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Invention Promoter Caution List

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Special Page for Advent Product Development (ADP)

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The side bar to the left has a copy of the notice which appears on the main caution page. It is unfortunate that Advent's counsel did not read this before sending such a vague and harsh letter.

Professional inventors wish to help invention promotion companies do the best job possible. To that end we are collaborating with numerous State and Federal agencies to help invention promotion firms achieve their full potential. I have invited Advent to join with inventors. Read my reply to Advent here.

It has been widely reported that many companies whose services are of questionable value - or even outright fraud - threaten to sue, and in some cases even threaten to hurt, those who speak out about the problem. A warning for those who would try to quell free speech in the inventor community. I work extensively with many journalists and other media. Any threats, to sue or otherwise, will be promptly passed to the media. This will get the questionable party much more publicity than this page alone does.

The facts as I understand them follow. If there are any errors I urge Advent to point them out to me and I will promptly correct them.

Advent acquired significant assets from National Invention Services, Inc. (NISI).

Advent operates from the same address as NISI.

Advent currently uses or in the past has used the same telephone numbers as NISI.

Advent markets the same type of services as NISI.

Advent hired former NISI employees.

Advent maintains and continues to use the NISI web site.

Advent services former NISI clients.

NISI shut down after coming under fire by the FTC.

FTC97-09nisi2 - FTC Project Mousetrap - FTC98-07perminis - FTC98-07nisi
http://www.inventionconvention.com/ncio/scambusters/index.html - FTC-97lee

USPTO Published Complaints

Read the Caution Flags List at http://www.InventorEd.org/flaglist/.

Another information source is: Invention Marketing Companies .

National Congress of Inventor Organizations (NCIO)

National Invention Services, Inc. (NISI)

Lou Bellaflores

Lee, John F. - Owner

Goldstein, Richard - Patent Attorney

I received a telephone call from Mr. Goldstein on Monday 3-21-99. He was concerned that he be identified as a patent attorney who worked with NISI and not mistaken for a principle of NISI. We had a lengthy telephone conversation during which he stated that he had looked at patents produced by other attorneys working for invention promoters, even mentioning ISC at one point, and that he felt they were of very poor quality. He went on to say that he at least made an effort to write better patents. Personally I consider this a rather weak rationalization.

I asked Mr. Goldstein to send me an e-mail stating his view about this for publication on this site. He declined.

Ronald J. Riley

Relevant Federal Trade Commission Links

FTC97-09nisi2
FTC Project Mousetrap
FTC98-07perminis
FTC98-07nisi
FTC-97lee

National Inventor Fraud Center (NIFC)

Special mention goes to NIFC for their courageous fight against both ISC and Advent. Both companies filed SLAPP suits against NIFC, and through what is in my opinion an abuse of the process of law both were able to force NIFC to remove all mention of them from the NIFC web site. Mind you not on the merits, but simply by dragging the suit out and running the costs sky high. NIFC countered with a RICO action which named a number of companies including ISC.

You will find no mention of ISC or Advent on NIFC. Nor will you find any links to this site. The reason is that both companies sued NIFC founder and collectively cost him nearly $100,000. It is no accident that neither case made it to court. That is the whole point of a SLAPP suit. There is a rumor going around that each company required that NIFC not link to InventorEd as a condition of the settlements.

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Unhappy Customer

$10,000 to $20,000 Wasted money

Source FTC Jodie Bernstein