com

Free Patent/IP Clinic - 15 September 2011 - Hull

2011-08-23T13:17:00.002+01:00

University of Hull Enterprise Centre, Cottingham Road, Hull

Patent/Intellectual Property Advice
Free confidential, no obligation advice provided by Chartered Patent Attorney Dr Daniel Bates, Ogive IP, on all aspects of Intellectual Property.

Free Patent and Trade Mark Search
Discover the value of IP information provided by free online IP database searches and advice from Leeds Business and Patent Information Service.

There are only a limited number of free one-to-one sessions. To book an appointment contact:
The Enterprise Centre
Tel: 01482 464900

Please note that due to the popularity of the Patent Clinics:
• Preference will be given to companies in the Humber and North Yorkshire Region
• Any company or organisation is only permitted to attend once
• Individuals may attend, however priority is given to businesses and potential start-ups
• Bookings by telephone only please

W: www.hull.ac.uk/enterprise

Can you help an inventor licensing an invention?

2011-08-02T13:50:00.001+01:00

We have been approached by an inventor who is looking to find someone with experience of licensing their invention to a multinational company - if any of you would like to offer advice please contact us on piu@leeds.gov.uk in the first instance and we will pass on your contact details to the inventor:

" I want to contact inventors who have licensed their own product to foreign multinationals, this type of person will know the questions to ask and those not to ask. Also whether they sold their patents to their licensee or renewed the patents themselves, did their licensee pay on time, were they allowed to inspect the accounts etc? "

Thanks

“Patent Ownership” Dr Roger Lowe Leeds Inventors Group 21-7-11

2011-07-22T15:09:00.000+01:00

Roger’s company – IP4All– is an intellectual property consultancy aimed at individuals and SMEs. One ofhis aims is to raise awareness of IP particularly within small companies andhelp them realise what IP they may have. IP, of course, can add significantvalue to a company – it is property and it’s important to understand how it cangenerate income. It can be licensed or assigned to others or the original ownercan keep it as an exclusive right.

Knowing who owns that property is just as important, andthis can be affected by such things as contracts of employment and who wasinvolved in the inventive process. Ownership of a patent is a negative right inthat it doesn’t give you the right to produce the patented product – it may bethat someone else may have a prior claim to that. What it does give you theright to do is to take legal action against someone infringing your patent.

When a patent is granted to two or more people each is regardedas having an equal share unless there is a contract stating otherwise. Forexample, any licence or assignment must be done with the agreement of allpartners. Obviously such a situation can be complex and it is wise to agree inwriting at an early stage the terms of the agreement and who has responsibilityfor what.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both individualand shared ownership and a number options in relation to this. For example, anindividual might set up a trading company and use this to ring-fence the IPfrom trading risks. If an inventor is attempting to licence their invention toa larger company the larger company is likely to feel happier if they’redealing with another company rather than an individual.

Roger suggested that it’s far better to try to consider allthe issues before filing a patent. First of all – is it worth applying for apatent? Will the market be there long enough to justify doing so? Havingestablished that it is worthwhile to do so, think about a policy for exploitingthe invention and its IP, a policy for enforcing your rights and also considerthe best business structure to protect and exploit your intellectual property.

ip4all 3-5 Wormalds Yard off King Street, Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD1 2QR | Tel: 07800-545089 | info@ip4all.co.uk

Visit to Zenith Plastic Developments Ltd Leeds Inventors Group 15th June 2011

2011-07-02T10:48:00.000+01:00

In a variation to our usual routine the group visited local company Zenith, who are involved in product design, prototyping, toolmaking and injection moulding. Owner Kevin McLeod gave a very informative tour and practical explanation of the equipment and processes involved. Kevin himself is a toolmaker by trade but has been involved in plastic moulding now for over 20 years.

He described how different materials and their differing properties affect how they are dealt with. The temperature used to heat the materials has to be exactly right otherwise the product will not form properly. For example the moisture in plastics can cause problems when heated. Many of the machines used are now mechanised which gives much more flexibility and once the settings for a particular job are input they can often be left to run on their own.

When Kevin first started working in this area the machinery took some time to warm up and perform effectively whereas now the correct heat can be achieved quite quickly and a constant steady temperature can be maintained.

Unlike steel, a variety of different textures can be achieved on plastics and of course a variety of different colours. We looked at the pellets of coloured dyes which can be added during the moulding process – a certain number of grams of colour to a specific amount of plastic has to be measured out exactly to get the right hue. And adding colour can add cost: black is the cheapest colour, while red is the most expensive. One container held pellets of recycled coat hangers which are used to produce drums for welding wire and frequently shipped abroad. Bits of plastic which Zenith don’t use in the finished products are usually recycled.

As well as the high temperatures involved in the processes a lot of force is also needed in order to shape plastic. For these reasons safety is paramount and various guards and checks are built into the equipment itself and also how they are used. Misuse of the machinery could cause very serious injury. Such safeguards are not always to be found in other countries which is one reason why costs for foreign manufacturing can be lower. Even so, in spite of such costs often drawing business abroad, Kevin pointed out that manufacturing abroad does not suit all customers or all products – it is not always the case that sending a job abroad will make it cheaper. A job requiring a lot of assembly work, for example, would probably be cheaper if manufactured in China. If assembly work is not a big part of it then the cost may not be any lower than if done here. Many customers also find it easier to deal with a more local company and particularly if problems arise it can be inconvenient and expensive for the customer to have to travel abroad in order to deal with that problem. An interesting point was that some products which are manufactured abroad can actually be stamped “Made in England” if assembled here.

We looked at different cutting tools capable of creating very precise holes and shapes down to very specific measurements. Getting the settings right on such equipment is obviously critical. Zenith can be involved in the full process from designing to finished product and Kevin showed the group some of the CAD design programs used and the various products they have taken through the process.

Kevin emphasised how important it is for a customer to be aware of what they are getting when they get work or quotes from a prototyping or moulding company. What type of mould is it? Is it made to European standards? If you are paying for a whole mould, is that what you have got or is it just half a mould? Have you insured the mould? Obviously a mould which is damaged or destroyed can cause significant problems and that is why Zenith have an insurance policy which can be applied to work carried out by them. It’s always a good idea to shop around. He handed round a checklist of points to clarify with any prospective moulding / tooling / prototyping company.

Many thanks to Kevin from the Leeds inventors group

Zenith Plastic Developments Ltd,3 lister hill,Horsforth,LS18 5AZ tel:0113 2590380 http://www.zenithplastics.co.uk/

Checklist

Patent/IP Clinic at the University of Hull Enterprise Centre, Tuesday 5th July

2011-07-02T10:47:00.000+01:00

“Accelerating Innovation through Open Innovation” – Dr Sam Hoste “This Little Piggy” Leeds Inventors Group 18th May 2011

2011-06-20T10:28:00.000+01:00

“This Little Piggy” is a new company set up by Dr Sam Hoste and Dr Eileen McMorrow and launched at Venturefest in February. The company is based at York University and Sam gave this talk to the group to explain the idea of “open innovation”.

http://thislittlepiggyinnovations.co.uk/

Open innovation is a situation where organisations take ideas from both outside and within the company. They buy or licence processes and inventions from other companies while sharing or licencing any of their own unused patents etc with others. This obviously requires a good deal of cooperation.

Sam looked at different innovation types – from products to services, processes to aesthetic innovation. In SMEs he concluded that innovation is a broad area and is as much about people and how they develop during interaction with others. It is a habit which needs to be developed and focussed. It is important for any organisation to see beyond the potential barriers of individual departments and specific functions and even beyond the organisation itself to see what knowledge and experience can be brought together and used. Exchanges of ideas and people between different sectors – such as academia and the commercial sector – is equally important. As this way of working develops the potential may be there for SMEs to work with larger companies and individuals to work with SMEs.

Innovation challenges

http://thislittlepiggyinnovations.co.uk/innovation-challenges/2011/05/

Part of this, of course, is information gained from customers. Companies can gain this information through interaction with customers, focus groups, surveys and interviews.

In many cases open innovation is a new way of working which in itself brings challenges. “This Little Piggy” offers training, workshops and consultancy to help companies deal with the challenges and develop new strategies and partnerships.

Dr Sam Hoste email: sh@tlpi.co.uk

Dr Eileen McMorrow email: emcm@tlpi.co.uk

Suite 124, The Ron Cooke Hub,
University of York, Heslington, York
YO10 5GE

Phone : 0845 305 5595

Our Twitter name is @piggy2market :

Sheffield and Manchester Inventors Groups 6th & 7th June 2011

2011-06-04T13:26:00.000+01:00

Sheffield Inventors Group will be on Monday June 6th 2011 6:00pm when Dr Kin Kam of Inclusive Innovations in York will be speaking about "The Road to Market - lessons about IP and product development". Kin has lots of experience of inventing and will also be happy to talk about his Dragon's Den experience.Tel: 0114 2734736

http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/find/all/referenceinformation/inventorsgroup

Manchester Inventors Group
6pm - 7:45pm Tuesday 7th JUNE 2011
City Library, Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WD (see map)
Guest speaker - Terry Singleton
"Terry Singleton, one of our Manchester Inventors Group committee members, talks about his invention to alleviate back pain. A “pain free” route to market? Terry describes his experiences in health care invention over the past 25 years."
http://www.manchesterinventors.com/home

David Wilks Leeds Inventors Group 20th April 2011

2011-05-10T13:36:00.001+01:00

David began his talk with an interesting quote:- “It was Inventors who dragged humanity from the caves and only inventors can prevent our return.” David is managing director of Varyflush Ltd which makes water saving devices. He demonstrated two of them – Interflush and Saver-Siphon, both of which are patented and the names protected by trade marks.

The background to this, of course, is global warming and water shortages which are set to become critical in the coming years. However, as David pointed out, these crises are still in the future and many people spend little time thinking about them. Saving money, on the other hand, is something that everyone is focussed on. Interflush and Saver-Siphon do that.

Households account for 52% of all water use and toilet flushing accounts for most of this. Much of this use for flushing is unnecessary. The Varyflush systems reduce this waste, saving water and significant amounts of money. You only flush the water you need rather than the full cistern. He listed several organisations and councils which have saved large amounts by installing the system.

David feels that the main obstacle to people changing to a more efficient system is simply that they have “always done it this way”. The fact that companies jump on the “green” bandwagon for commercial purposes and customers then become jaded with the subject also doesn’t help. He also feels that replacing leaking valves is an industry in itself which means less incentive for a more efficient system. He questioned whether selling water is more important than saving it.

Another difficulty which he has found in promoting his inventions are the usual toilet jokes. This he came across particularly during his appearances on ‘Dragons Den’ (though after his second visit he was offered a deal which he turned down). He sees it as part of the experience which many inventors go through: ridicule – attack – acceptance.

David manufactures his products himself. It was because he couldn’t afford the tooling to begin with that he developed the retrofit kit first. Many inventions fail at the tooling stage because of the cost. It’s now 16 years since he first had the idea and it’s just starting to make money.

He decided against licensing the products. He explained that one difficulty with licensing is that the licensees may not have the same drive to make the product a success as the inventor. In a difficult market would they promote the product with the same enthusiasm?

Interestingly David described how patent searches carried out by Business & Patent Information Services in the early stages of his product development were critical in enabling him to overcome a number of difficulties when determining the patentability of his products.

World Intellectual Property Day Event, Leeds 26/4/11

2011-04-23T12:56:00.000+01:00

Inventors online survey

2011-04-19T15:35:00.000+01:00

Researchers at the Caparo Innovation Centre, University of Wolverhampton, are interested in developing guidelines that help independent inventors, like you, achieve commercial success with their inventions.

We are particularly interested in your views on licensing. Licensing involves an inventor providing a business with permission to use the intellectual property connected with their invention in return for a royalty on sales.

We have developed an online survey, which is open to all UK based independent inventors. You do not need to have successfully licensed the rights to your invention in order to take part.

Details of the survey:

1. The survey will take between 10 - 15 minutes to complete.

2. The survey will ask questions about you, your current, or most recent, invention and your perception of licensing.

3. No risks or discomforts are anticipated from taking part in this study. If you feel uncomfortable with a question, you can withdraw from the study altogether. If you decide to quit at any time before you have finished the questionnaire, your answers will NOT be recorded

4. Your responses will be kept completely confidential. We will NOT know your IP address when you respond to the Internet survey. You do have the option of adding your name and contact details at the end of the survey, but only if you wish to take part in further research

5. Your participation is voluntary; you are free to withdraw your participation from this study at any time. If you do not want to continue, you can simply leave the website.

6. The results of the study will be used for scholarly purposes only. The results from the study will be presented in educational settings and at professional conferences, and the results might be published in a professional journal in the field of new product introduction.

7. A summary of the results will be available to respondents that request a copy.

8. By beginning the survey, you acknowledge that you have read this information and agree to participate in this research, with the knowledge that you are free to withdraw your participation at any time without penalty.

To access the online survey, please click here or paste the following address into your Internet search engine: http://survey.wlv.ac.uk/survey.asp?s=01244120105121089009

Gavin Smeilus

Caparo Innovation Centre

Department of Engineering

University of Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton Science Park

Wolverhampton

WV10 9RU

Tel: 01902 321765

Email: G.E.Smeilus@wlv.ac.uk

Leeds Inventors Group meeting 20/4/2011 David Wilks,award-winning inventor & successful businessman,shares his views

2011-04-09T13:41:00.001+01:00

Posted via email from baplig's posterous

Sharon Wright Leeds Inventors Group 16th March 2011

2011-04-06T14:49:00.000+01:00

Sharon Wright is one of the most successful competitors to ever appear on the BBC programme “Dragons Den” and her talk at the inventors group meeting created a lot of interest.

She described how she came up with the product “Magnamole” – a device for threading cables through cavity walls – which she eventually took to the dragons. What many people don’t realise is that Sharon had already achieved significant success with the product before approaching the dragons. In spite of working 9 – 5 as a sales rep and being a single mum she had set up her own company Talpa Products and by working through her nights had achieved large sales and won the award of “British Inventor of the Year” (followed up by a number of international awards). However she was hoping that with assistance from the dragons this could be taken to another level.

As with everything Sharon has done she was thoroughly prepared for the “Dragons Den” pitch and this was one of the things which impressed them so much. As she pointed out this is very important in so many areas, particularly in business – try to foresee what will come up, and try to know the people who you will be dealing with. She described her pitch in front of the cameras, which lasted for around 90 minutes. Much of this, of course, is not seen in the final cut.

The response to the programme from the viewing public was enormous with offers of congratulations and sometimes offers of business. However things didn’t work out as Sharon had hoped. The money, infrastructure and support which she had expected didn’t materialise and while she was waiting for this assistance cash-flow problems developed. She also discovered that assistance from one of the Dragons would actually be chargeable and any investment – which she was still waiting for – would be a loan.

Things began to unravel and Sharon described how her business difficulties exacerbated her life-long battle with bulimia and she hit rock bottom. Feeling unable to cope she decided that writing a book of her experiences might be therapeutic. Unable to find a publisher willing to take the book on because of the controversy with the dragons she published it herself. “Mother of Invention: How I Won Dragons Den, Lost My Mind, Nearly Lost My Business and Ended up Reinventing Myself” is a powerful insight into what it takes to run a business and develop new products and how one person coped with all the difficulties thrown at her by sheer determination.

Sharon is now back on her feet and has new investment in her business. “Magnamole” is selling extremely well and her legal action against dragon James Caan is ongoing. As Sharon said dedication and self-belief is vital to anyone wanting to develop a new business or a new product and, as her example shows, a tremendous amount of hard work is a basic requirement.

