Invent Help Sues IPWatchdog Alleging they are Not a Scam
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Written by Gene Quinn Patent Attorney & IPWatchdog Founder Editor of the IPWatchdog.com Blog Posted: January 22, 2010 @ 12:22 pm Page viewed 5,874 times 
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I learned earlier today that IPWatchdog, Inc. has been sued by Invention Submission Corporation (dba Invent Help) in the United States Federal District Court for the Northern District of New York. The complaint was filed yesterday, January 21, 2010, by attorneys at Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, alleges that I have engaged in false and misleading advertising that has cost Invent Help business. They apparently do not like the fact that I have written about invention submission scams and have recounted the many stories that I have heard from inventors who feel they have been taken advantage of by Invent Help. They mention the articles I have written in the complaint, and you can view IPWatchdog.com Blog articles about Invent Help here — Articles Tagged Invent Help. Rest assured, I will vigorously defend.
Invent Help also seems to suggest that my refusal to take a tour of Invent Help headquarters (which is mentioned in the complaint) somehow warrants or supports this lawsuit. I guess I was supposed to drop everything, pay my way to Pittsburgh, PA, take a tour of Invent Help and be used for propaganda purposes the same way they tried to use the United Inventors Association. It will be interesting to see how and why they think my refusal to take a tour of their facilities supports their claim. As a free American I thought I had the right to say no. Silly me! Of course, they leave out of the complaint the fact that I did offer (through UIA representatives) to speak with them via telephone and to meet with them if they wanted to come to me. I offered to speak off the record, but they demanded I take a tour. It seemed to me then that Invent Help wanted a PR victory by having me at their facility, and they way they handled courting the UIA seemed to confirm that in my mind. It will be interesting to get discovery on this and many more topics during this litigation.
In short, I, like pretty much any defendant, believes the charges are ridiculous. I believe I can prove that they are ridiculous and plan on vigorously defending this lawsuit. The lawsuit makes claims that are simply not true, and I have no doubt that I will be able to prove that. The complaint says that they want me to stop writing about them. Perhaps they also will sue all the other patent attorneys, patent agents and others who write the same type of thing about them, time will tell.
I probably should have seen this coming since in discussions with the United Inventors Association representatives of Invent Help apparently made clear (or so I have been told) that one of the motivating factors for them wanting to become a member of the UIA was so that I would stop writing about them. I was told that one particular representative of Invent Help asked whether the UIA could control me and get me to stop writing if they became members. So it seems that Invent Help really wants me to stop writing, and despite what their complaint alleges, I would have had no problem talking with them about charting a course for UIA membership. I just thought it prudent to take matters slowly and not allow me or IPWatchdog.com to be used as a prop to lend credibility to an organization that so many have told me scammed them.
In terms of moving forward, one way to defend will be to prove what and who Invent Help really is. Discovery will be interesting indeed, and I look forward to getting information from Invent Help. But I won’t need to rely only on what I receive from Invent Help. Over the years I have received hundreds of complaints, explaining in detail how and why inventors feel they were scammed by Invent Help. In talking with patent attorneys, patent agents and licensing professionals it seems that everyone has encountered complaints relating to Invent Help. I have spoken to patent attorneys who believe there has been legal malpractice committed by attorneys and agents who work with invention submission companies. So now is the time to document all of the problems and complaints. If you feel you have been scammed by Invent Help please let me know. If you are a patent attorney or patent agent and have worked with inventors who have been scammed by Invent Help please let me know. If you have seen patent searches that you believe were inadequate, or opinions given that were incorrect, or any other business abuses, please let me know. I have a file myself, but now that Invent Help has fired the first shot it is time to set the record straight and vigorously explain why it is that so many in our industry write and talk about Invent Help and other invention scams.
Over time there will be much more to write. While I could go point by point here and explain myself, it is probably not the best strategy to pursue, so I ask your indulgence to some extent. Rest assured, I will defend myself, and in true IPWatchdog fashion the good, the bad and the ugly will be set out for everyone to see in due time. But do allow me to say that I have not acted unethically, and I can and will prove that. I am always straight with clients and those asking for information, and despite what the complaint says I do not provide self serving advice. In fact, many clients are amazed when I suggest they not move forward or pursue a less expensive path. As filings are made in this case I will post them to IPWatchdog.com so that everyone can see what is happening and decide for themselves.
