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First a brief word about Joseph R. Birkner, President... Joseph R. Birkner, President of STAR RESEARCH COMPANY is a Mechanical Engineer and a Registered Patent Agent with the US Patent and Trademark Office. In addition to product development and full invention services offered to inventors via his company, Joe joins his associates in preparing and prosecuting patent applications for clients. Being through the product development process many times, Joe understands and can relate to Inventor's needs. He has successfully taken ideas from concept to market himself, often on a 'shoe-string' budget, by working smarter not harder for his clients. Joe also has 4 patents of his own for commercial cooking appliances which are all assigned to a multi-million dollar FORTUNE 100 company and are on the market. Joe also invents 'high tech, low tech and even no tech" products. He has 'Been There and Done That". He also volunteers as a judge at inventing and creativity fairs for school children. He also conducts seminars and workshops on the Inventing process at area colleges and schools. Share in his success, accept no substitute for experience, know-how, a winning team of professionals and honest help in developing and protecting your own ideas!!
STAR RESEARCH COMPANY'S client INVENTIONS have been featured in long running informercial for "Secrets to Making Money Now" by millionaire entrepreneur Brad Richdale and Don Lapre. STAR RESEARCH COMPANY'S INVENTIONS were chosen from scores of products to be included in "The 100 Hottest Products and Information Guide" and are available to you. Click on SPECIAL OFFERS and WHAT'S NEW for details.
STAR RESEARCH COMPANY President/M.E./Inventor/Patent Agent Joseph R. Birkner, was invited to a special meeting with the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) officials and other key business leaders at a round table discussion held at the Boston Public Library, Boston, MA on October 20, 1997 to discuss Patent Office fees. Birkner said he represents the thousands of independent inventors and small business owners and has attended the meeting on their behalf. Since the patent fees are too expensive for the average "basement tinkerer"/ "solo inventor" and "small business person", Joseph R. Birkner proposed that the Patent Office's current definition of Small Entity (less than 500 persons) and Independent Inventor classification be revised to include a NEW SPECIAL CATEGORY for the "solo inventor"and "small business person". A "solo inventor" would also include joint inventors while a "small business person" should be re-classified as a company, sole proprietor or partnership having less than 25 full time employees. Mr. Birkner also suggested that patent filing and issue fees be cut for those persons by at least 1/3 of the current Small Entity and Independent Inventor fees currently charged by the PTO with similar fee reductions for other PTO services. Birkner said that a "solo inventor" and a "small businesss person"should not have to pay high fees because they have very limited resources and can not afford to invent because they often use their own hard earned money and don't have the resources and funding affforded larger companies. Yet, "solo inventors" and "small business persons", by Birkner's definitions, contribute greatly to the economic growth and economy of the country and should not be discouraged to create new products or form new start-up companies just because they can not afford to pay the current PTO fees. They deserve a break, Birkner says. His comments are being evaluated by the PTO officials including the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks; hopefully, his suggestions will be implemented soon and the "little guy/and woman" will benefit. Stay tuned. (Inventors, please let me know what you think about my proposal. Click on YOUR COMMENTS to reply). UPDATE: PATENT OFFICE ANNOUNCES NEW LOWER FEES EFFECTIVE IN DECEMBER 1998. THERE REALLY IS A SANTA CLAUSE!! MAYBE MY SMALL INPUT HELPED??
In addition to their extensive data base of Industry contacts in a diverse field, STAR RESEARCH COMPANY recently has been in contact with key personnel in companies currently seeking patented or patent pending inventions in the following fields: Educational Products; Home Maintenance; Cleaning; Do-It-Yourself; Home and Garden; Office Products;Household Appliances; Plumbing; HVAC; Fire Arms and Accessories; Archery equipment; Bathroom Accessories; Automotive; Kitchenware; Bath; Hazzardous Waste; Recreational Vehicle Accessories; Air Conditioning; Energy Conservation; Security; Safety Equipment; Gadgets; Dental Hygiene; Painting; Solar; Pets; Food; Exercise and Fitness and others. Any inventors having patent pending or patented inventions or IDEAS needing to be developed in those or other categories are encouraged to contact STAR RESEARCH COMPANY for help in presenting their inventions to potential licensees ASAP.
STAR RESEARCH COMPANY has patent pending or patented inventions from clients who are under contract with us to seek potential licensees for their inventions. These inventions are in various fields. Please send us your needs so we can match them with our current inventions which are patented or are in the development process and will be needing licensing assistance as soon a patent is pending. Click on YOUR COMMENTS to respond via e mail for a fast reply.
"The Boston Globe" of 11/2/97 reports that the latest FAD to hit Japan is all the rage among young Japanese women who are using American-made shampoo for horses on their own hair!! Nearly 1 million bottles have been sold since last spring. The NEW USE INVENTION works extremely well in the Oriental-type straight hair as reported. Over 300,000 bottles of Lucky Kentucky green, apple-scented horse shampoo are produced a month with about one-fifth of that being shipped to Japan. (Note:A NEW and UNOBVIOUS way of using an OLD and KNOWN invention, components or ingredients can be the statutory basis of patent protection. Example: One inventor obtained a Patent on a NEW USE for asprin; feeding it to hogs to increase their growth. So if you have a NEW USE for your invention, contact STAR RESEARCH COMPANY for help).
"The Boston Globe" of 10/19/97 reports that "The Sunday Times", London England said that British scientists have created a frog embryo without a head; an achievement that may lead to the production of headless clones to grow organs and tissue for transplant such as hearts, kidneys and livers in an embrionic sac living in an artificial womb. A sheep named Dolly, the world's first cloned mammal in The Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland makes scientists believe that human cloning is inevitable. "The Sunday Times" said that people needing transplants could have organs "grown to order" from their own cloned cells. This controversial issue treads on 'thin ice' due to ethical, moral and legal issues for meddling with "mother nature". Headless frog embryos can be created with relative ease by manipulating certain genes thereby suppressing development of a tadpole's head, trunk and tail. (Note: A headless shrimp 'invention' was ruled not patentable because the Patent Office said it was naturally occurring and that a fish could bite off its' head; while, on the other hand, Harvard University was awarded a US Patent for a genetically altered mouse (rodent) (not a computer mouse..) that was capable of growing tumors quickly, thereby speeding up clinical research when such rodents were injected with experimental drugs. The "Harvard Mouse" was awarded US Patent # 4,736,866 under Composition of Matter statutory category of ANIMALS (non human). As you can see, whether or not an invention is or is not patentable, is determined, after careful consideration, on a case by case basis. So,if you have ANY idea for an invention and are not sure of what to do next, contact STAR RESEARCH COMPANY; their skilled staff of patent professionals will provide you with advice and direction you need to make your own business decisions about your future pursuit of a patent for YOUR IDEAS.
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