Patents R Us: Information and Services for Inventors and Patent Owners
Innovative Support for Inventors
The United Inventors Association (UIA) has an interesting background. The organization was formed in 1990 following a conference sponsored by the US Department of Energy. A national organization was needed to tackle the many challenges and problems that independent inventors faced. Neither individuals nor groups alone had the resources required to address intellectual property rights, patent reform, enhancing the image of independent inventors, and counteracting the damaging effects of fraudulent invention promotion companies.
UIA was founded by Roberta Toole, a leader in inventor education and inventor rights in St. Louis, Missouri who had founded the Inventors Association of St. Louis in 1984. Formed as a national umbrella organization for local inventor organizations around the country, United Inventors Association has worked to build and strengthen the independent inventor community. By creating a comprehensive database for inventor groups and organizations around the country, and maintaining regular communication with these groups and organizations, UIA has developed a national forum. In hearings before Congress regarding patent reform, UIA has been the voice of the independent inventor.
After the death of Roberta Toole in 1994, UIA's office was relocated to Rochester, NY, and an administrator was hired to manage the day-to-day operations of the organization.
In 1995 UIA published the first edition of its Inventor’s Resource Guide, a compact collection of articles and resources for those seeking to develop and market new products. The Guide is distributed to each of the 83 Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries in the country and is also available through the Small Business Development Center network.
In 1997 UIA became an affiliate of the Academy of Applied Science in Concord, NH. The Academy is an educational organization founded in 1963 to provide a forum for inventors to network with legal, business, and academic professionals concerned with invention. The Academy also offers programs designed to foster creativity and inventiveness in children and adults.
In 1998, Inventors’ Digest became the official magazine of UIA, and the group launched the first National Inventors’ Month media campaign.
Independent inventors are often vulnerable to fraudulent invention marketing companies. These firms attract customers through national advertising and lure inventors by offering an initial product evaluation. This evaluation is always favorable, and these companies then encourage the inventor to spend thousands of dollars to patent and market his or her invention. By their own admissions, these companies have a less than 1% success rate. UIA has helped many inventors avoid such frauds.
The United Inventors Association currently represents more than 10,000 inventors worldwide. Membership is extended to inventor organizations as well as to individual inventors and professional invention service providers who meet the association’s performance criteria.