As Justice Brandeis famously, and correctly, said – sunlight is the best disinfectant. So let the sun shine bright!
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Posted in: Educational Information for Inventors, Gene Quinn, IP News, IPWatchdog.com Blog, Inventors Information, Patent Fools™
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good luck gene
-george
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ipwatchdog, Renee Compasso Quinn. Renee Compasso Quinn said: Invent Help Sues IPWatchdog Alleging they are Not a Scam. Obviously, we will defend vigorously. See complaint & more: http://bit.ly/6GeGnu [...]
[...] I learned earlier today that IPWatchdog, Inc. has been sued by Invention Submission Corporation (dba Invent Help) in the United States Federal District Court for the Northern District of New York. The complaint was filed yesterday, January 21, 2010, by attorneys at Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, alleges that I have engaged in false and …read more [...]
Wow, Gene. The complaint takes a lot of shots against your practice such that I assume you will counter with your own counterclaim for defamation.
I think one of my clients once mentioned dealing with Invent Help, but I don’t remember specifics. I’ll find out more, and if I have any helpful info, I’ll get in touch.
Is it standard litigation practice to also name a defendant’s wife? In my opinion that’s taking things too far. The news of this suit should become big news in the IP world very quickly, and I predict it will backfire on the plaintiff publicity-wise. By filing suit to get those statements removed, they’re just drawing more attention to all the negative comments about them.
Another bridge burned. Do you find that all your business dealings end with a lawsuit of some sort? You really are the King of Douchebag’s! I hope InventHelp cleans your clock.
Gene,
I really hope you destroy these folks. Just a brief search in google showed up multiple websites about how they’re robbing people. A funny thing though, one of the websites (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/scam_alerts/inventhelp.html) describes how someone is out roughly 12500 bucks. In Invent Helps complaint they state that they’re out about 75000, which means your article convinced roughly 6 people at the ridiculous rates they seem to be charging.
Good luck,
An Examiner.
P.S. like the blog, read it every day
Thanks Lem. I see that your IP address is from LegalZoom.com. For proof see:
http://ipwatchdog.com/images/ScreenShot446.png
and
http://ipwatchdog.com/images/ScreenShot447.png
Obviously LegalZoom is still bitter about how our business dealings ended, with me standing down and refusing to violate the new practice rules enacted by the USPTO in September of 2008. If you think that makes me a bad person, that is your prerogative. Unfortunately, as you well know that is not true. We had come to a deal on how to proceed ethically and at the last minute the deal was pulled by the CEO of LegalZoom, who wanted us to prepare and file provisional patent applications for $225. To do things ethically and offer a good service would have required minor adjustments and a slightly higher price point. LegalZoom didn’t want to do that, as you well know. So the reality is that LegalZoom’s greed caused our long standing business relationship to evaporate.
Just for the record, I have never had any business dealings with Invent Help, and this is the first time IPWatchdog has been sued. So I will thank you not to spread lies around the Internet. It would be unfortunate for more bad publicity to find LegalZoom as a result of defamatory and provably untrue statements.
I hope all is well. Even though you don’t value our friendship, I did once count you as a friend.
-Gene
Patent leather,
Thank you for your comment. In my article “Not All Invention Companies are Created Equal” that I wrote on August 27, 2009 (http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/08/27/not-all-invention-companies-are-created-equal/id=5369/) I wrote the following:
“Inventors without much experience with patents often come directly to us after doing some searching online and feel we are the ones they want to learn more about. But there are others however, that come to us only AFTER first speaking with and/or AFTER paying small to large sums of money to an invention submission company such as Invent Help. I don’t think one day goes by where I don’t speak to at least one inventor who has either been taken advantage of by or has felt very uncomfortable after talking with the folks at Invent Help.”
I believe that this is the only thing that I have written in regard to Invent Help. It is nothing but the truth. What makes this complaint even more ridiculous is that, as you pointed out, not only are we as a company being sued but Gene and I are both being sued individually as well.
