Originally Posted 2/24/07
The Patent and Trademark Insitute of America, the company behind InventorsHelpline.com, is in Temproary Receivership as reported at the top of their website and ordered by the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee in the matter of FTC v. International Product Design, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:97-cv-01114-AVB . It appears the FTC is attempting to bring the long arm of the law down on another Invention Promotion Company.
By the way, the InventorsHelpline.com site is interesting. They even have some infomerical type videos with Doug Lewellyn of People’s Court fame interviewing one of the company’s CEO. The company’s message is inciting and I can see why they have had success in getting inventors to sign up with them. There is only one small problem in my opinion: Companies like this just don’t deliver in the end! They offer very little value for the money spent.
Maybe this company will close up shop after the litigation is finished. BUT don’t bet on it! Remember the line from the Eagles Song: “the lure of easy money has a very strong appeal”.