From Dragons Den to Leeds Library | Leeds Daily Photo - Leeds in Yorkshire Photography

Patent Clinic - University of Hull 12th April

2011-04-06T12:06:00.000+01:00

FREE FactSheets available for inventors

2011-04-04T16:12:00.002+01:00

Available now FREE factsheets from the Complete Business Reference Adviser:

An Introduction to Obtaining a Licence to Develop a Third Party's Product

Commercialising an Invention - A Guide to

Intellectual Property Rights - An Introduction to

Licensing Your Product to Third Parties - An Introduction to

Musical Copyright - A Guide to

Patent - How to Apply for a

Patent Attorney - Choosing and Using a

Registering and Protecting Your Product Designs - An Introduction to

Trade Mark - How to Register a

Using Confidentiality Agreements - An Introduction to

COBRA is a comprehensive, practical and continually updated information resource for anyone looking to start a business, write a business or marketing plan or conduct research into a new market.
We now have an online subscription to COBRA - the Complete Business Reference Adviser.
Access is available in all our libraries and from your home/work using your Leeds Library membership number.

It can be accessed:
Directly on any Leeds Learning Network computer (available at any Leeds public library) there is a link in the online resources section, no membership card number needed
From home:
By using the COBRA link on http://www.leeds.gov.uk/24hourlibrary Leeds Library membership number is required.

Free library membership - join online at http://www.leeds.gov.uk/ , join by phone on 0113 3952313 or join in person at any Leeds library (proof of id and address required).

Ipeology – Leeds Inventors Group – 16th February 2011

2011-04-04T10:15:00.000+01:00

Ipeology are a Manchester – based design company working in a creative environment in an old mill alongside other designers and artists. Director Damien Vesey explained how the company came together after he and some of the other designers worked at Salford University helping students particularly in the area of production, prototyping and packaging before consolidating the team when working for a company developing equipment and products for large sports companies.

As well as developing products for others they also work on their own products and have built up a significant number of contacts both here and abroad in manufacturing and retail. Damien explained the process which Ipeology uses to determine whether they can work with a customer who approaches them. This process involves questionnaires, confidentiality agreements, project assessment meetings and finally a contract. They can take a product from the idea stage through development, prototyping, testing and packaging. Very often they take what the customer has done already and may develop it further. As an example Damien described how they had worked with Kin Kam on his” iicap” and developed it into a clip which can work on any cap.

Damien and his team went on to describe some of the other products they have been involved with (and several of which they had brought along for the audience to study) including “Bugzy” a folding trolley with which to transport canoes. This was developed from the inventor’s original cardboard model which he had brought to Ipeology. Numerous other examples were passed around the group.

Different strategies often have to be used depending very much upon the product and the market. Prototyping can be expensive and anyone developing a product also needs to look at the intellectual property aspect – what can be protected, what costs are involved? This all needs to be built in to the project and a time-line constructed so that deadlines and costs can be monitored.

A discussion followed on how technology has changed in design. Damien described how they used to work from drawn designs, then 3-D modelling came along, rapid prototyping and how CAD software can now go straight to 3D printers. A process of actually “printing” structures such as concrete is now being talked about. Some of the software and equipment available can actually save the cost of tooling up, particularly for short production runs.

Altogether it was a very useful insight into the practical side of product development.

Ipeology Limited

M1 Studios
8 Lower Ormond Street
Manchester
Lancashire
M1 5QF
info@ipeology.com

World Intellectual Property Day - April 26

2011-03-29T15:15:00.000+01:00

Dr Kin Kam at the Leeds Inventors Group 19–1–11

2011-02-17T09:26:00.002Z

Kin, who runs his own company, Inclusive Innovations Ltd., began by talking about the general aims of most inventors and how they might protect their intellectual property rights – possibly by using a confidentiality agreement (NDA, CDA) or a patent, or both. Using a UK patent he filed on one of his own inventions – the iiCap – as a case study, he described in detail the process of putting together a patent application.

A patent consists of four sections: the abstract – a brief overview of the invention; the description – a full disclosure of the invention with examples; drawings – showing different variations where required; and the claims – the most important part of the patent which lists the inventive features of the product.

He showed his application and how he had written it. He had applied himself without using the services of a patent attorney. Once the official search had been carried out by the examiners at the UK Intellectual Property Office they sent their search report to Kin indicating the likelihood of his patent being granted. It did not look good. They had found several patents already in existence which implied that his invention was not new. The report also indicated that Kin’s description did not make clear the essential features of the invention, while there was a lack of consistency in the language used and some phrases like “a number” and “such as” were regarded as too vague. A patent is a legal documents and correct usage of language and structure is vital.

Kin felt that his chances of having the patent granted were rather small, but he took it to a patent attorney who felt that all was not lost. The attorney then responded to the examiner’s report on Kin’s behalf. He took each point which the examiner had made and argued in Kin’s favour. The patent was subsequently granted. Kin had also filed an international patent which had run into similar problems with the Chinese Patent Office. Their examiner initially indicated that the invention was not new – until the patent attorney responded in full and the patent was granted in China. He also had a UK trade mark registered to protect his logo.

So in Kin’s view, it is important not to be immediately put off if the initial search is negative, but to be realistic when viewing the prior art. It may be that your invention is not new. If things are looking good and you intend to patent internationally make sure that you select your territorial protection strategically. It may not be financially feasible to cover all the countries you would like. Where are your main markets?

As Kin’s experience showed, it is also vital to ensure that you get the right advice and guidance as he did when using his patent attorney.

Having gained his patents Kin then looked to ways of trying to raise funding for the product and publicise it. He appeared briefly on Dragons Den twice – the first time to promote the development of a reminder smart card to reduce the missed appointment rate, and the second time with the iiCap for Sports Relief. So far the only person to have appeared on Dragons' Den for two different products!

He realised that he needed a professional prototype and product and packaging design to get it to market. Very often it is through this that you learn of problems – perhaps difficulties with different materials, sizes etc. The iiClip, one of Kin’s subsequent inventions, is quite small and may look easy to produce, but in fact a lot of engineering was needed to bring it to fruition. In order to gain the necessary skills / facilities it is often a good idea to bring in business partners but he felt it was best to avoid joint intellectual property where possible.

He then described some of the other products which Inclusive Innovations is developing and concluded with two famous products which exemplify how long the process of developing a new product can take: It took Thomas Eddison two years and two thousand prototypes to develop his light bulb filament. Charles Goodyear stumbled on a method of vulcanising rubber nine years after starting work on the problem.

*update* july 2011 Production stock of iiclip has finally been completed, with a launch date in mid July 2011.available at www.iiclip.co.uk

Kin introduced some new friends

16th February, Ipeology at the Leeds Inventors Group

2011-02-14T11:19:00.000Z

Venturefest Yorkshire 16/2/11 York

2011-02-03T14:30:00.001Z

Staff from Business and Patents will be exhibiting at Venturefest Yorkshire.Venturefest Yorkshire is a 1 day expo which brings together the region's finest science, technology and knowledge entrepreneurs, the professional services who support them and world-class business speakers.

Date: 16th February

Time: 8.00am - 5.30pm

Location: York Racecourse - York

To find out more at:

Venturefest Yorkshire 2011 Expo of inspiring science, technology and knowledge entrepreneurs http://www.venturefestyorkshire.net

Apply for Dragons' Den

2011-01-21T14:33:00.000Z

Entrepreneurs wanting to apply can do so by completing the application form and emailing it to dragonsden@bbc.co.uk - or by visiting our website: www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all from the Leeds Inventors Group

2010-12-22T16:56:00.000Z

Adam Robinson, Plus Minus Design Leeds Inventors Group 20th October 2010

2010-11-03T14:31:00.000Z

Adam explained the importance of good product design - pointing to the many products around us whose look and functionality has been determined by good design. Two thirds of UK businesses believe that design is integral to their future economic performance and the Design Council believes that every £100 spent on design increases turnover by £225. Design is a product package involving advertising, protection, brand development and publicity. Very often you are trying to create a lifestyle impression – convincing customers that they need the particular product in their lives.

Plus Minus Design, based in the centre of Leeds, has dealt with a great range of products – from physical products to app designs. Plus Minus Design are also heavily involved in eco development and are specialists in this area. Adam pointed out that there are big demands for this now particularly due to government regulations and consumer demand. Even a 5% improvement in this area can be quite significant and can lead to greater efficiency and lower costs.

As inventors know, very few things are totally new – coming up with an improvement or a variation is the challenge and design is the same – often changing something which is already there. Good design can add value to a product. Manufacturers prefer to see a tried and tested product rather than an idea so approaching them with a well-designed and tested product can make a big difference.

Adam then went through the various stages of developing a design. The Planning stage defines the boundaries of the project – the timescale, budget etc. At the Concept design stage different ideas are explored and put down on paper. The functional and aesthetic features begin to emerge. At the Development stage a small number of the initial ideas are refined and costed. Decisions have to be made in terms of which options best meet the clients needs and which should be dropped. Prototyping and testing is a vital stage. It can be expensive but many people don’t realise the value it represents. It indicates whether the product can actually work and it can show up potential manufacturing problems. Very often this can mean going back to the design and testing stage a number of times to iron out any problems. James Dyson made around 150 prototypes while developing his cyclone vacuum cleaner. The Design definition stage looks at materials, tolerances and components and results in a set of detailed drawings for manufacture.

He used Plus Minus Design’s “Solar Pebble”™ as an example. This product works by soaking up sunshine during the day and can then be used to provide up to 6 hours of light during darkness and also charge other products. Its purpose is to replace the kerosene lamps frequently used to provide light in Africa.

Adam’s view is that if you are going to protect a product (eg with a patent or registered design) it can be advantageous to do so at the end of the design process as the product may change significantly during this process. Plus Minus Design have several patents and they believe that patent protection needs to be international to be effective. However they also believe that sometimes a well-designed product can be just as effective in cornering the market as taking out a lot of protection on it as customers are likely to go for the best and most cost-effective product rather than the poorly designed one. Getting a product to market quickly is sometimes the best tactic. The “Solar Pebble”™ is not patented because they believe the low cost of the product and the branding will outweigh the advantages of patenting. Confidentiality agreements are obviously important.

Once a product is ready for production, there is usually the choice of self-manufacturing or licensing to someone else to produce. Manufacturing can potentially bring greater financial rewards but Plus Minus always go for licensing as manufacturing can involve significant amounts of responsibility, commitment and risk.

Looking after Number One: Panel Discussion A question and answer session about music copyright

2010-10-22T16:48:00.000+01:00

Looking after Number One: Panel Discussion from Manchester Libraries on Vimeo.
A question and answer session about music copyright with expert advice from John Robb, writer and Goldblade frontman. Joining John is Nigel Gardner, music specialist and director at Cobbetts plus Ged Doonan, patent librarian at Leeds City Libraries and Matt Wheelton from the band Zap Zap Zap.

This was a free event hosted by Manchester Libraries at City Library, Manchester on August 25 2010.

This is quite a long video because the panel offered so much useful information and advice for young bands and songwriters we didn't want to leave any out!

The 10th British Invention, Innovation & Technology Show 13-14-15-16 October 2010

2010-09-30T10:54:00.000+01:00

The British Invention Show takes place at Alexandra Palace in London

13^th- 16^th October 2010
More information at:
http://www.britishinventionshow.com

http://www.alexandrapalace.com/events/the-10th-british-invention-innovation-technology-show/

Protecting your ideas & inventions 15th Sept Leeds Central Library

2010-09-29T16:27:00.002+01:00

Leeds libraries hosted this event led by the UK Intellectual Property Office – an opportunity for anyone interested in protecting their ideas and inventions to listen to a series of speakers and then take part in one-to-one discussions with local attorneys.

Addressing around 50 delegates Dave Hopkins of the UKIPO gave an overview of intellectual property explaining why patents, trade marks, designs and copyright are important to business – both in terms of their value and also in avoiding infringement of the rights of others.

A recent survey by the UKIPO show that there has been an 11% increase in the number of patents granted in the Yorkshire region. 67% of Yorkshire businesses believe that innovation and product development is vital to their businesses while 38% feel that innovation is fundamental to business growth. Developing an awareness of intellectual property is therefore very important.

John-Paul Rooney of Appleyard Lees, patent and trade mark attorneys then explained the role of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and why it can be important to talk to a patent attorney at an early stage of developing a new product or service.

Ged Doonan of Business & Patent Information Services (part of the Europe-wide PatLib network), based in Leeds Central Library gave a brief history of intellectual property in Leeds followed by an overview of current services and resources. Business & Patents have many years experience of dealing with intellectual property enquiries and carrying out patent and trade mark searches. Many business resources such as company databases, factsheets, British Standards, market research reports and journals are also available. The department has produced some of its own booklets on subject such as copyright for photographers and musicians and also starting a business. All of this is backed up by a number of websites and blogs providing a wealth of further information – and readily available to those wishing to find out more about how to protect their ideas.

IP barrister Jane Lambert followed this up with an explanation of intellectual property enforcement. Infringement of IP rights is not a criminal act unless carried out on a commercial scale and therefore it is up to the owner of that IP to take action against such infringers. Jane detailed what is very often a complex and expensive challenge to the wronged party.

Alison Orr of Enterprise Europe Yorkshire discussed the importance of seeing intellectual property as an asset which can be bought, sold and transferred. The Enterprise Europe network, which spans more than 40 countries, aims to encourage innovation, help technology transfer or finding a business partner and promote competitiveness.

Inventor Claire Mitchell then described her “Eureka moment” when she first realised that her idea of a pre-sterilised teat which could be attached to a carton of formula baby milk could be developed into a business - Chillipeeps. She gave an entertaining description of her first encounter with a patent attorney, her dealings with large companies and the many awards which she and her product have won. She emphasised the determination needed to succeed and the importance of making the most of any advice offered – such as that available during this event.

The event was rounded off with the one-to-one discussions. Attendees could book a short consultation with one of six local patent attorneys in confidence, in which they could gain advice relating to their specific situation.

The response from the attendees was very positive – several expressing their appreciation of the value of events such as these in developing awareness and pointing them in the right direction.

Creating brand value for your business, York 21st October 2010

2010-09-15T15:33:00.001+01:00

www.ipo.gov.uk/events-cbv-york.htm

Protecting Your Ideas and Inventions 15/9/10 at the Central Library, Leeds

2010-07-30T16:13:00.001+01:00

“Keeping the Sharks at Bay: resolving disputes between inventors, licencees and others” Jane Lambert Leeds Inventors Group 21st July 2010

2010-07-26T11:48:00.001+01:00

Jane explained that conflict resolution is a big part of what she does as a barrister and pointed out that it is something which happens a lot to inventors. She gave a list of who the potential “sharks” can be:- co-inventors, investors, licensees and third parties.

http://nipcinvention.blogspot.com/2010/07/leeds-inventors-club-21-july-2010.html

Co-inventors

Business partners who begin as friends often make the mistake of assuming that they will always remain friends. Frequently this does not happen and significant problems can then arise. Her advice to inventors is always to set up an agreement regarding what happens if the invention flops, or if the inventors fall out – who takes it over, who pays what?

Further questions to consider include: what if one partner dies or becomes too ill to continue? What if one loses interest and leaves? What if the money dries up? What if there is an offer to be bought out? What if the product becomes very successful? What if one partner comes up with an improvement? These are all very common questions and should all be covered by an agreement set up at the beginning – preferably by a lawyer.

Investors

Once again it is important to consider from the outset what can go wrong. Jane gave an example of an inventor who was struggling to get his invention off the ground. His business partner was approached by a potential investor but this investor was only interested if the inventor was not included in the deal. A good agreement between business partners and between inventor and investor should cover situations where things might not go according to plan such as the examples above.

It is a good idea to include a “definition of improvements” so that if someone else with whom you’re working (such as an investor or manufacturer) improves upon your original invention they can’t easily claim all the benefits and exclude you.

Licensees

Many inventors don’t want to work their invention, they want to licence or sell it to someone else. As described above, one of the difficulties can be that a potential manufacturer, having been alerted to a market potential by the inventor’s idea, comes up with an improvement themselves and drop the inventor. As Jane said, a manufacturer will look after their own interests first, and this will not necessarily involve looking after the inventor’s interests. A “definition of improvements” should be built into a contract with a manufacturer to cover what they may come up with. Jane did point out, however, that care needs to be taken not to make such clauses too restrictive as this could be seen as a restraint of trade.