-Renee
Gene, Renee –
The Invent Help complaint is long on whining and very, very short on substance. I know next to nothing about your business but I thoroughly enjoy reading the information and insights in your blog posts, love your passion for patent law, and appreciate your willingness to help individuals and small businesses with their [legitimate!] patent needs. Good luck.
Dan-
Thanks all around, and particularly for reading our writings. I agree with your assessment of the complaint. I wonder if they expect me to vigorously defend or cave. Caving isn’t in my DNA.
Anyway, thanks for your support!
-Gene
Gene –
I read the complaint filed against you. You will have to give your wife a bonus. Apparently, her marketing skills combined with your articles have taken $75,000 worth of business from one company? Aside from the legal mess and headache that comes no matter how frivolous this case may be, it must feel nice to have someone complain that your blog is affecting so many people and you are making such a large impact!
“Silly me! Of course, they leave out of the complaint the fact that I did offer (through UIA representatives) to speak with them via telephone and to meet with them if they wanted to come to me. I offered to speak off the record, but they de”manded I take a tour.”
http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/10/14/quinn-resigns-over-invent-help-concern/id=6474/
” I have not spoken with Invent Help directly, and I wouldn’t speak with them even if they call. “
Checkyoufacts-
Thanks for noticing that and for reading. There are no inconsistencies and you should check your facts. Initially I offered to talk to them off the record because they seemed to be suggesting they wanted to move past the events of the past and join the legtimate business world. They demanded a visit and then sent emas suggesting a relationship existed with the UIA, which was not correct. It did get to the point where I smelled a setup and would not talk to them. The truth will come out in the end. I have nothing to hide, unlike you who finds it necessary to use a fictitious name.
Looking forward to defending and getting the truth out! I can’t wait!
-Gene
You stated “I wouldn’t speak with them even if they call” and now you state you have tried to talk with them. Just pointing out the difference in the two posts.
Unlike you, I like my privacy. You seem to have problems with that. I do not want my name indexed to your site.
I read the complaint. You keep saying “truth”..truth is you have been slamming them for a long time and you should know better.
Check-
Just pointing out the consistency. It was ironic that you used the name “checkyourfacts.”
Truth is a funny thing. It never changes and can be proved. It is certainly your right to be happy that I was sued and my right to defend myself. I also have First Amendment rights and so does IPWatchdog.
I do find it interesting that they are not suing others. If you Google Invent Help with scam you will see there are many saying exactly what I write, yet only I get sued. Interesting indeed. So perhaps you should check your facts and do a little research to see what everyone thinks, says and writes about Invent Help.
-Gene
[...] by invention promotion company InventHelp. Gene wrote a post on his blog entitled “Invent Help Sues IPWatchdog Alleging they are Not a Scam” which has the complete story. In the post, Gene indicates that he is looking for [...]
Gene,
You have your J.D. and just stated that:
“…there are many saying exactly what I write, yet only I get sued. Interesting indeed. So perhaps you should check your facts and do a little research to see what everyone thinks, says and writes about Invent Help….”
I would hope you do not give this kind of advice to your clients. It’s ok that I do it because other people do it?
I just went back and looked at some of your inventhelp posts. Checkyourfacts is almost right, you should have taken more care in how you presented your message about inventhelp.
Joseph
Joseph-
Can you please explain why I shouldn’t give that advice to clients? I see your IP address puts you in Slovakia, so I am guessing you are not familiar with US law.
What is interesting is that with everyone out there writing and saying the same thing Invent Help singles me out claiming that what I say and write costs them business. That will be very difficult for Invention Submission Corporation (dba Invent Help) to prove given that so many others write and say the same thing, including the United States Federal Trade Commission (see, for example http://www.ftc.gov/foia/inventionsubmissioncorp..pdf), the United States Patent and Trademark Office, various Federal District Court Judges, various Federal Appellate Judges and many patent attorneys, patent agents and inventors. So I never said that I do it and think it is OK because others do it. So if you are going to comment please get your facts straight.
