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The United Inventors Association (UIA) was formed in September 1990 as an outgrowth of a conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The first National Conference of Inventors Organizations brought together interested parties to discuss the needs of America’s independent inventors. This conference identified the need for a national inventors organization to coordinate and work on the larger problems facing independent inventors that neither individuals nor groups alone would have the time or resources to pursue. These issues included intellectual property and patent reform issues, enhancing the national image of contemporary inventors, and counteracting the damaging effects of fraudulent invention promotion companies. The United Inventors Association was founded by Roberta (“Bobby”) Toole, a leader for inventor education and rights in St. Louis, Missouri, where in 1984 she had founded the Inventors Association of St. Louis. The UIA was formally incorporated as a 501(c)3 non profit organization in the state of Missouri in November 1990. Formed as a national umbrella organization for local inventor organizations around the country, the UIA has actively worked to build and strengthen the infrastructure of the independent inventor community. By creating a comprehensive database for inventor groups and organizations around the country, and maintaining regular communication with all, the UIA has developed a national forum for the independent inventor community. In legislative hearings regarding patent reform, the UIA has facilitated the voice of the independent inventor by keeping the community informed of developments and encouraging inventors to express their interests through their representatives. In the Spring of 1994, the UIA was faced with the untimely death of its founder and Executive Director, Bobby Toole. An Executive Team of Board members was appointed and the work of preserving and growing the mission of UIA continued. The physical office of the UIA was relocated to Rochester, New York, and an office administrator was hired to manage the day-to-day operations of the organization. Due to the national nature of the organization and the unpaid volunteer status of the Executive Team and the Board of Directors, regular teleconferences were instituted to oversee administrative guidance and development. Physical meetings of the Board have occurred on an average of once a year and on an as needed basis. In 1995 the UIA published the first edition of its Inventor’s Resource Guide, a compact collection of articles and resource information designed to help those seeking guidance for the process of developing and marketing their new product idea. The Guide is distributed to each of the 83 Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries in the country and has also been available through the Small Business Development Center network. In the Spring of 1997 the UIA became a non-profit affiliate of the Academy of Applied Science, headquartered in Concord, New Hampshire. The Academy is a private non-profit educational organization founded in 1963 with the purpose of providing a forum where inventors could meet and network with legal, business, and academic professionals concerned with invention. Programs are designed to foster creativity and inventiveness in children and adults. The UIA has also worked to improve the national image of independent inventors through its close ties with national print and television media, as well as having Inventors’ Digest become the official magazine of the UIA. In August, 1998 the UIA, in partnership with Inventors’ Digest and the Academy of Applied Science, launched the first National Inventors’ Month, a national media campaign dedicated to educating the public and enhancing the image of independent inventors. Independent inventors without the financial and legal support available to corporate and even university-based inventors are often vulnerable to fraudulent invention marketing companies. These firms attract customers through national advertising in reputable publications and on popular TV and radio shows. They lure inventors into using their “services” by offering an initial product evaluation which is always favorable and then encouraging the inventor to spend thousands of dollars up front to patent and market their product. According to their own admissions, these companies have a less than one percent success rate. By collecting and sharing information about invention marketing scams, the UIA has assisted many inventors to avoid falling prey to invention marketing fraud. This has been accomplished through identifying and publicizing the fraudulent dynamics of such companies and sharing the information with the media as well as with appropriate law enforcement agencies. Acting as a national clearinghouse for inventor resources, UIA has referred thousands of independent inventors to local inventor groups. The greatest defense against wasting valuable time and money or becoming a victim of inventor fraud is to network with other experienced inventors and to connect with reputable invention service providers. In the Spring of 1999, the UIA created an online consumer education website, www.uiausa.org, designed to guide inventors in the process of new product development. An integral part of the website is the Inventors’ Awareness Center which grew out of the Inventors’ Awareness Group, founded in 1992 by Robert Lougher as an all volunteer educational and advocacy effort to counteract the fraudulent invention promotion companies. The UIA 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 specific performance criteria. Members’ inventions represent all areas of product development, from low-tech consumer products to more sophisticated high-tech innovations.

 

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