It’s a good idea to ensure that a licensee will pay you a minimum royalty for a minimum period of time, once again including this in a well-drawn-up agreement.

Another useful tactic is to register a trade mark for the product. If customers associate the mark with the product this will put you in a stronger position and a trade mark can be the most valuable asset you have. Jane gave as an example Ron Hickman’s Workmate® - the workbench which Hickman devised and then sold under the Workmate® trade mark had begun to build a reputation. People associated the name with the product and this gave the name significant value. So when Black & Decker offered Hickman a deal to produce and sell his workbench as the Black & Decker Workmate® it was the name (and reputation) which attracted their attention as much as the product itself.

The University of Sheffield developed a new material which can be used as an artificial skin. It has many applications including burns treatment and was patented world-wide. A US medical devices company became interested and began producing their own version of the product. Sheffield University sent a legal letter which got a negative response from the US company. The university eventually decided that they simply could not afford litigation because of the huge costs, so a very good invention was lost to the US. If the university had had IP insurance they would have been in a stronger position, but as litigation can drag on for years it’s often a case of which party has the deepest pockets.

Cost of enforcement can put people off patenting, or cause a change in their tactics. A patent case in Europe can cost €50,000 whereas in the UK it can cost £1 million. In the US the losing party doesn’t have to pay costs so going to court over there may be a better option.

The UKIPO now offers a service by which they can offer a non-binding opinion on a particular case (eg of infringement) for £200 – a very low cost and the UK is the only country which currently does this. They also offer a mediation and disputes resolution service.

Jane ended the talk by reminding everyone that you make money out of producing and selling things and not out of patenting. It’s important to think ahead, think of your income streams and what threats there may be to those streams. Technology simply moving on can be one of the most common threats.

The best response to a threat is usually a commercial one – improve the product or make a different one. Legal remedies should be a last resort but it’s a good idea to have a fund which you can use for this should the need arise.

Mark Coulman Leeds inventors group 16th June 2010

2010-07-07T14:42:00.000+01:00

Mark is an Innovation Specialist heading Business Link’s Innovation Team. He works with businesses who see innovation as important and in this meeting wanted to look at what exactly innovation is.

In an interactive session he demonstrated that innovation is a process involving teamwork. Views were expressed that it usually involved something new, or putting things together in a new or different way. Mark said that a new product in itself is not innovation, an idea in itself is not and making change may not be. The important thing is implementing new ideas – innovation is a process and not one individual thing. You can have an idea and do nothing with it, but exploiting the idea is innovation. It’s important when making changes that if you do change things you are improving them.

The group then looked at what the results of innovation can be. Various suggestions were made – such as improvements in products, saving time and money, increasing employment and market share.

It’s important to think about what you want at the end of the innovation process and everything you do should be related to this – people often spend too much time on the idea without thinking about where it’s going. Research and development is one part of the innovation process and doesn’t always have a particular end result in mind. It has been suggested that R& D is the use of money to create knowledge whereas innovation is using knowledge to create money.

Mark summed up by emphasising that having a clear idea of where you’re going is vital. You can then determine how you’re going to achieve it and how sustainable it might be.

Chandra Parmar Leeds inventors group 19th May 2010

2010-06-22T15:13:00.000+01:00

Chandra was an engineer for 24 years and his wife, Rekha, is a cancer research scientist. However they have both always loved food and it was this shared interest which developed into “Kitchen Guru”.

http://www.kitchenguru.co.uk/

Rekha was always giving out recipes to friends and then began to include ingredients as well. She began to wonder if this basic idea could be developed into a business. They both understood product development and the importance of marketing. They carried out some of their own market research in 1995 and felt that this was positive but because the market was dominated by ready meals they felt it may be too early for their product, and as Chandra said, timing is vital.

Initially using market research reports available in the library and then doing some consumer surveys they kept an eye on changing trends and were particularly keen to find out what consumers didn’t like. Testing out their ideas on consumers was a vital step.

Very few Indian food products on the market were authentic and Indian cooking can be quite complex. Their research and testing of existing products confirmed their view that there was a market for their product which gives exact amounts of the relevant spices. They realised that they needed a well-designed product and filed a patent application which was granted in 1998. Very little in the food sector can actually be patented and their success created interest.

They had to make a decision as to whether they should sell or licence the invention, or do the whole thing themselves. They chose the latter and got to work in their garage, often working till the early hours. Chandra’s experience as an engineer came in handy – at one point converting a pie-making press into a sealing machine.

In 2002 Chandra left his job to concentrate full time on the product. A limited company was set up under the name “Kitchen Guru” which they also trade marked – choosing the name “Guru” because that is someone who teaches you something. That year they attended their first trade show and received their first orders. Initially they targeted independent stores and by the following year had not only increased sales but had also been approached by four investors interested in helping them grow the business. They were able to choose an investor who was interested only in investing, rather than trying to influence the business. Doing so was a big help, not only on the financial side but also in adding business expertise as Chandra and Rekha were quite inexperienced. They were able to move into business premises and the following year expanded again, bringing in more equipment.

Having greater capacity enabled them to supply the supermarkets and large chains. Last year they branched out into Thai and Mexican food products. Chandra commented that to maintain market share you have to continue to develop and improve. They carry out regular customer surveys and doing so helped them to improve their packaging after customer comments alerted them to certain issues with the existing packaging. They got quotes from some design companies for the job of updating the packaging – one company quoted £60,000. In the end Chandra went to a freelance designer and was able to have much greater input in the process. Changing the packaging increased sales significantly.

Selfridges, Harvey Nicholls and Harrods all take “Kitchen Guru” products now. Chandra commented that they don’t make a large amount of money from these stores but it’s good for the reputation.

Within two years of starting, “Kitchen Guru” products were being exported to ten different countries, including Europe, China and Canada. It’s been important for them not to overstretch themselves. They have also utilised spare capacity in their quiet times by producing packaging for plant seeds for a seed company and also greeting cards which have flower seeds attached.

The company has won 12 awards altogether, including small business Exporter of the Year. The value of awards is the recognition in brings – it’s free publicity.

Chandra summed up by reiterating how important it is to research the market, time the launch of the product well, be persistent and also delegate and get expert advice when it’s needed – you can’t know everything!

http://www.kitchenguru.co.uk/

Intellectual Property Clinics

2010-06-10T11:12:00.007+01:00

Attending an IP clinic offers the opportunity of a FREE confidential one-to-one consultation with a registered patent agent to discuss your ideas, products or brands.
The Leeds clinic takes place once a month on a Monday evening in the Central Library and appointments must be booked in advance (0113 2478266). The clinics are free but we do ask for a £20 deposit when you book an appointment - this is returned to you when you arrive at the clinic. Dates of forthcoming clinics are given below.
next clinic

15th Nov 2010 4.00pm-7.00pm
13th Dec 2010 4.00pm-7.00pm

All attending patent attorneys are members of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
For more information please see our website events page http://www.businessandpatents.org/ or to book a place tel: 0113 2478266

Posted via email from baplig's posterous

Claire Mitchell, Leeds Inventors Group 21/4/10

2010-04-29T16:34:00.003+01:00

In an amusing talk Claire introduced herself to the group as a “Mumpreneur” – a reference to having a young child whilst developing new products. She has had several careers, which have included engineering and care home management.

Her invention is still at the prototype stage and she’s looking for funding. Baby formula milk now comes is cartons but she wanted a way to use it more conveniently particularly when out and about. She came up with the idea while on her way to a party, panicking about whether there was a sterilised baby bottle in the car. The idea was for a pre-sterilised teat which could be affixed to the cartons and immediately ready for first use. It can then be easily cleaned and re-sterilised for future use.

Having come up with the idea she emailed Peter Jones of “Dragons Den” TV fame. In reply she received an automated email asking if she’d patented it. She immediately arranged an appointment with a patent attorney who turned out to be very enthusiastic. As a result she made a PCT (international) patent application, being careful not to limit the use of the product to baby products.

This was just the first of a number of ideas and it had been Claire’s intention all along to make a business out of the products. She commented that having a limited company gives a much more professional look to the business, which is important particularly where inventions are concerned. She came up with the name Chillipeeps and registered this as a trade mark.

Claire tried out a number of marketing companies without success. Then with the help of Rowena Mead, who is also developing child-oriented products, she made contact with Richard Hall of Pd-M and using a confidentiality agreement told him about her ideas.

It was the start of a strong working partnership. Richard created a plan and costings and together they devised a vision for the business. Prototypes were tested and re-tested and by the 5^th prototype the various problems had been overcome.

The next step was to find a company to manufacture. Claire was delighted that they were able to find a Yorkshire company who would be able to produce it for the RRP they wanted. The only problem was that tooling could cost up to £180,000. They needed funding. One of the difficulties was that often potential investors want a proven product rather than an idea.

She entered the Baby Products Association Concept & Innovation competition, and after convincing herself that her pitch had been a disaster, she was shocked to find that she’d won! Crucial to the judges’ decision was the fact that she had a plan to get the product to market. She was then able to exhibit at the Baby & Child Fair in London where she made a lot of useful contacts, including distributors from around the world. She followed this up by finishing runner-up at Venturefest’s Technology Competition. She was particularly impressed as she doesn’t really regard her product as technical. Once again, this opened more doors to her. She has followed this up by winning the “Women on their Way” competition 2010 for an Outstanding New Product – in spite of the fact that she was the only entrant not trading.

Further competition wins have followed and throughout Claire has gained more advice, mentoring and contacts, including Mandy Haberman, inventor of the “Anyway Up” cup, and Laura Tennison of Jojo Maman Bebe.

Claire is planning to launch a product range next March at the Harrogate Baby Fair. She is in talks with various large companies but believes that it will be much quicker and easier to launch as Chillipeeps. Once the products have been proved to work and have a market the bigger players are more likely to show a definite interest.

Claire finished her entertaining talk with a few tips for budding inventors. She pointed out that it is important to do as much networking as possible and to sell both yourself and your product (once you have filed a patent). It’s vital to be business-like and suggested that at the very least you need a business card – otherwise, as she put it, “you look like a nobody”. She followed this comment up by saying that you should check and double-check everything – she handed out a lot of business cards and then 18 months later realised that the phone number on them was wrong!

Like many inventors, Claire is keen to pass on the knowledge she has gained and is informally mentoring a small number of inventors herself.

http://www.chillipeeps.com

Yorkshire Association of Business Angels is on the lookout for green technology businesses for their 11th May Investment Forum

2010-04-15T14:12:00.000+01:00

Yorkshire Association of Business Angels is on the lookout for green technology businesses for their 11th May Investment Forum

Bill Horner & John Cadwallader, Leeds Inventors Group 17/3/2010

2010-03-31T12:33:00.008+01:00

“DTI Grants & Support for Innovation” Bill Horner & John Cadwallader Innovation Partners

Both Bill Horner and John Cadwallader are former Business Link specialists. Bill is a food scientist who covers chemical and biological areas while John is an engineer. Together they have formed “Innovation Partners” which helps to find funding for new products and ideas.

The responsibility for dishing out what used to be known as DTI grants (such as the old SMART awards) has now been given to Yorkshire Forward. Bill and John are very experienced in the processes involved in negotiating such grant schemes and their criteria. One of the main criteria is that the new product has to have some technical aspect which is not currently available – the sort of development or advance which might involve too great a risk for a small company without the grant money.

The grants are match-funded meaning that you have to be able to find a significant part of the funding for the project yourself – however part of this can be made up of such things as staff time, materials and overheads which you would be paying out for anyway. They pointed out that people often don’t realise how much funding is available.

It’s important to consider the aims of the project and be able to prove that there’s a need for it. Why is it better than what is already out there? Sometimes inventors can be too close to their product and Bill and John have to get out of them what they need. You also have to be able to show that you need the grant – ie you don’t have an alternative source for the full amount. There must be a clear plan as to how the money would be spent and once a proposal has been accepted you can’t claim for more. There has to be some evidence of potential marketability based on thorough research and risks assessed. There are targets – eg being able to generate 10 times the amount you’re given within three years. In most cases the funding is given in arrears so you spend the money and then claim it back.

A vital part of carrying out the preparatory work is a patent search – you must be aware of prior art. Even if you’re not intending to go through with a patent you need to determine whether or not you could be infringing someone else’s rights.

Many small businesses don’t have a business plan and this application / proposal effectively works as a business plan. It takes about five days for Bill and John to put an application together, then once it has been submitted it can take from 6 – 10 weeks (depending on the size and type of grant) to go through. They also offer a lower-cost vetting service whereby they check through an application which an applicant has done themselves.

A good awareness of the process and the information required obviously is more likely to result in a successful application and this is where Bill and John can use their experience.

Contact:

bill@ip-yh.co.uk john@yp-yh.co.uk

07967 133373 07801 379782

Enterprise Shows 2010 Leeds,Hull,Sheffield & York

2010-03-23T14:58:00.000Z

Sara Ludlam, Leeds Inventors Group 17/2/2010

2010-02-23T15:57:00.008Z

Sara Ludlam, Intellectual Property Solicitor “From garden shed to shop shelf:product development agreements”

We welcomed back Sara, who talked to us last year “Making money from your IP” Licensing is one of the most common ways of making money from your Intellectual Property 18th March 2009 http://leedsinventorsgroup.blogspot.com/2009/04/leeds-inventors-group-sara-ludlam-18309.ht

This time Sara talked to us about product development agreements. She advises clients about product development agreements which should above all offer value for money.

There a several things to consider and understand with product development agreements
-What do you want from your supplier? Services to be provided?what services are you paying for?e.g.market research,prototype manufacture,industry standards testing,packaging design,marketing,manufacturing services-Do not pay all the money up front

-Conduct issues,your product may not be patented yet so you need strong confidentiality.Do they offer a professional service by responding to emails/phone calls etc. What do you know about your supplier? Go with recommendations/a good reputation.Is time critical? time limits? time to give to the developer

-Do you need legal advice?(fees/costs of this to consider) "Yes you do"
Sara also went through the legal terms you would come across in an agreement. Force Majeure,royalty,jurisdiction,net sales price,net profit,termination rights and legal clauses such as warranties,indemnities,dispute management,duration of agreement, duration of obligations under the agreement.

You need enough information to make the decision to sign so read the agreement and understand it

the agreement must be in writing to count not just what is talked about.

When you read the agreement have all of these questions in mind-
Who will own the background ip, the foreground ip(improvements/other new ip)?
A confidential information clause
What do you get for your money?
When do you get it?
If you don't get what you where expecting, what can you do about it?

If there is anything you do not understand DO NOT SIGN IT!

For more information contact
Sara Ludlam, Ludlams IP Specialists Telephone: 0113 200 68 96 www.ludlams.co.uk

Dragons' Den

2010-02-23T15:41:00.009Z

Entrepreneurs from across the country once again have a chance to make their business dreams come true by appearing on Dragons’ Den. If you’re genuinely seeking investment for your business idea or invention, we’d like to hear from you.

The BBC is currently searching for Britain’s best entrepreneurs and will be auditioning throughout the coming months. We want to hear from anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to enter the Dragons’ Den.

If you would like an application form please send an e-mail to dragonsden@bbc.co.uk or visit www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden

The Enterprise Shows 2010

2010-02-16T15:38:00.003Z

The Enterprise shows consist of a series of 2 day events designed to help anyone wishing to start or develop a business. You will be able to access business advice and information from a diverse range of support organisations and attend a range of seminars and talks.

Staff from Business and Patents will be present at the following Enterprise Shows. Find us in Zone 3 -Research.

Date: 27th & 28th March
Time: Saturday 10am-5pm / Sunday 10am-4pm
Location: Millennium Square - Leeds

Date: 10th & 11th April
Time: Saturday 10am-5pm / Sunday 10am-4pm
Location: City Hall - Hull

Date: 8th & 9th May
Time: Saturday 10am-5pm / Sunday 10am-4pm
Location: York Race course

Also at:
Date: 24th & 25th April
Time: Saturday 10am-5pm / Sunday 10am-4pm
Location: Sheffield, Meadow Hall Coach Park

find your nearest show: Leeds, Hull, Sheffield or York and register for your FREE priority entry tickets either online or by phone on 0800 032 2626.

