So, you are putting together your proposal to ship off to the wonderful company that will help you launch your invention and make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. Before you do, you decide to do a bit of research. You might start to be concerned when you read their terms of use and it says something like this,

By using this site you agree and understand that the HTML code, look, feel, content, company name, logo, text, and any likeness or derivative of such content is the sole property of [This is not a hyperlink to the company's website] and may not be used in any manner without the expressed written permission of [This is not a hyperlink to the company's website]. Furthermore, we strictly prohibit any links and or other unauthorized references to our web site without our permission.

Especially if those same terms of service are wrapped in Javascript to prevent normal Internet users from directly linking to it, unlike every other link on the page. No problem though, a few red flags never stopped you from exploring all your options before — why should it now?

Shrink Wrap Keeps Contracts Fresh

You might then decide to do a bit of research into the company, and you would learn that they are being represented by Dozier Internet Law, a firm that has made similar claims on its website, going as far as to say –

We also own all of the code, including the HTML code, and all content. As you may know, you can view the HTML code with a standard browser. We do not permit you to view such code since we consider it to be our intellectual property protected by the copyright laws. You are therefore not authorized to do so.

At this point you may be confused, and decide to turn to Wikipedia to see whether something that seems so completely… innovative could actually be enforceable. After a bit of searching, you may happen upon a page on “shrink wrap contracts” and their more relevant derivation, “browser wrap.”

Shrink wrap contracts are license agreements or other terms and conditions of a (putatively) contractual nature which can only be read and accepted by the consumer after opening the product. The term describes the shrinkwrap plastic wrapping used to coat software boxes, though these contracts are not limited to the software industry. Web-wrap, click-wrap and browse-wrap are related terms which refer to license agreements in software which is downloaded or used over the internet.

Well, that’s interesting. It seems like both of these companies have taken quite a few liberties with tort law. How clever of them! No matter, you still want to submit your invention, but you feel it would be best to do a bit more due diligence.

Every Coffin Has Its Nails

That’s when you happen upon InventorEd and see they have an entire page about the company. I have taken the liberty of copying some of the relevant details. Also, be sure to check out these legal documents sent out by those folks at Dozier. They sure seem good at what they do.

I am posting the below to get it out to the search engines so inventors in the UK using Google come across it. There is an Oregon-based invention company targeting UK inventors for enormous upfront fees (B#5,000 – B#10,000) BEFORE they know what they are buying ($10,000 -$20,000).

Who is behind it? They use Paypal B. so no way to find out. Only the shadow knows and he’s not talking at present. Whether or not they are connected to and/or associated with Inventor-Link UK (I’ve been informed by a reasonably reliable source in the UK they are not but until I find out more it is debatable as far as I’m concerned especially since the UK operation charges large upfront fees plus a percentage).

However, the Oregon outfit has come up with a shrewd way to avoid key identities being known. Thus far three inventors (two from the northern England and one from Ireland) may become victims unless they take heed and it looks like they are. Particulars uncovered include:

There are all sorts of other goodies to read from the folks at InventorEd, but by now you have decided that you have plenty of information to make an informed buying decision.

Web 2.0 Roundup

I don’t know what you decided, and who am I to tell you what you should do with your invention, but what I do know is that exploring the wonderful world of invention marketing sure was swell!

This is a buyers beware for anyone who might be considering using an invention marketing service. Quotations were used to avoid having to deal with ridiculous requests for take down, and TinyURL is used when I don’t feel like sending folks free links.

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