Hi April Lorenzen,
         (snip) I am trying to get something done about some of my ideas ( they are not inventions yet because I don't have them patented yet ) I have a disclosure document almost ready to send to the USPTO and have been working on them for about two years.

(snip)  I hope that you have the time to give me some advice or assistance on what to do about my ideas and inventions. (Our mutual friend who told me about you), also said that you are in business and use your companies to help make peoples lives better and easier, that's just what I want to do with my inventions and ideas for businesses that address some problems with our society.

- Anon Innovator


Dear Anon Innovator,

It will be interesting to discuss with you the ethical and moral issues about patents and ideas. Yes, I do have a patent and I have another patent pending. However in recent years I have become involved in understanding the Open Source Software world and the community of people who contribute to it. In addition to software, several groups who are actively and successfully spreading methods / process for relationships and/or people alone to deal with their stressful thoughts.

As I have studied how IDEAS are handled in all of these communities - my mind has changed about the value and appropriateness of patents and litigation. I have come to believe that it is the person or company who "takes the best CARE of an idea" - who should, and automatically does -get market share on an idea. Remember that patents had a term of 17 years originally. They were not intended to enforce "ownership forever" to a person who has an idea. They were intended to give the company who invests in R&D - the opportunity to recoup their investment and be rewarded. However, the system has been abused in my opinion and no longer serves the purpose of getting technology to the society who can use it most - to improve the quality of life for humans as well as the rest of the planet.

I have come to the conclusion that the energy - time money and fear-based thought - that goes into seeking and litigioiusly defending patents - takes away from the time money and energy available even for that specific idea or product to have the best design for the END USER and to have the best customer focused service and to have the most rapid deployment. The fact that investors or venture capital supposedly desire only companies with patents is just part of the dysfunctional process at present and will be changing.

"Taking the best care of" an idea - to me - fully encompasses the responsiblity to maximize revenue from the product or service - because with revenue we have the power to get THE BEST in employees and equipment and provide THE BEST for the idea - in terms of what makes it the best for customers. "Taking the best care of" an idea also encompasses the responsibility of the inventor to hold his vision, incorporate feedback from others, partner with a company or investor who is best positioned to help get this implemented out there in the world to help people. "Helping people" does not mean giving things away for free or "not making a profit" - it means that the result is win-win - people are helped, their standard of living is raised - and the company has $$$ to sustainably keep helping people - and the inventor has the environment and conduits he needs to keep contributing valuable problem solving ideas AND implementing them....

I can recommend a magazine called "Midnight Engineering" which carried my series of articles about getting a patent myself the first time. (In trying to find the website for the magazine, I see that it may no longer be publishing - however the core of contributors and entrepreneurs may still be networking under the name Engineering Entrepreneur's Network - see http://www.enteng.com/midnight.htm

Thanks for writing,

- April