More information:
http://www.theenterpriseshows.com/

Andy Taylor, Enterprise Europe Yorkshire. Leeds Inventors Group 20th Jan 2010

2010-02-02T15:39:00.000Z

“Finding opportunities for novel technology & inventions” Andy Taylor, Enterprise Europe Yorkshire. Leeds Inventors Group 20^th Jan 2010

Andy began by explaining his own background as a scientist involved in materials science and engineering, silicon processing, nanotechnology and analytical chemistry. He has been an inventor himself and also involved in an anti-counterfeiting company.

He then went on to explain the structure of the Enterprise Europe network, a support network covering 40 European countries and 600 organisations. Enterprise Europe Yorkshire offers business advice – particularly in relation to Europe - a technology transfer service and a partnership programme. They can match up people looking for particular technologies and people looking to have theirs exploited by working with them to build up a profile of what they have to offer and what they are looking for.

It is important for anyone looking to use the services of Enterprise Europe Yorkshire to be clear about what they have to offer and why it is novel. They also need to be equally clear about what they would want from a partner such as what type of technology is required and what kind of collaboration it would be.

Andy briefly went into European Framework Programme 7 under which they currently operate. This is the EC mechanism for funding collaborative research and technological development with a fund of 50 billion Euros over 7 years. As he said, involvement with the programme involves a lot of commitment and is not a short-term fix or a way to make a profit.

Enterprise Europe Yorkshire: www.ee-yorkshire.com

Enquiries contact 0800 0528156

Andy Taylor www.rtcnorth.co.uk

PATLIB UK: Manchester Business Event

2010-01-22T13:28:00.000Z

PATLIB UK: Manchester Business Event

Protecting your ideas and Inventions 26th January 2010

Business & Patent Information Services News: Final presentation of the Young Inventors Challenge 9/12/09

2009-12-16T15:25:00.000Z

Business & Patent Information Services News: Final presentation of the Young Inventors Challenge 9/12/09

ENTREPRENEURS, INVENTORS, DESIGNERS BRITAIN’S HIGH STREET WANTS YOU!

2009-12-10T08:58:00.000Z

Young Inventors challenge

2009-12-01T13:52:00.000Z

A group of young inventors from Leeds will have the chance to meet one of the world’s best at a special event this week.

*http://newsfeed.leedsvirtualnewsroom.co.uk/2009/12/bright-sparks-given-chance-to-meet.html*

Young inventors challenge: Staff from Leeds PATLIB have been working with a group of local school children with the idea of giving them an insight into what patenting is all about.....full article on the PatlibUK blog http://ow.ly/Hzmo

Young Inventors Challenge Autumn 2009 Leeds Library and Information Service is working on new project with students at Horsforth High Shool.

Young Inventors workshops at Horsforth library:

· Intro to the weird and wonderful world of patents – Find out how patents work, look at the good and the bad, those that made it and those that didn’t and more importantly how to protect your ideas.
·Applying for a patent – learn about the strange language of patents and how craftily changing a few words can keep your competitors away.
·Patent searching – Is your invention as new as you think.
·Choosing a name – what should you call your invention? Have a look at some of the names other people have use for their products. Become creative by designing your own logo.
·Market Research – build up a market profile asking who, where, and how?
·Presenting your product – show the group your ideas and explain why you think people will be rushing to buy it.

If you or your school is interested in click on the link to find out more or ring Business and Patents and ask for Tracy or Ged.0113 2478266/65

Kids Patent Sheet

There are several things you need to either do or be aware of when considering whether or not to apply for a patent for your invention.

2009-11-30T15:02:00.000Z

There are several things you need to either do or be aware of when considering whether or not to apply for a patent for your invention.

1. You must not disclose your invention to anyone or put it in the public domain before applying for a patent - this doesn't mean that you can't discuss it with patent attorneys or business advisors but you should be aware of confidentiality and use non-disclosure agreements where possible.

Link to Non Disclosure leaflet

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/cda.pdf

2. It is important that your invention is new if you are to have a chance of getting a patent granted - you can check this out by doing a web search - often a few words typed into a search engine such as google will produce a list of products. It is also possible to check out published patent applications on free sites such as espacenet:

http://ep.espacenet.com/advancedSearch

tips: Always search title or abstract rather than just title and sometimes it is worth trying to find the relevant classification and searching by classification too - if you don't find anything similar on espacenet you may wish to consider having someone carry out a search for you.

We have access to several databases which we can use to do this - there is a charge of £45.00 + VAT for this service. For more information tel:0113 2478266

3. If, having satisfied yourself that there are no pre-existing applications and nothing similar on the market place you decide that you would like to protect your idea or invention in some way it might be worth looking at the costs involved and the different ways of protecting inventions, designs etc. We can send copies of the relevant booklets or the links to the on-line versions are here:

Patents:

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-essentialreading.pdf

http://www.epo.org/topics/innovation-and-economy/handbook.html

Trademarks:

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/t-essentialreading.pdf

Registered Designs:

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/d-howtoapply.pdf

We also offer free half hour appointments with a CIPA patent attorney at our monthly clinics - http://leedsinventorsgroup.blogspot.com/2008/10/patent-clinics.html

You may also be interested in attending the monthly meetings of the Leeds Inventors group - we have speakers who talk on all aspects of getting inventions into the marketplace:

Leeds Inventor Group:

http://leedsinventorsgroup.blogspot.com/

Dr Dan Bates at the Leeds Inventors Group 18 – 11 – 09

2009-11-23T10:14:00.000Z

Dr Dan Bates, Ogive Intellectual Property “What can a patent do for me?” Leeds Inventors Group 18 – 11 – 09

Dan spent a number of years in industry working as an engineer for some of the largest firms such as Rover Cars & Marconi Communications. During this time he invented several engineering products himself. He then worked for a large firm of patent attorneys in Birmingham before setting up his own company – Ogive.

He briefly talked about intellectual property in general and the different types of protection available. Confidentiality is, of course, one of the easiest to get but it is difficult to commercialise a product without giving information away and it is impossible to gain any formal protection – such as a patent – without making details of the invention public.

He stressed that it is important to understand that a patent is a negative right. Having a patent granted does not in itself give you the right to produce a product only to stop others doing so - there may be other issues involved such as regulatory approval or other prior patents which may potentially be infringed.

A patent is a means to generate income, licence a product, sell a product and obtain research contracts. Dan used a number of case studies to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of patents and intellectual property generally.

The talk resulted in a lively debate and a series of questions from the audience who were clearly at differing stages and levels of experience with regard to the patenting process.

The Otley Science Festival is holding a one day fair on Saturday 21 November

2009-11-03T13:56:00.000Z

*************Eco inventor Emily Cummins (a star!) will be at Otley Science Fair all day 21 November.Its free. http://bit.ly/iSR8u *****************************

The UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology is having an all-day table at the fair and are keen to use the opportunity to showcase a woman inventor or entrepeneur with a strong science, engineering or technology component to her work. They are looking for someone who could join them for the day (from 9am to 4pm)

Lots of adults and children will attend on the day, so it is a very good opportunity for contact with the public. If you can help please contact Ruth Wilson Tel: 01274 436132

Visit the UKRC website today:
www.ukrc4setwomen.org

UKRC News update:
New GetSET Women website launched: www.getsetwomen.org
GetSET Women is a unique resource in the world of SET offering women the opportunity to become more visible and promote their work.

Emily Cummins at the Leeds Inventors Group 21/10/09

2009-11-03T13:21:00.000Z

Leeds student Emily Cummins has, among other things, won the Sustainable Design Award at the 2009 Women of the Year Awards, Female Innovator of the Year 2007, Technology Woman of the Future 2006 and Cosmopolitan's Ultimate Woman of the Year.

She spoke to the group of how her interest in making things work started at an early age and led eventually to great success. She puts her creativity down to the inspiration of her grandfather, in whose shed she learned at a young age to take things apart and build them up.

Her interest in solving technical problems led her to the national final of the Young Engineer of the Year at the age of 15. She pointed out that not having any knowledge at that stage of patents led to her losing the rights to her product and it turned out to be a valuable, if painful, lesson.

Always looking for a challenge she became involved with an organisation called Practical Action a charity which attempts to use simple technology to transform the lives of some of the world’s poorest people. She designed a water carrier from materials already available in Africa and constructed it in such a way that it would be easily repairable. This won her the Sustainable Design award.

In the meantime she had become obsessed with the idea of developing an energy-efficient fridge which could be easily used in Africa. Feeling that she needed to become more aware of the needs and limitations of the country she went to Africa, at the age of 18, to do voluntary work. She ended up extending her stay, living in a township in Namibia.

She learned a great deal about the lives and resourcefulness of the people and their opinions and suggestions helped her to improve the fridge. She encouraged them to make the fridges themselves. She hadn’t thought of making money out of it her only aim had been to help improve the situation of the people. Now thousands of them are in use.

On returning home to go to university she found that the media had got hold of the fridge story and great interest was created. Various companies offered her funding and she was nominated for the Technology Woman of the Future. This really launched things. She decided to make a commercial version of the fridge. Through meeting various high-profile personalities she was able to continually promote the fridge.

Emily is now in her final year in university and planning to go back to Africa next year. She hopes to continue developing new inventions particularly related to sustainability. Her enthusiasm and determination to make things happen - particularly for the benefit of others really stands out and as several people at the meeting commented, hers is an inspirational story.

Roland Hill at the Leeds Inventors Group 16 – 9 – 09

2009-11-02T20:31:00.000Z

Roland was a partner in an engineering practice for 20 years and was involved in various structural engineering projects such as the development of Old Trafford football ground. He set up his own company Contra Vision in 1985, first on a part-time basis, becoming full-time as his ideas took off.

In 1976 he was appointed to look at the possibility of developing a demountable squash court which could be taken on tour by the national squash team. His “Courtback”™ Squash Spectator Seating System was patented and this was then followed up with the development of a demountable squash court with four unobstructed one-way vision walls. The “Safe-Screen”™ material used in this court was also patented. Using transparent panels enabled spectators – and camera crews to see into the brightly lit court from the outside.

The court was sold to the Squash Rackets Association for £100,000 but had actually cost £250,000 to build!

Putting a transparent material onto glass which allows one-way vision offered numerous opportunities – you can put a design onto it so that the design can be seen from the outside while not obscuring the view from inside. “Bus wraps” became common where adverts were placed on the windows of buses without blocking the view of the passengers. Some became like travelling billboards and this concept of advertising is now established around the world. In 1993 he suggested to BT that the material could be used for adverts on payphones. It took until 2000 before they did so. “Building wraps” became popular and the material is also used for privacy so people can see out of a window but no-one can see in. Banks and airports use them for security screens.

As Roland said, it’s always important to keep looking for improvements in an invention and to patent those improvements. He stated that if Contra Vision hadn’t done this they would no longer be in business. The original version of the material tended to fade at night when there was less light, so Roland came up with an improved version which can be artificially illuminated and therefore stands out night or day.

Roland stated that Contra Vision has always been better at inventing and patenting than producing and therefore most of their products are licenced to others. They have numerous registered trade marks in many countries and classes and also several unregistered marks. All of these marks develop value by people believing in the product and its quality and reliability.

Roland commented that it is vital for governments to support innovation but believes that in this country successive governments have little interest. For example the Danish government want a government-backed insurance for European patents against litigation but the UK government will not support this. He believes that far-sighted countries will support their inventors and inventors will go there.

BBC1 series looking for talented, creative people making fantastic things!

2009-10-19T10:46:00.000+01:00

Emily Cummins Speaker at the next Inventors Group

2009-10-14T09:36:00.000+01:00

Just to let you all know that the speaker at next week's meeting - 21st October - will be Emily Cummins who, among other things has won the Sustainable Design Award at the 2009 Women of the Year Awards, Female Innovator of the Year 2007, Technology Woman of the Future 2006 and Cosmopolitan's Ultimate Woman of the Year...

Prize for electricity-free fridge

Emily's gap-year trip to Namibia meant she could improve her prototype fridge
A 22-year-old Leeds student has been named one of the Women of the Year after inventing a "sustainable" fridge.....read more at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/8305408.stm

Innovation Events Calendar

2009-10-10T09:38:00.000+01:00

We have created a google calendar for events we are running or attending plus other IP and business/enterprise related events. It is not exhaustive but will hopefully prove useful.The * events are the ones LIG and/orBusiness & Patents are involved in.

Also check out http://www.innovationcalendar.co.uk/
and http://www.ipo.gov.uk/whyuse/events/events-calendar.htm

Leeds Inventors Group on Facebook

2009-10-09T20:02:00.000+01:00

Leeds Inventors Group on Facebook

FREE Olderpreneur Roadshow in Leeds Wednesday 14th October 2009

2009-10-07T15:06:00.000+01:00

FREE Olderpreneur Roadshow in Leeds on Wednesday 14th October 2009.

Over 50?

Learn about starting your own business

FREE Olderpreneur RoadshowWednesday 14th October 2009

The Merrion Hotel, Wade House House, 52Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8NH

1.0 0 pm to 4.1 4.15 pm OR 4.30 pm to 7.4 7.45 pm

• Hear from inspirational speakers

• Meet people who have gone ahead and started

• Find out where to get help locally

Book your free place NOW online
www.primebusinessclub.com/eventsOr call 0800 783 1904

PRIME - helping the over 50s set up in business. The PRIME Initiative is a registered charity (No. 261794-2)

Brands, Inventions and Ideas Event 8th Oct

2009-09-25T12:54:00.001+01:00

This FREE event aims to offer help and advice to businesses who want to know more about trade marks, patents and designs and the value in registering them.

Identifying these assets and realising their value can make an impact on the medium to long term success of most businesses.Every business has some form of Intellectual Property that it uses to distinguish itself from its competitors.

Whether it is their trading name, a logo or a brand - all businesses need to be aware of the value and importance of their intellectual assets as well as the risks of not registering them, to prevent others using them at anytime, anywhere, anyhow.

This event will provide a seminar, networking opportunities, expert advice and support, along with industry professionals who will be on hand to offer guidance on individual questions during the day.Additional support will be available on the day from Business Link and the professional body for trade marks - ITMA and patents - CIPA. With the opportunity to attend a licensing workshop.

Free refreshments will be provided.
DateThursday 8 October 2009
Time of event 11:30 - 17:00
Venue: Elsie Whiteley Innovation CentreHopwood Lane, HalifaxHX1 5ER, Book your place for this event http://www.ipo.gov.uk/events-halifax1009.htm

THE EUROPEAN WOMEN INVENTORS & INNOVATORS NETWORK (EUWIIN)

2009-09-01T14:16:00.000+01:00

THE EUROPEAN WOMEN INVENTORS & INNOVATORS NETWORK (EUWIIN)

Exhibition, Conference, & Award Ceremony Helsinki, Finland, 7-9 October 2009

Innovation for Enterprise, Science & Technology in Europe

Celebrating the European Year of Innovation & Creativity

Over 300 delegates are expected at the 2nd Bi-Annual International Expo, Conference and Awards Ceremony, the most informative occasion for promoting inventive and innovative women in Europe and the international world.
Join us for a programme rich in content and lots of opportunities to learn more about existing policies and practises which support and assist the many creative and scientific inventions and innovations by women in Europe which have a good potential in developing into thriving businesses. Areas of discussions will cover intellectual property rights, business intelligence, research and development, equity and commercialisation, access to funding and various other existing opportunities.

http://www.euwiin.eu/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=79

Inventique Seeks New Partners

2009-08-12T16:22:00.000+01:00

As a regular reader of Inventique, the free monthly innovation magazine, I am seeking your ideas and advice as to possible ways forward for the publication.

From its beginnings in May 2003 as a club newsletter for inventors, editor Frank Landamore has built Inventique into a nationally-recognised and internationally-read magazine covering every aspect of innovation, entrepreneurship and related investment. However, its increasing success and enlarged editorial coverage brought with it ever-increasing demands on his time (as you may have read in issue 100).

Advertising and sponsorship are in short supply in these difficult economic times, and attempts to take the magazine forward from a philanthropic venture to a self-sustaining publication have not yet proved viable. However, never has there been a more important time to share best experience and help bring the best of innovation to market - indeed, never a greater need for Inventique.

I am therefore soliciting suggestions on the way forward from you. I would welcome realistic suggestions from Inventique's loyal readers on how to progress the magazine with sponsorship offers to provide the editor with a reasonable return on his time. Only the prospect of a secure financial future for Inventique (as either a stand-alone publication or in partnership with a compatible venture) will suffice to stop the closure of this crucial innovation news publication.

If you can see an opportunity to take the magazine or its content forward and maintain the current editor's involvement - so essential to its future success - please contact me as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Peter Hebard
Director, Inventique Limited
Email: bizdev@inventique.info, Tel: 01590 622 517, Mob: 07764 170 439

Inventique Limited Registered address: 42 South Way, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1LY. Registered in England & Wales Registered number: 6791057

Click on inventique.info for back issues of Inventique and details of forthcoming events such as the 'The Great Exhibition' and the 'British Invention Show' or on wrti.org.uk to view WRTI's website, which contains hundreds of links to other sites relevant to inventors, entrepreneurs and innovative companies.

Leeds Inventors Group 15-7-09 Tim Moor

2009-07-30T12:22:00.000+01:00

“From Product Inception to Marketplace”
Tim Moor - Leeds Inventors Group 15-7-09

Tim gave the group a quick rundown of his own background through his time at Northumbria University’s School of Design, through his stint at the ministry of Defence’s DERA section (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency) to his own businesses.

In 2006 he set up G & T Design specifically to develop new products. It’s a consultancy which helps inventors along the way from product inception to market. As Tim said, fitting an inventor into the right network so that they can make the right contacts is vital.

He went into detail on a number of different products of his own which he has worked on over the years. He described one device which is a gas analyser. It works by analysing the make-up of a patient’s breath when they blow into it. From this an early diagnosis of such conditions as diabetes and asthma can be made.

He is currently promoting a flat-pack baby bottle. It folds down to a sixth of the size of a conventional bottle, making it very easy to carry around. The bottle is not rigid and as the milk (or other liquids) are drunk from the bottle it collapses slowly. It can be disposed of after use so there is no need to re-sterilise it. The product has granted patents covering it in several countries.

It has taken six years to get the product to market, having to overcome several hurdles. Obviously as a baby product is has to adhere to certain standards and must have the CE mark. It was also rejected by several companies before a company called “Vital Baby” took it on. It is now on sale in Boots.

However, as Tim pointed out, while this is a great achievement it is still just another step along the way. There is a long way to go before the product breaks even. Royalties take a long time to build up and the debts which build up during development have to be paid off.

Tim then used the example of his new product “Bedrock Gin” to show how a product develops. He had already made an impressive entrance to the meeting holding a bottle of gin in each hand.

The idea originated from a conversation in a pub. They had thought of developing a new whisky but then from their market research realised that the gin market was growing the most so decided on that. They found a distiller – the oldest distillery in the country - and gained their interest. They then had to decide on what flavours they wanted the drink to have, what ingredients and processes would be involved and of course what could be protected. Patents have been filed but are still going through the early stages of the application process.

They had wanted to use the name “Osprey” for the drink but this was already owned by Whyte & Mackay. On contacting them Whyte & Mackay became very interested and helped them to get things going.

Bedrock Gin has got to market much faster than the baby bottle did, and won awards along the way. Part of this, as Tim explained was down to inexperience when he first started off with the bottle, and a significant part was also down to getting the right contacts.

European Inventor Award 2010

2009-07-16T15:29:00.000+01:00

European Patent Office is advertising its "European Inventor Award". Anyone can submit a proposal, deadline 12th September 2009.

Details here:

http://www.epo.org/topics/innovation-and-economy/european-inventor.html

Entry forms and selection criteria can be found online at:

http://www.epo.org/topics/innovation-and-economy/european-inventor/participating.html

the four categories of the European Inventor Award:

-Industry

-SMEs/research

-Non-European countries

-Lifetime achievement

Dates and deadline:

Closing date for entries 12th September 2009

Announcement of nominees February 2010

Award Ceremony in Madrid April 2010

www.epo.org/european-inventor

meet the inventor Tim Moor at the Leeds Inventors Group:

2009-07-13T17:00:00.000+01:00

The end of baby bottles as we know them? meet the inventor Tim Moor at the Leeds Inventors Group: http://twitdoc.com/c/rn4tk9

G & T design, press release

http://www.gandt-design.com/

Next meeting: Sept 2009

Where: Leeds Central Library, third floor meeting room.

Speaker: TBA

Central Library

Calverley Street,

Leeds,

LS1 3AB

Ring (0113) 2478266 to book your place

For further information tel 0113 2478266 or email piu@leeds.gov.uk

Leeds Inventors Group-bits & pieces

2009-07-13T16:55:00.001+01:00

A few things which may be of interest:-

Firstly, the European Patent Office is advertising its "European Inventor Award". Anyone can submit a proposal, deadline 12th September 2009. Details here:-

http://www.epo.org/topics/innovation-and-economy/european-inventor.html

Secondly, a couple of newspaper articles on Tim Moor, who is the speaker at this week's meeting of the inventors group:-

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?The_end_of_baby_bottles_as_we_know_them?&in_article_id=700499&in_page_id=34

http://www.thepress.co.uk/search/1728480.Brother_of_invention/

Leeds Inventors Group 17 – 6 – 09 Mark Coulman

2009-07-08T13:51:00.000+01:00

Leeds Inventors Group 17 – 6 – 09 Mark Coulman, Rapid Growth Advisor, Business Link. “Product Feasibility & How to Measure it: How to determine whether your product has a market”

Mark explained that he’s part of Business Link’s Business Development team which looks at new products and services – working with individuals and established businesses. He himself has worked in industry in a number of areas and runs his own business.

Mark set out a specific process which he believes anyone should go through when trying to determine the feasibility of a new product:-

The first thing you have, of course, is the idea. Mark suggested that there are three types of idea: Someone else’s idea – ie something which has been done before; a Personal idea which solves a problem you’ve got and is based on what you know; a New idea – a genuinely new idea is very rare. Most ideas are improvements or variations on what has gone before. You must define what this is.

The next step and the most critical, is market research. The inventor needs to ask what problem is being solved? It may be a small problem but it could, nevertheless be a significant one. At the same time, if nobody but the inventor sees it as a problem then nobody will be interested in the solution. Who might use the product? If the answer is “everybody” (which is what an inventor will often say) then in Mark’s view, you are deluded!

You need to target a potential market. Why might anyone use your product? Different people might buy a product for different reasons – expectations might be different, and the price they’re willing to pay might be different.

What is the competition and why would your product be seen to be better? This is particularly important if you’re competing with a product which has a well-established market. What would customers be willing to pay for it? Is it a budget product, or top of the range? These are all questions which need to be answered. Some general information may be found in existing reports such as market research held by Business and Patent Information Services, some may be found through your own specific questionnaires. You may then need to go on to more detailed investigation but you need to know what your market is.

You then need to think about Intellectual Property. Is the product new? Can it be protected? Information on patentability and searching can be found on the Business & Patent Information Services website. Protecting your product takes time and money and isn’t always the most effective way of proceeding. It is particularly useful if you are intending to licence the product. However if the market is short-lived or small the best procedure might just be to get the product on to the market as quickly as possible. Once again, your market research may indicate whether IP is worthwhile.

It is important not to forget about technical issues. This is something which many inventors assume someone else will sort out for them. Knowing how the product works, the materials required and some understanding of the production process will help you to determine the cost and therefore the feasibility. If you don’t know the production cost you won’t be able to determine the retail cost.

This leads into operational issues. What is required in order to produce the product? Whether you intend to do it yourself or involve others thought will have to be put towards whether it will be produced here or abroad. If you are doing it yourself you will need to think about equipment, premises and staff.

Delivery issues will follow. To a large extent this will be determined by whether you’re going to be doing it yourself, whether you’re doing it through an agent or a partner. How will you get it to the market, and how will you promote it? Just as importantly, will you be able to deliver if sales grow significantly – can you satisfy demand? It may seem an obvious statement, but it is vital to be certain that the product does actually work – before it gets to the market.

In order to measure the feasibility of a product you need to be confident that you have made a commercial case for it. Having been through the process outlined above the financial information you need should fall into place. You need to be clear about what will make it commercially viable. If the cost of production and marketing means that you need to sell a million units in your first year you are taking a big risk.

Feasibility is all about turning an idea into a workable plan, or giving you warning that perhaps the idea is not as good as you had originally thought.

Firebox Inventor

2009-06-11T13:49:00.000+01:00

Calling all creative geniuses, visionaries, mad scientists, tinkerers, ponderers and garden shed inventors:

Firebox have teamed up with Stuff, the World’s best-selling gadget magazine, to launch Firebox Inventor: a national search to find the next must-have product for 2010 and it might just be your idea that makes it onto our shelves! It could be a cool new toy, handy gadget, or something else entirely: if it’s original and it fits our quirky range, we want to hear about it.

You don’t need to have an expensive prototype, polished business plan, or to take part in a scary formal pitch. You can send your entry to us in any format you like and there isn’t a Dragon in sight.

We’ve assembled an expert panel of judges from across the technology, toy and product development industry to pick out the very best idea from the bunch. Just get your ideas in before midday on the 20th of November to be in with a chance.

The winning idea will be developed and sold on Firebox, and we'll share 50% of the profits with whoever comes up with it!

Click here for more information

For full Terms & Conditions please click here

Innovative Calderdale

2009-06-11T09:28:00.000+01:00

What’s it about?

Protect your work and ideas @ Innovative Calderdale.
Everything you need to know, and more, about how to protect your work and ideas.

Due to popular demand, 'Innovative Calderdale' will host an entertaining journey through the facts needed to protect your Intellectual Property.
Renowned experts from the Intellectual Property Office will explain copyright, designs and trade marks.

No matter what business you are in, if you are making a living out of 'your' ideas, then discover your true worth at the event.

In addition, Yorkshire Forward will update you on the range of grants, loans and other support available - such as Business Link's £3k Innovation vouchers - and will also be happy to field individual enquiries at the event on support for potential innovation projects.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Venue
The Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, Halifax
Date
17 June 2009
Register here
To book your free place, contact the team on 01422 399 400 or email reception@innovationhalifax.net

Inventique - latest issue

2009-06-02T13:22:00.000+01:00

June 2009 issue - Contents

Lead story: Successful inventor Joe Silver has added to his company's range of LifeLock personal security products.
The Association of Women with New Products and Inventions is launched at the British Library Business & IP Centre this month.
Guest columnist Matthew Simmons concludes his 'Ten steps to success in new ventures' series by leaving the best 'til last.
Female engineers at Ohio State University have designed flight control software for NASA's Scramjets.
Portsmouth University has devised an Artificial Intelligence programme that analyses whether aircraft are safe to fly (and also reduces fuel consumption).
A new type of air-fuelled battery, the STAIR cell, could give up to ten times the energy storage of lithium batteries.
Kingston University has entered its 102mph electric motorbike for the all-electric Isle of Man TTXGP race - the world's first zero-carbon, clean-emission Grand Prix.
In Design from Nature, Ithaca College research could lead to surgical adhesives developed from slugs.
In Your Shout, George Monbiot argues that a new Research Council requirement of those seeking academic research funding is fatally flawed.
The Seawork Innovation Awards will be presented this month.
This month's Centre of Excellence is WES (Women's Engineering Society).
Book of the Month is Bad Science by Ben Goldacre.
Website of the Month is FedBizOpps.gov, the US Government's one-stop virtual marketplace (which requires no login).

Click on inventique.info for back issues of Inventique, containing articles by guest columnists such as James Dyson and Mandy Haberman, as well as details of forthcoming events or on wrti.org.uk to view WRTI's website, which contains hundreds of links to other sites relevant to inventors, entrepreneurs and innovative companies.

Support For Inventors

2009-06-01T09:43:00.000+01:00

Support for Inventors

There is no set route by which you can obtain assistance in either gaining finance or getting your product on to the market. Many of those who offer help have specific criteria which you must fulfil in order to gain their help. However you may find some of the following useful. This list is not exhaustive.

Business Link Yorkshire
www.businesslinkyorkshire.gov.uk
Tel 08456 048 048
Information on funding available for inventors & innovators as well as business support

Sharing the Success
www.sharingthesuccess.co.uk
Tel 0113 2206350
Intensive support available for those thinking of starting a business or developing a new product

Yorkshire Association of Business Angels
www.yaba.org.uk
Tel 01423 810149
Matches up investors and entrepreneurs with new business ideas

Viking Fund
www.vikingfund.co.uk
Tel 01924 227237
Yorkshire-wide venture capital fund particularly aimed at new technology companies

Pd-M International Ltd
www.pd-m.co.uk
Tel 01423 503900
Prototyping and manufacturing assistance

A Better Mousetrap
www.abettermousetrap.co.uk
Tel 01422 842401
Assessment service and advice for inventors

Ideas 2 Market
www.i2monline.com
Tel 0870 803 1964
A DIY evaluation software package & Ideas Bank which aims to match investors and inventors/entrepreneurs

Innovation Showcase,
Leeds Metropolitan University
Tel 0113 383 9633
Access to facilities, prototyping & support

Design Enterprise Centre,
University of Hull
www.designenterprise.co.uk
Tel 01482 466470
Product development, prototyping and funding information

Huddersfield University Business Incubation Programme
www.businessincubation.biz
Tel 01484 483127
Help for start-up businesses including facilities and access to funding

Leeds Inventors Group Jane Lambert 20-05-09

2009-05-28T13:44:00.000+01:00

“Alternatives to Patents” Jane Lambert Leeds Inventors Group 20-05-09

Many people who come up with an idea for a new product tend to assume that they must get a patent, but Jane pointed out that while some people do need patents some businesses have actually been ruined by having too many. This was the issue which Jane looked at in her talk.

The reality is that 90% of patents which have been filed are never actually worked. Patents are worthwhile for a small minority of inventions (often belonging to the big companies) but it is important to realise that they are expensive. Getting a new product on to the market is often not easy and if you have a patent but no product you will be in debt. It is also important to realise that a patent can be revoked at any time.

So what alternatives might there be? One possibility is Trade Secrets. If you apply for a patent you will have to disclose details of the invention and have them published. Some products have based their success in not using patents and not disclosing details of them – the formulas for Coca Cola and Chartreuse are two famous examples.

Obviously any disclosure would destroy the secret and the product would have no protection. The use of confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements can be helpful. If such an agreement is not used the person receiving the information still has an obligation of confidentiality providing that they are aware of the fact that the information they receive is confidential. This obligation remains for as long as the information remains secret.

Typical subjects of trade secrets include the source code of computer programs, customer lists, recipes and formulas (providing they can’t be easily reverse-engineered) and inventions before a patent application has been made.

Jane pointed out that all staff in a company which holds trade secrets should be trained to be aware of, and respect, those secrets. Computer files should be password protected and documents kept secure. All disclosures should be logged, dated and written up. All confidential documents should be numbered. It is also important that any non-disclosure agreements relate to the specific situation in which they are to be used.

Unregistered Design Right is another means of protection. It protects the whole or part of the shape or configuration of a particular article, whether internal or external. It doesn’t include surface decoration and it doesn’t protect an article whose shape is determined by how it must fit together. This right is automatic and free.

It has been available since 1st August 1989. The creator must be a citizen of the European Economic Area and the product must have been first marketed in one of those countries. It lasts for 15 years from creation or 10 years from first marketing. In the last 5 years anyone, including an infringer, can apply for a “licence of right”.

Copyright is an automatic right which tends to be thought of in relation to artistic, literary, musical and dramatic works. However it can also cover logos, patterns and surface decoration of an article.

Copyright infringement has to be proved. In order to do so some copyright owners set traps – for example putting a certain number of false addresses in a phone directory. If the directory is copied the false addresses will indicate this.

Trade Marks Particularly if your product is not patentable you can sometimes add value or good-will with a trade mark. If customers associate your product (and in particular the quality of your product) with your mark it can become very valuable to you. A registered trade mark has to be applied for and fees paid. However an unregistered mark can give you a certain amount of protection if you build a significant reputation in your particular field.

Some countries also have “utility models” or “innovation patents”. These give a more limited protection than full patents. They have not been available in the UK since the 1930s though Jane feels that they would currently be an advantage to inventors and SMEs.

Jane summed up by pointing out that patents (and the other forms of intellectual property) are a means to an end – they are a deterrent. However constantly developing new or improved products is always likely to be the best way of maintaining your market. Using business tactics such as cutting costs, improving advertising etc can be just as important.

Inventique - latest issue

2009-05-05T16:08:00.000+01:00

May 2009 issue - Contents

Lead story: Creative women have until 29 May to enter this year’s British Female Inventor and Innovator of the Year Awards.
This Awards issue of Inventique also brings news of Design Council, James Dyson and IET awards worth over £410,000.
In his series 'Ten steps to success in new ventures', guest columnist Matthew Simmons asks: "What, no Plan?"
The Lifesaver Bottle can produce clean drinking water from almost any source by filtering out 99.9(9)% of viruses.
William D. Richard and David Zar have invented an ultrasound imaging device that fits the palm of a hand, thanks to a $100,000 Microsoft grant.
The British Library Business & IP Centre has launched free e-courses on intellectual property.
British companies have been challenged to develop new technologies in a new £100m development programme – with contracts on offer.
In Design from Nature, researchers in Germany have created a material that can absorb 10 times its normal tensile energy – from a spider's web.
In Your Shout, Warwick Group founder Lord Bhattacharayya says: "Support innovation – or be left behind."
The Midlands Manufacturing Show and the International Subcontract Show take place in Birmingham and Coventry.
This month's Centre of Excellence is IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
Book of the Month is Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation and Time Travel by Michio Kaku.
Website of the Month is unico.org.uk, the UK’s leading knowledge transfer membership association.

Visit http://www.wrti.org.uk/ to view WRTI's website, which contains hundreds of links to other sites relevant to inventors, entrepreneurs and innovative companies, plus back issues of Inventique, containing articles by guest columnists such as James Dyson and Mandy Haberman, as well as details of forthcoming events.

http://www.inventique.info/

Patent Searching Using the Espacenet database

2009-04-17T15:33:00.000+01:00

Basic guidance for anyone wanting to search the largest free database of patent information on the internet:

Patent Searching

It is important to understand that no searching of any kind can ever be deemed completely foolproof – and lack of understanding of search techniques and how patent documents work often leads to incomplete results. Databases such as Espacenet are not intended as comprehensive search tools and should be regarded as a starting point only. However, as this database is free time spent checking through it could save a lot of money at a later stage, and should not be rushed.

http://ep.espacenet.com/

Searching a Subject Area

Choose Advanced Search from the list on the left. When the page opens ensure that the database at 1 is set to “Worldwide” (existing patents filed in any country can be a threat to you even if you’re just intending to apply for a British patent).

Go to the second box down – Keywords in title or abstract. The keywords are those words which you feel best describe what is new, or different about your invention. It is important to search both the title and abstract as patent titles on their own are often vague.

Remember to think of synonyms – you might decide to use the word “car”, but if an existing patent has described the invention as relating to a “vehicle” your search will miss it. Therefore you must try to think of all the alternatives.

Use truncation (wildcards) where you can. Using the word “vehicle” in your search will find patents which use that exact word only. However, using the truncation symbol (*) can widen your search – “vehic*” will find patents which use the words vehicle, vehicles, vehicular and any other variations.

For more detailed guidance on-line, use the Espacenet Assistant.

Alternatively, contact staff at Business & Patent Information Services and we will be happy to help. As well as assistance with Espacenet, we can provide information on the patenting process and also offer more comprehensive searches using commercial databases.

Business and Patent Information Services
2nd Floor
Central Library
Calverley Street
Leeds
LS1 3AB

Tel: 0113 2478266
Fax: 0113 2478268
Email: piu@leeds.gov.uk
Web: http://www.businessandpatents.org/

Getting your invention on to the market - information to get you started

2009-04-17T14:30:00.000+01:00

You’ve come up with an idea for a new product and you’re convinced it’s got potential. What do you do?

Have you considered whether you can protect it? Is it worth protecting? We can provide you with information on patents, trade marks, registered designs and copyright which may help you decide.

Are you intending to produce the product yourself or are you hoping to sell or licence the product to someone else to produce? Many people choose this latter option, thinking it is the easiest. However, it is a mistake to think that your product will “sell itself”, no matter how good it may be. The chances of you attracting the interest of a producer / distributor is likely to be much greater if you can show that you have done some background research and can back your claims up with facts. Remember that the company will judge you as much as your invention. You need to consider the following key areas:

The ability to demonstrate how the product will benefit the customer and the producer / distributor
What makes your product unique
Is there a gap in the market?

Never rely on opinions of family or friends – they will tell you what you want to hear, rather than what you need to hear.

Research your market. It is unlikely that anyone will take you seriously if you are not familiar with what is out there now. Never assume that there is bound to be a market for your product – you need to show that there is a demand.

How we can help you – We have access to one of the largest public library collections of market research reports which can provide you with the information you need to determine where your market lies, how strong it is, buying habits of potential customers and future market prospects.

Back up your findings with statistics. Apart from those gathered from market reports there are a number of sources of statistics which could help to strengthen your case. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ covers the economy, population and society and can be broken down into local areas. Leeds economic and social statistics can be found at http://www.leeds.gov.uk/ and http://statistics.leeds.gov.uk/

Find out as much as you can about the companies you’re dealing with - whether it’s a competitor or someone you’re hoping to sell / licence your invention to. What products are they developing now?

Don’t always go for the company which is the market leader. They are often least likely to be willing to deal with inventors. Small companies can often exploit niche markets where larger companies can not.

How we can help you – We can provide a tailor made mailing list focusing upon companies in key industries, target companies of a particular size and in key geographical locations. We can also help you research potential partners credit ratings, access any county court judgements and provide full financial reports.

Check to see if the company already has any existing patents. See our information on patent searching.

Maintain an awareness of current issues and events in your area of interest. Checking newspapers and the internet can keep you up to date with issues which could affect the chances of completing a successful agreement with a company.

How we can help you – we can access databases which contain thousands of articles from newspapers and specialist trade journals. A comprehensive list of web sites listing companies by industries is available at www.leeds.gov.uk/weblinks

Check out any publications or trade associations specifically related to the market you hope to sell your product in. They may reveal information on companies and issues which are not highlighted elsewhere.

How we can help you - A large number of business journals and directories are held within the department often concentrating on a particular field eg “Food Trade Directory” and “Furniture & Furnishing Directory”. Trade associations can be found at http://www.taforum.org/

Look at funding opportunities. Grants may be available through various organisations.

There is never a guarantee of success but the more information you gather, the better chance you’re likely to have of convincing someone that your product is worthwhile.

For more information see the “Getting your product on to the market” section of our web-site, or contact us:

BUSINESS AND PATENT INFORMATION SERVICES
2nd Floor, Central Library
Calverley Street
Leeds LS1 3AB
t. 0113 2478266
f. 0113 2478268
Email piu@leeds.gov.uk
http://www.businessandpatents.org

PATENT AND TRADEMARK SEARCHING

2009-04-17T14:22:00.000+01:00

Searching – An Important First Step

If you are considering applying for a Patent or a Trade mark it is essential that you do some initial searching. This can save you a lot of time and money further along the line!
Business and Patent Information Services provides access and advice on free search tools. We also carry out low cost Patent and Trade mark searches on your behalf.If you wish to complete your own search you may find the following websites a useful starting point:

Our own website-http://www.businessandpatents.org

The largest patent database on the web-http://ep.espacenet.com/

The British Library guide to Intellectual Property -http://www.bl.uk/bipc/resources.html

The US Patent Office website-http://www.uspto.gov./

The UK Intellectual Property Office Trade mark database- http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm/t-find/t-find-text/

If you don’t find anything after searching these website please do not assume that there is nothing there. Even if you are experienced in using the internet it is often difficult to construct an effective search if you are unfamiliar with patents. It is advisable to seek guidance from a Patent Library, The UK Intellectual Property Office or a Patent Agent.

BUSINESS AND PATENT INFORMATION SERVICES
2nd Floor, Central Library
Calverley Street
Leeds
LS1 3AB
t. 0113 2478266
f. 0113 2478268
Email piu@leeds.gov.uk
http://www.businessandpatents.org

Leeds Inventors Group - Peter Draggett - 14/4/09

2009-04-16T10:04:00.000+01:00

"Funding, exploiting and protecting your idea" - Peter Draggett, Dragon IP Strategics Ltd, 14th April 2009

Over 30 years in the IP profession, and 25 years as an in-house intellectual property attorney (EPA, CPA) in a wide range of industry sectors in ICI and Smith & Nephew in in-house commercial teams, providing and implementing commercial IP strategy at all levels up to CEO in line with corporate business strategy.
This included product/business development and launch, research collaborations, in- and out- licensing, subcontracting, partnering, etc.
In the last 3 years he has become a gamekeeper turned poacher, providing the same commercial services to spin-outs, start-ups, SME’s and investors, working as an integral part of the client’s business team.
He set up on his own in 2008 to provide the same ‘business development IP’ consultancy services through Dragon IP Strategics Ltd consultancy.

We help people fund, exploit and protect their ideas (IP)
And help to maximise the commercial return on our client’s IP

Case Study:
-Motorcycle Helmets
-Good for direct impacts
-Poor for glancing impacts

The Invention
Film of lubricant under sheet of rubber-like (‘elastomeric’) plastic over the helmet attached around the edges
On glancing impact, road pushes sheet to slide over the helmet – by up to 90o
Force of impact absorbed, spinning slowed/ minimised – 40% increase in safety

Client had developed the invention himself for 10 years, raised equity funding for commercial exploitation ,two families of solid patents/applications in major global markets – Europe, Japan and US but only 10 years life left, a raft of engineering drawings and development know-how
no trade marks.

The idea (IP) may be a person or company’s biggest asset, so
When Dragon talks about IP and Legal, it really means Business
http://www.dragonipstrategics.co.uk/

My Bright Idea! - Leeds Inventors Group Article

2009-04-15T13:47:00.000+01:00

Leeds Inventors Group article in the Yorkshire Evening Post 15/4/09 page 16 - featuring some of our very own inventors........http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/features/My-bright-idea.5172049.jp

Leeds has its very own inventors' circle which meets regularly to discuss ways of making the world that little bit better....

Leeds Inventors Club was founded by Jane Elizabeth Lambert, a barrister of 30 years, who specialises in patent law.She set up the club four years ago because she was concerned about naive inventors falling foul of opportunistic agents....

A good place for any would-be inventor to start is the Leeds club, which meets monthly at Leeds Library.Stef Stephenson and Ged Doonan, work in the Business and Patent Information Service at Leeds Central Library and help run the club.........

Retired Leeds plumber Bill Hyland, 66, came up with the idea for a de-burring tool – a time saving gadget which quickly and safely rounds-off the edges of plastic pipes, making them easier to push into fittings.

Full article - My Bright Idea - YEP:
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/features/My-bright-idea.5172049.jp

Leed Inventors Group meets once a month , next meeting: http://leedsinventorsgroup.blogspot.com/2008/07/leeds-inventors-group.html

Leeds Inventors Group:
http://leedsinventorsgroup.blogspot.com/

Contact Business & Patent Information Services Tel: 0113 2478266 email: piu@leeds.gov.uk
http://bapisleeds.blogspot.com/ our website http://www.businessandpatents.org/

Search for patents at: http://ep.espacenet.com/

Follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/baplig

Leeds Inventors Group - Sara Ludlam 18/3/09

2009-04-07T14:22:00.000+01:00

“Making money from your IP” Sara Ludlam of Ludlams IP Solicitors
Leeds Inventors Group 18th March 2009

Sara began by giving a brief overview of her career, which started when she trained as an IP solicitor in London. She became an IP litigator, working in-house with several large companies. During this time she was involved in licensing such well-known trade marks as Lacoste®, Kickers® and Kangol®. She now runs her own company in Leeds.

Licensing is one of the most common ways of making money from your Intellectual Property – allowing others to produce / sell the product in return for licence fees. Sara pointed out that the first question for anyone in business should be – What Intellectual Property have you got? Until you know what you’ve got, you don’t know what you can sell. The most obvious things initially are the company name and the product name. If you can’t protect these things they can be much more difficult to sell. She passed around a packaged air freshener and asked the audience to think about what types of intellectual property might be relevant to that particular product. Even something as ordinary as this had several types of protection on it.

As well as patents, trade marks, designs and copyright she discussed trade secrets which, like the other types of intellectual property, can be licensed. The formula for Coca Cola is one of the most famous trade secrets. Confidentiality agreements can be useful in all of these situations but it is important to disclose information to as few people as possible.

Patents and registered designs in particular have a limited life span, but other types of Intellectual Property such as trade marks and copyright can be used to increase the value of a product. Gore-Tex® fabric was invented 30 years ago and the patents expired some time ago. However the company insisted that any licensees used the Gore-Tex® trade mark. In doing so goodwill was being built up around the Gore-Tex® brand. It became very familiar and the trade mark built up its value. Trade marks can last indefinitely so it can be a powerful tool to help build your reputation. It is therefore important not to focus on just one aspect of intellectual property.

When licensing your intellectual property it is important to think about the details of the licence. The IP owner can determine such things as the term of the licence, the territories (countries) of use, the field of use (such as the internet) and whether or not the licence is exclusive. Sometimes the IP owner will stipulate a certain number of sales before a licence is extended or renewed. There should always be an option to get out of an agreement if such stipulations are not met, and quality control should be built in can you see samples regularly? Can you inspect the licensee’s factory? Agreement should be reached on who should take action if the IP is infringed – the owner or the licensee? Who, if anyone, is to pay infringement insurance?

It’s always a good idea to keep records of when you were developing your ideas. Potentially it could act as evidence should any disagreements end in court.

The more thought that can be put into how you intend to get the product to market and how you might want to licence it the better.

www.ludlams.co.uk tel: 0113 2307476

Copyright in Photography - a brief guide to UK copyright in photography

2009-03-11T15:20:00.001Z

What is copyright?

Copyright is an automatic legal right which protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. This includes among other things, sound recordings, broadcasts, photography, film and computer programs. It does not protect inventions or names you give to your product or service. It also does not protect an idea, but rather the tangible expression of the idea in some physical form - a photograph is one example of that expression in physical form.........................

Also available Copyright in Music. http://bapisleeds.blogspot.com/2008/09/copyright-in-music.html

FREE booklet available from Business & Patent Information Services - Email: piu@leeds.gov.uk tel: 0113 2478266

New IP Healthcheck Launched

2009-03-06T08:54:00.000Z

What is it?
The IP Healthcheck online diagnostic tool helps artists, inventors, sole traders and small and medium sized businesses identify, protect and commercially exploit their Intellectual Property (IP). It’s free to use and will help you find out;
• If you have IP to protect;
• Whether you own it and, if you don’t, who does;
• How to protect it, and whether you should;
• How you can exploit it commercially.
What you get
Just answer a series of simple questions on the IP topic of your choice and we will create a tailored confidential report for you, based on what you have told us. The report will include;
• A list of recommended action points, to help you protect and exploit your IP rights;
• An explanation of why we have made each recommendation;
• Guidance on how to put each recommendation into practice;
• Links to useful information, websites and other resources.
When and where will it be available?
The tool is on the website at www.ipo.gov.uk/iphealthcheck

The Enterprise shows

2009-03-04T14:46:00.000Z

Business & Patents Information Services wil be attending the enterprise shows:

The Enterprise Show is your chance to get professional advice on both starting and developing your own business - all under ONE roof and in ONE day! It's FREE to get in, and is the ideal place to make contacts, acquire new knowledge and gain the confidence and abilities that will help you to succeed.

YORK SHOW Venue: Racecourse, York Dates: Saturday 14th March - Sunday 15th March 2009 Time: Sat: 10am-5pm / Sun: 10am-4pm
LEEDS SHOW Venue: Millennium Square - Leeds Dates: Saturday 28th March - Sunday 29th March 2009 Time: Sat 10am-5pm / Sun 10am-4pm
HULL SHOW Venue: City Hall - Hull Dates: Saturday 18th April - Sunday 19th April 2009 Time: Sat 10am-5pm / Sun 10am-4pm
SHEFFIELD SHOW Venue: Meadowhall Shopping Centre - Sheffield Dates: Saturday 2nd May - Sunday 3rd May 2009 Time: Sat 10am-5pm / Sun 10am-4pm

http://www.theenterpriseshows.com/ Tel: 0800 0322626

Leeds Inventors Group 18/2/09 - Lydia Machell

2009-02-19T11:19:00.000Z

Leeds Inventors Group 18/02/09 – Lydia Machell

Light Bulb Moments: Inspiration, Innovation and Invention – Lydia Machell, Director of Prima Vista Braille Music Services Limited, 18th February 2009

“Prima Vista” literally means “first sight”. It’s also a musical term for the skill of performing music straight off the printed page without having seen it before. Lydia established Prima Vista Braille Music Services Limited in Leeds in 2008 to bring “first sight” to blind music-makers around the world. Lydia spent the previous seven years developing a system, including software and hardware designs, that will make the mass production of braille sheet music possible at last. Patents are pending for the system in Europe and in the United States and Prima Vista’s e-commerce website, selling downloadable braille scores, will launch later this year at http://www.primavistamusic.com/.

Lydia was here to tell us about the creation of the Prima Vista system but began by taking a look at the history of a number of famous inventions: the brains behind them, the flukes along the way and the nature of the inventor’s mind which, she said, “could be a pretty surreal place. They have light bulb moments because they make connections other people fail to see. But as well as having a knack for lateral thinking, they have to have a single-mindedness that will allow them to pursue a problem, often for years.”

The story behind Lydia’s own light bulb moment started with the publication of a small collection of ringtone formulas called “Ringtone Mania” in 2001, and, after what we now saw as the twists and turns of fate required in any invention story, arrived at the development of a website selling braille music created using the Prima Vista system.

Lydia worked in music publishing for about 15 years and in that time the industry was revolutionised. The development of score-writing software such as Finale and Sibelius has made it easier to prepare scores for printing, much as word-processors were faster and more flexible than typewriters for the production of text documents. At first, the digital scores created by these applications were seen as just a step in the print-production process, a replacement for camera-ready artwork and a by-product with no intrinsic value. But music publishers now recognise the true worth of these digital files, particularly in their flexibility. A digital file can be listened to. A file of one score can form the basis of a new publication for a different instrument, or in a different key, or in a new arrangement. And a digital file can be downloaded, opening up an entirely new delivery route to market.

But the revolution in music publishing has for the most part bypassed blind musicians. With printed music now more easily available than ever before, are blind music-makers benefitting? The answer, sadly, is “no”. Braille music is still mainly created by individual transcribers who manually copy a printed score into braille using a braille typewriter. This is a 6-keyed device that uses different key combinations to produce all the variations of the 6-dot braille cell. Transcriptions are usually done on an individual order basis, often with no guaranteed turnaround time. There are two commercially-available braille music applications on the market but neither works directly with publishers’ digital files and the culture is still one of “transcription at destination”.

Lydia spent a lot of time since her light bulb moment researching braille music, attending conferences, speaking to blind musicians and learning from braille music specialists. The overall picture is one of frustration. She realised that by using the digital score as her starting point, mass production of braille music could be possible at last. With “transcription at source” becoming the norm, one day a new braille score will appear on the market every time a new print score is published.
Making her designs work is one thing, but this wasn’t going to be much use unless she could also put together a commercial model that was going to work. A great deal of her energy in the past 12 months has gone into negotiating contracts with publishers. With the music industry as a whole beset by copyright infringement, Lydia needed to show that she understood and respected publishers’ rights.
She hopes to provide blind musicians with the same range of choice available to sighted musicians. This will be done through Prima Vista’s e-commerce website, to be launched later this year. Designed to be fully accessible to blind users with screen-readers, the site is the first of its kind and will enable blind users to browse by ear for the music they want. With a varied range of scores for all musical tastes, the site will offer customers the option to buy braille downloads or to order an embossed score for postal delivery.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People endorses Prima Vista as one of only 3 recognised braille music transcription services in the UK. Central to Prima Vista’s approach has been the development of a licensing agreement which Lydia hopes will set the standard for this new market. Publishers are granting Prima Vista access to their copyright files in return for a royalty payment on sales. Printed publications available in braille are identified by the Prima Vista “Sightmark” logo. Not only does this show that a braille edition is available, but it shows the publisher’s commitment to accessibility and is likely to be a powerful incentive for other publishers to join the scheme.
Making printed music accessible to blind musicians is only half the story. What about blind musicians who want to compose in braille and share their work with sighted musicians? As well as its print-to-braille software, the Prima Vista Braille Music System has developed an application that addresses the needs of blind composers with braille-to-print software, ensuring that accessibility is a two-way street. Both software components come together to drive the Braille Music Workstation. This is a prototype electronic keyoard incorporating a braille display, and completes the Prima Vista braille music system. Prima Vista has patents pending for the system in both the US and in Europe.

http://primavistamusic.com/

Prima Vista Braille Music Services Limited
Elizabeth House
Queen Street
Leeds LS1 2TW
UK
tel. +44 (0) 113 2626483

Leeds Inventors Group 14/1/09 - Richard Hall

2009-01-20T14:12:00.000Z

Richard Hall of Pd-m International at Leeds Inventors Group

14–1–09

Richard began by talking about his background from his engineering apprenticeship at Rolls Royce, through his degree in product design and various design posts until he became Operations Manager at POS Global in 2003. He set up Pd-m in 2005.

Pd-m is all about taking new products from a basic idea through prototyping and on to the market. Richard talked through some of the successful products which the company has dealt with:

Businessman James Dunne won an award at the Grand Designs Awards for his “Savasocket” - an energy-saving standby socket, praised for its economy and energy and emission saving features. Pd-m were involved in the product development and manufacturing of the Savasocket.

Rowena Mead got quite a lot of press and TV coverage for her invention – the flexible “Bug Brush” toothbrush - and of course has previously spoken to the inventors group about her experiences. She used Pd-m for her prototyping before taking her product round to manufacturers.

Mel Blythe came up with the idea of the “Octopod” - a water saving device which won Eon’s Energy Lab competition. Once again Pd-m was involved in the development of the product.

Richard pointed out that the first step for anyone with a good idea for a product must take is “due diligence”. It’s vital to determine whether anything similar to the proposed product is already there – and a thorough patent search such as that offered by Business & Patent Information Services is necessary before taking things any further. From there an inventor can approach design consultants or perhaps Business Link. He also referred to the importance of confidentiality agreements or non-disclosure agreements.

Pd-m will look at the viability of the product before anything else – will it cost more to make than you are likely to get back in sales? He used the Sinclair C5 as an example of something which was a good product but not commercially viable.

Doing some market research is vital – whether the inventor does their own or gets someone else to do it for them. Pd-m will then put together a design brief. Often there are things which an inventor hasn’t thought of or materials which he or she is not aware of. As Richard said the product may work in your shed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will work in the shop.

A lot of products need to be compliance–tested to ensure they comply with all the relevant regulations (such as the CE mark). Failure to do so can result in the product having to be recalled and it is a very important step for a new product. Pd-m uses compliance companies to carry out testing on any products they deal with and this has to be taken into consideration when working out costs. It is not cheap.

Richard went on to explain how important it is to know and be familiar with a manufacturer and how they work. A new product will evolve and it’s not just a case of handing it over to a manufacturer and expecting it to come out the other end exactly as it was originally envisaged. It’s important to have regular detailed checks and be aware of any difficulties. The inventor should be involved in the manufacturing process throughout. Having a detailed agreement with a manufacturer from the outset can reduce the risk of disagreements and he suggested insisting on samples being produced before any large batch is manufactured. It is also important to make very clear who owns the intellectual property in the product. Disputes and even court cases have resulted from agreements not being explicit enough in this regard.

Manufacturing overseas is common now but it is important in these situations to take transport costs into consideration – and such things as import taxes. Adding up costs for the product – right from protecting it with a patent or registered design etc, through prototyping, compliance, and the various other costs the total can be tens of thousands of pounds.

Richard summed up by saying that anyone who wants to keep everything to themselves will probably struggle. It’s important to have a good team – each a specialist in their own area, whether it be prototyping, manufacturing, marketing or any other area. You can have a mediocre product which can succeed with a good team, and you can have a very good product which doesn’t succeed because of a poor team.

Summary of Tips
1. IP: Ensure its not already out there or already protected
2. Design: Make sure the product has a commercial advantage
3. Compliance: CE + CE does not equal CE
4. Manufacture: Make sure you have agreements in place.
5. Quality: Avoid ambiguity at all costs.
6. Final tip: Get a good team around you!

Contact details:
•Richard Hall
•Pd-m International Limited
•www.pd-m.co.uk
•Tel: 01423 503 900
•info@pd-m.co.uk

The Big and Easy Guide.........

2008-12-10T16:24:00.000Z

New Book Available:

http://jembro.org/TheBIG.aspx

Leeds Inventors Group 19/11/08 - Dr Geoff Whiteley

2008-11-25T13:54:00.000Z

“How to ensure your ideas are protected and marketable” - Dr Geoff Whiteley.
Leeds Inventors Group 19-11-08

Geoff described how “Strulch”, the environmentally-friendly garden mulch on which his business is based, came out of research he was involved with in his post in the Biological Sciences department at Leeds University. A lot of companies were looking for alternatives to peat compost and the university had a number of projects looking into this – funded by industry.

For the university, such projects were a learning process. They began to realise that very often the outcome was a pat on the back but no money so it was decided that in future a better way would be to licence any useful technology to the companies involved.

At this time the university were looking at alternative uses for straw. Straw-burning had been banned because of the impact on the environment, so the university looked into how straw reacts in soil.

The result was a garden mulch made from straw with minerals added to slow its decomposition. As well as being good for the environment it controls weeds and deters garden pests. Patents were filed by the university but after a few years the university decided not to fund the project further. Geoff decided to take the big step of taking the project on himself – along with the significant costs of international patents. Costs of around £25,000 were due at this point.
Because of the research which had been done on it and the advantage of it being good for the environment he was able to get funding from NESTA. This enabled the commission of a processing plant. The product was tested out at the Eden Project, the Earth Centre, the Royal Horticultural Society and Helmsley Wall Garden with very positive feedback.
The next step was to try to get producers interested and he approached companies which he had previously dealt with through the university. The difficulty was that although it could be demonstrated that the product worked on a small scale they wanted to know if it would work on a large scale. And, of course, with an agricultural product this takes time.
Pre-licensing deals were signed with two companies, but as Geoff pointed out things can change quickly. Due to an increase in people composting their own waste and the fact that councils were collecting domestic waste and giving it to composting companies there was an increase in cheap and environmentally friendly compost. As a result the two interested companies backed out.
Geoff and his wife then set up their own business and negotiated with the university to licence the patents. They registered “Strulch” as a trade mark. Business Link then put them in touch with West Yorkshire Ventures. They were advised that in order to get significant funding they would need a business plan and a bigger team with a broader range of skills. In particular, the addition of someone experienced in marketing was a critical step. Funding from Yorkshire Forward and other organisations resulted in an investment of £30,000. They turned down offers from business angels as they didn’t want to give away 50% of the business.
It’s now ten years since the patent was filed. This year the company has paid off its business overdraft. The product has been selling for three years and they’re hoping to break even soon. It has been used on Gardeners World and Ground Force and its reputation is growing.
As Geoff pointed out, having a patent won’t convince manufacturers that the product will sell. They will want to know whether anyone has bought it and whether you can prove that it is better than what is already on the market. A big company, if interested, may well want to do their own trials. It’s a long process, and very often you can think that you’re getting somewhere when in fact you’re being led on by a large company before being dropped. If you can show that the product has sold you will be in a stronger position.
More than anything an inventor needs determination and a great deal of patience.

www.strulch.co.uk

STRULCH LIMITED
26 Hill Crescent
Burley in Wharfedale
Ilkley LS29 7QG
Tel:01943 863610 Fax:01943 863610

Leeds Inventors Group 15/10/08 - Jane Lambert

2008-10-16T11:43:00.000+01:00

“Inventing in the Economic Downturn” – Jane Lambert. Leeds Inventors Group 15 – 10 – 08

http://nipcinvention.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-will-economic-downturn-affect.html

http://www.slideshare.net/nipclaw/the-coming-economic-downturn-how-it-will-affect-inventors-and-what-they-can-do-presentation/

Jane decided to take a look at what effects the current economic situation could have on those who are inventing and hoping to get funding or support for their products.

Obviously potential investors are likely to be much more cautious about providing funding when the financial world is particularly unstable. Those who have seen their assets significantly reduced will be much less willing than usual to offer capital. What makes this downturn more difficult is that the government’s support for the banks will mean that there is likely to be much less flexibility in their ability to support new ventures with public money. Inflation and the shrinking economy may mean that funding cuts become necessary. The cost of many materials is also rising.

Anyone putting new products on to the market will always have to compete with existing products, and in difficult times consumers tend to stick with products that they are already familiar with.

Jane pointed out that a growing challenge for European companies and inventors comes from a group of countries he referred to as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India & China). Jane argued that particularly because they are not dependent on exports they – and China in particular – are continuing to grow. While most Western nations tend to cut research and development work in a recession, some of these countries are continuing to invest in them. It’s predicted that in financial terms China will overtake the US within the next 20 years.

However, this growing market should also be seen as an opportunity – both as a place to sell UK goods but also as a source of investment. Already we are starting to see Chinese investment coming in to the UK. Brazil, China and India are also members of the World Trade Organisation.

Jane then went on to list several famous inventions which were developed during the great depression of the 1930s – such as the jet engine, the electron microscope, frozen food and cats eyes – the point being that economic difficulties needn’t kill innovation.

It’s more important than ever to obtain the best professional advice from recognised organisations - PatLib centres such as Business & Patent Information Services; the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys; and the IP Lawyers Association to name a few. As always, beware of invention promoters who offer to protect, promote and sell an inventor’s product for them. She also pointed out that unsolicited approaches to large companies are rarely successful – and sometimes can alert that company to a gap in the market which they can then produce their own product for. Now more than ever companies want proof that a product will sell before they will invest.

Jane stressed how important it is to try to look ahead and see threats to income as early as possible. She advocated the use of adequate intellectual property and other indemnity insurance.

Finally, Jane emphasised how important it is for inventors to make the most of networking opportunities and attending relevant events to keep up to date with current opportunities and making contacts which could give them the breakthrough they are looking for.

Leeds Inventors Group 17/09/2008 - Gareth Morgan

2008-09-23T15:22:00.000+01:00

“Because Your Business Success Depends on Marketing” : Gareth Morgan of GAP Management

Leeds Inventors Group 17th Sept 2008

Gareth has been working closely with inventors and start-up businesses for eight years. He began his talk by asking the question What is marketing? His answer was that broadly it is about identifying and fulfilling a need.

Identifying a need is something which many inventors don’t spend much time thinking about. Just because you can invent something doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone will want it. Instead of inventing something which overcomes a problem which no-one cares about it’s important to see where there is a market for a new product and whether that market is big enough. As Gareth put it – an accountant doesn’t sell you a load of figures, he sells you a chance to save tax. The figures are a means to an end.

Marketing is everything you do to promote your business or product – including your image. Knowing who your customers are and how they operate is vital in enabling you to get their interest – a will save a lot of time. It’s very important to understand the market and any available trade magazines should be utilised. Where does your product fit into the market? Having a patent does not mean that your product is commercially viable. Many people have spent a fortune on patents and yet not checked that there is a market for the product.

What an inventor needs to do is summed up in the AIDA acronym – Grab Attention, create Interest, create Desire, call to Action

Gareth pointed out that the inventor has to generate his or her own sales – retailers will put stock on their shelves but won’t market it. It’s important to be able to identify what the benefits of your product are (simpler? easier? cheaper than the competition?) He gave an example – the mobile phone. This has lots of features which can include texting, a camera, internet access and many others. However none of these features are benefits if you simply want to make a phone call. What unique benefits does your product have?

Once the benefits of the invention have been matched to a market, progress must be measured and adapted according to what’s needed.

If you manage to gain the interest of a producer / supplier Gareth suggested that it’s sensible to ensure you don’t present them with your only prototype. They will want to test it out – possibly to destruction – in order to determine its strengths and weaknesses. He also pointed out that if you supply only one firm with your product you will be in a much weaker position. You may be at the mercy of their tactics, and if that firm goes out of business or decides not to continue with your product you’ll be in a very difficult position.

If an inventor is competing in a market with an established product, retailers will favour the established product. They will always be wary of someone they don’t know, not knowing how reliable they are likely to be. Will the inventor be able to match the demands of the retailer if the product takes off?

Pricing is vital – if the price is too high, it won’t sell. If it’s too low, once wholesalers and retailers take their cut you won’t have enough to cover your costs. Pricing is part of what Gareth referred to as positioning, or how you’d like your product / business to be perceived. It includes image, value and quality of service.

Thought needs to go into how the product will be promoted. Gareth gave the example of “Innocent Smoothy” drinks. Initially they promoted the drinks simply by giving away samples at festivals.

Making good contacts is always important, as is “word of mouth” – this includes “viral marketing” or using the internet to spread the message to potential customers. Gareth went into detail about various aspects of promoting the product such as mailing, advertisements, brochures, networking and attending relevant events. Having a clear marketing plan should focus all of these elements.

Most importantly, an inventor must always be clear about what they can offer and what the invention does, who the target market is and how the advantages of the invention has can be proved.

Leeds Inventors’ Group
Presented by
Gareth Morgan
September 2008

Topics
What is Marketing
The 7 Ps of Marketing
Marketing Toolkit
Selling your idea

SPAM
SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM
…Wonderful SPAM!

What Is Marketing?
Identifying and fulfilling a need
Identifying who your customers are
What they want
Meeting their need
Feedback

What Is Marketing?
Marketing is:
"Everything you do to promote business"

Market Research
Customers – Who? How many?
Product – Real need?
Price – Consistent
Marketplace – How do buyers buy?
Competition – Who? Your advantage?

Setting Off
Identify your targets – how will you reach?
Customers will buy from me because…
Benefits means that…
Differentiate
Momentum
AIDA
Measure, Modify, Adapt

Patent does not mean commercial viable
Retailers are middlemen selling space
You are responsible for generating demand
Retailers not particularly interested in whose product they sell
Retailers looking for ranges not single products
Marketing is about trust

Product
People buy the Results
Feature – what a product is
Benefit – what a product means for the customer
What do customers REALLY buy?

Pricing
Mark up
Contributions and charges

Positioning
What you stand for in the eyes of customers
Price
Value
Image
Standards of Service
Quality of Staff
Expectations

7ps
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
People
Process
Physical

Marketing Tool Kit
Branding
Business Stationery
Company Literature
Staff
Signage & Premises
Vehicles

Marketing tool Kit
•Word of Mouth
•The Web
•Brochures
•Direct Mail
•PR
•Advertising
•Promotions
•Events
•Networking

Getting Underway
People buy from people
KISS
Short words, short sentences
A Attract Attention
I Create and hold Interest
D Stimulate Desire
A Motivate Generate Action

Intellectual Property
Product – better than others, patented
Brand name – distinguisher, trade marked
Logo – promotion, trademarked or registered design
Colours – distinguisher, registered
Website and literature – promotion, copyright

Selling Your Idea

What appeal does the product have?
Why will customers buy the product?
Where does it fit into current offering?
Who are the competitors?
Does it show sufficient profit?
How packed, displayed, promoted?
Is continuity of supply secure?

What is a Marketing Plan?
Blueprint
Purpose of your Marketing
How you will achieve – describe the benefits
Describe your target audience
Describe your niche and position
Outline the weapons your will use
Outline the budget and timescales
Describe the results

Why do you need a Plan?
To attract and keep profitable customers
Identify who you and where you are going
Focus
Target
Coordinated
Measure

Summary
Who do I want to reach?
What message do I want to generate?
What action do I want to generate?
What is my competitive advantage?
How will I prove my claims?
How will I create urgency?

Your Next Step
Learn More
- Leave your card for a copy of the presentation
- Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter (for hints and tips) at: http://www.gapmanagement.co.uk/
Personal Help
- Use GAP for all your Marketing needs
- Marketing Review to evaluate your marketing

Gareth Morgan 01226 290288

Leeds Inventors Group 23/7/08 - Becky Ascough

2008-07-24T09:47:00.000+01:00

Becky Ascough Business development manager of Knowledge Rich - Turning your ideas into reality with university expertise.

Knowledge Rich - the expert network

What we are:
A business dedicated brokering service for companies requiring University expertise.
A Yorkshire Forward funded project
Delivered by Yorkshire Universities, 10 HE Partners

Our aim:
To provide a business friendly front door to the wealth of expertise and facilities commercially available in Yorkshire & Humber’s research intensive Universities.

Initial contact & technical brief ,Universities source expertise & provide proposals ,Client makes informed decision ,KnowledgeRICH facilitates contact with expert

The Benefits:
Single access point to the regions Universities ,Commercially responsive process – Expert found in 1 week, Experts with experience of industrial collaboration ,Free service,KnowledgeRICH will hand hold customers through the University maze ,Confidentiality .

You are eligible:
§ No eligibility criteria § Regional SME’s § Large companies § National & International § Any sector .

Case studies:
Technical: Product development, process improvement,
innovation, prototyping

Non-technical: Marketing, web development, business planning

see the Slipstream Energy Ltd case study:http://www.knowledge-rich.com/SuccessStory.aspx?storyid=179
Jay Innovations ltd case study: http://www.knowledge-rich.com/SuccessStory.aspx?storyid=153
What is in the offer?
Consultancy, Design and product development, Training,Equipment hire/ rent a lab, Tap into ground breaking research .

Added Value:
§ Strong partnerships with regional support agencies
§ Signpost to funding
§ Signpost to technical support e.g MAS
§ Signpost to business support e.g Bus. Link & UKTI
§ Publicity/Success stories

Contact:
Tel: 0845 8336533
http://www.knowledgerich.com/

Leeds Inventors Group 18-6-08 “Sharing the Success” : Support advice & guidance available through LEGI

2008-07-02T17:14:00.000+01:00

Leeds Inventors Group 18-6-08 “Sharing the Success” : Support advice & guidance available through LEGI

“Sharing the Success” : Support advice & guidance available through the Local Enterprise Growth InitiativeA team from Leeds Chamber of Commerce spoke to the group about the “Sharing the Success” project and how it might be of benefit to those trying to get a new product on to the market. Kate Rigley began by explaining the project, which is predominantly (but not exclusively) aimed at helping people to set up in business.Gary Sullivan then went into more detail: along with other “Community Motivators” Gary’s job is to find people who think that they might want to go into business but in many cases are unsure as to whether they can do it. Gary and the team help these potential entrepreneurs to understand what they need to do and basically build their confidence and knowledge. He gave an example of someone who had struggled to continue his existing job because of an injury but with support from the team had been able to start a gardening business.Owen Jackson talked about the aims of LEGI in the Leeds area which includes a target of 500 new businesses by 2011, particularly in disadvantaged areas. This is to be achieved with the help of a group of over 20 partners. His role is to give help and advice on funding – explaining the full range of finance available to new enterprises. He works with the Business Enterprise Fund, the banks, the Prince’s Trust and Leeds Credit Union among others. Although it’s not always possible to fund a new project, he emphasised that he’s happy to talk to anyone and particularly to discuss the details and implications of any funding – as he said, he’s happy to give out loans but he’s not happy to give out debts.Alistair MacFarlane then covered his role in “Intensive Assistance”. One of the features of the project is that the team spend a great deal of time with the person developing their business, and as Alistair said, he will see the client as often as is necessary. The ground that he will typically cover includes business plans, finding out if there is a market for the product, and identifying the skills which will be needed to make it work. There is a lot of free training available to assist in this.Finding premises can be critical to anyone starting off. As part of the project, there will be a number of “Catalyst Centres” set up around Leeds offering office space and “hot desking” for just this purpose.The team emphasised that they are happy to speak to anyone – whether it is someone thinking of starting a business, or an inventor looking for an investor or manufacturer. And using their services does not cost anything – though obviously when referring a client on to another professional, that professional may have their own charges.Contact 0113 220 6350 http://www.enterpriseleeds.co.uk/

Leeds Inventors Group 21-5-08 - Barry Haigh & Gregory Peck

2008-07-02T17:13:00.002+01:00

Leeds Inventors Group 21-5-08 - Barry Haigh & Gregory Peck
This month’s meeting was a double-act by two experienced inventors – Barry Haigh, inventor of the “Baby Dream Machine” and Gregory Peck, inventor of security etching for car windows.Barry began by describing his experiences with the “Baby Dream Machine” the baby-rocking device which found fame on “Dragons Den” and was previously discussed by Barry’s partner Graham Whitby at January’s Inventors Group meeting.Trying to get an investor or manufacturer interested in a new product is always difficult. Barry initially followed the route which many inventors try – contacting all the major manufacturers. Mothercare were the first company Barry showed the “Baby Dream Machine” to and indicated that they were very interested. Naturally he got very excited and began dreaming of success. Mothercare kept it for a couple of months but then dropped it. Some companies were quite honest and said that if they don’t think of an idea themselves they’re not interested - they don’t take new ideas from outside the company. Some are simply not interested unless they’ve dealt with you before. It’s a vicious circle.Having a “good idea” for a product is one thing, but it is only the start of the process. You have to be able to prove that it works, and of course with any products for children safety is critical. In this particular case it was important to ensure that the movement of the invention was sufficient to rock the child to sleep, and not vigorous enough to throw the child on the floor.Having a good working prototype to demonstrate the invention can take time and money to develop. Barry’s view was that the prototype has to look good as well as working efficiently. Through Business Link he was able to get a grant and a connection with Hull University who worked on developing it.Through meeting Graham Whitby and Gregory Peck and his appearance on “Dragons’ Den” (he pointed out that the grilling by the Dragons is actually very much longer than the few minutes you see in the actual programme) Barry eventually got his invention on the market.Barry pointed out that patent protection can be very expensive – he himself has spent thousands of pounds on patents. Yet in spite of the costs and the frustrations, he still enjoys inventing.

Gregory came up with his first invention 40 years ago, and like Barry had interest from Mothercare who then decided not to follow it through. He later moved to Australia and it was there that he came up with the idea of security etching for car windows.Commonly, stolen cars were painted a different colour to avoid detection and his invention was an attempt to overcome this. He applied for a patent himself as he couldn’t afford a patent agent. When he showed the product to others, the reaction was that it was too expensive.He began selling it in petrol stations before trying his luck in the US on someone’s recommendation. It was several years before he made a breakthrough when a number of car dealers included window etching in the sale of their cars – adding the cost to the price of the car loan. Approval from the police and insurance companies followed and one Boston company stated that they would refuse to insure any vehicle which had not been etched.This was followed up with a number of other successful vehicle security products. Gregory saw Barry and the “Baby Dream Machine” on “Dragons’ Den” and subsequently made contact with him. By this stage he had his own manufacturing contacts in China. He re-emphasised Barry’s point that most companies like dealing with people they know which is why many inventors fail when it comes to approaching companies. He himself has also occasionally been able to use his name (which a number of people have confused with the Hollywood star of the same name) to open doors!In his opinion two of the most important things which he has learned are: Getting the price of the product right at an early stage is vital – if someone else can undercut you, you could be out of business. The second thing is that it’s a good idea to get two manufacturers – then if something goes wrong with one, you’ve still got the other to keep you going.Gregory felt that it’s particularly difficult to get potential manufacturers in the UK interested in a new product – he had much more success elsewhere.

Leeds Inventors Group 16/4/08 - Jane Lambert

2008-07-02T17:13:00.001+01:00

Leeds Inventors Group 16/4/08 - Jane Lambert

“So You Think You Want a Patent?” http://www.slideshare.net/nipclaw/so-you-think-you-want-a-patent/ Jane Lambert, Patent BarristerLeeds Inventors Group 16 – 4 – 08 Jane began her talk with a story which should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks that gaining a patent is an end in itself. She told of a couple who had saved up for many years in order to travel the world, only for the husband to spend most of the money obtaining patents. Their dreams of travelling were gone and though the patents had been granted, the product they protected never reached the market.The opposite of that, of course, are those people with good ideas and marketable products who don’t protect them with a patent. But it’s always important to remember that a patent is essentially a tool to enable the owner to take legal action against an infringer. Such legal action is very expensive – particularly in the UK. Jane gave some examples of enforcement costs, ranging from £150,000 to over £1 million.Jane gave a detailed description of the application process and the procedure in the case of an infringement.One of the things which came out of the meeting was that some people don’t realise that once a patent is granted it can still be revoked at any time. To have a patent granted the invention must be new – something which has not been disclosed anywhere in the world ever before. Obviously there is no database or search system which could determine this with absolute certainty so the grant of a patent means that the invention is regarded as being new as far as the examiners are aware at that point in time. This can always be challenged at any point during the life of the patent. 50% of patent cases which go to trial result in a judgement that the patent should not have been granted in the first place.It is because of this that patent insurance can be important (this was a subject discussed in more detail by Mark Philmore of MFL Insurance Brokers in February’s Inventors Group meeting). It is also possible now to get an opinion from an examiner at the UK Intellectual Property Office (the Patent Office) on validity before going ahead with an action. Insurance can also cover confidentiality agreements.Jane pointed out that the process of getting a new product from the idea stage to actual production is likely to involve a lot of people – searchers, legal advisors, product developers etc. All are specialists in their own area and inventors should always be wary of anyone who claims to be able to offer a service which does everything. One of the big advantages which multinationals have is that they have large teams of all these specialists in-house. Jane stated that intellectual property protects businesses rather than individuals – it is regarded as a big part of a company’s assets.And inventors always need to take a realistic view of how they protect their invention – it is often not practical or financially viable to gain patents in all countries. This is one reason why the vast majority of patents are held by companies. Jane pointed out that even Microsoft can’t afford to protect all of their Intellectual Property rights.

Leeds Inventors Group 20-02-08 - Mark Philmore

2008-07-02T17:12:00.001+01:00

Leeds Inventors Group 20-02-08 - Mark Philmore

Leeds Inventors Group 20-02-08 “Insuring Your Invention” Mark Philmore of MFL LtdMark is a Chartered Insurance Broker and through the services of MFL Science & Technology Insurance Brokers attempts to, as he put it, “level the playing field”.Mark pointed out that the presence of Intellectual Property (IP) – patents, trade marks, designs and copyright – significantly increases the value of a business. However, exploiting an idea will always involve risk. If a patent is infringed and it goes to court, costs can be substantial – fromtens of thousands to, in some cases, a million. Having IP insurance can help put off infringers – it lets them know that you intend to assert your rights. And if the case does go to court it means that the individual or small company has a better chance of fighting off a larger company with substantial resources.Mark went through the various options for cover from self-insuring to the most expensive “After the event” cover. He also explained that any claim would be carefully assessed by the insurer. There will always be a clause which states that costs will be covered if there is a chance of winning the case. If it looks like there’s no chance they won’t do it. It’s normal in these situations to get opinions from IP lawyers.IP insurance plays a significant part in the process of protecting a new product or service but it is one that is frequently overlooked.