With respect to what you and Checkyourfacts say about how I should have taken more care in how I presented my message… well… again since you don’t understand the law I can understand how and why you would say that. Of course, I do understand the law and everything I have written and said about Invent Help within the legal boundaries of what is acceptable. Invent Help is saying what I have said is false, and they will have to prove that. For Invent Help, or anyone else, to think what I wrote cannot be backed up with facts that can be proved would be foolish. For example, in one article in particular I simply use Invent Helps own statistics provided on their website that say:
“From 2003 to 2005, we signed submission agreements with 6,592 clients. As a result of our services, 119 clients have received license agreements for their products, and 15 clients have received more money than they paid us for these services.”
Then I say: “Would you be willing to spend many thousands of dollars knowing that you had a 15 out of 6,592 chance in making money? I doubt you would, and I know I would not. ”
So for Invent Help to act like this is false or misleading is quite ridiculous, in my opinion. Which is another thing to point out by the way… when I talk about things I frequently come right out and say “in my opinion.” In the US thanks the the First Amendment everyone is entitled to have an opinion and express it, and Invent Help and their attorneys know or should know that.
By the way, for those interested in seeing the Beware Invent Help Press Releases article it is available at:
http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2008/01/10/beware-invent-help-press-releases/id=53/
-Gene
Gene,
I read your blog at times, I think your missing what is being pointed out. I think it is horrible that they have done that. I really hope your wife and you come out of this ok. You are a stubborn person and not in a bad way. There are times when you look around at things and realize maybe things were a bit different than I thought. This is one of those times. I have been there myself.
Good luck to you and yours…
p.s. please don’t post my ip and where I am from, it dissuades people from posting. I almost didn’t and don’t get so critical when people want privacy but want to contribute (good or bad).
“Can you please explain why I shouldn’t give that advice to clients? I see your IP address puts you in Slovakia, so I am guessing you are not familiar with US law.”
It could also mean that he’s spoofing his IP address.
Examiner-
I suspect you are correct.
Cheers.
-Gene
Gene,
I’m assuming you’ll be battling this by yourself (possibly with some guidance from other attorneys), but when you win, you’ll definitely have to make them pay big time for your stress and time/money lost from missed business during this whole ordeal.
Good luck and all the best!
-feedmelaw
Feed-
Thanks for your thoughts.
I suspect InventHelp thinks I will go alone, but I think they under estimate me. I have received many offers of assistance. I suspect I will have a dream team of attorneys and I plan on taking the fight right to them head on. They made the horrible mistake of making truth a defense. Silly really given the business practices they employ.
I think it is safe to say they have no idea what is to come. If they did they surely would not have sued me and obtained my full attention.
As for business, we shall see what happens
-Gene
I hope you can find a good lawyer….
Sorry, just a bit of humor there. Anyways, good luck in your defense. Long live America, land of the Big Mac, and endless lawsuits!
POP-
You are killing me! No offense taken, I chuckled.
Yes, as you know in many of my articles I explain that for better or for worse pretty much anyone can sue anyone else in America. An example of having to take the good with the bad I guess.
On another note, I personally prefer Quarter Pounders, although I think my favorite is the Whopper… ok… the Double Whopper… which you can probably tell from my picture!
Stay well.
-Gene
“I just went back and looked at some of your inventhelp posts. Checkyourfacts is almost right, you should have taken more care in how you presented your message about inventhelp.”
Like so many others, one of the things I enjoy about your blog is the unfiltered criticism of things that are deserving of criticism. I’m sure you could have been less harsh in your criticism of InventHelp, but if half of what you (and others) say about that organization is true, they are deserving of criticism — and more.
[...] a week to join the patent blogosphere – first Boliven’s closure, and now this news about IPWatchdog getting sued! For a (non-lawyer) information science type like me, it’s a relief to be able to get back [...]
Right. They aren’t a scam. Now, I’ve never dealt with them myself, but based on their published materials I came to the conclusion that there was something not right with them. In simple terms, to me they sounded like my friend from Nigeria who needs help getting some money out of the country.
They also sound a lot like Author Solutions, a company that I have severe qualms about.
In my opinion, if anyone wants money for something like this, the odds are that they are cheats and scoundrels.
Sounds like they want to shot themselves in the foot. They’ve just gotten a lot more attention, and it will be attention that they don’t like.
[...] Gene has written several articles critical of Inventhelp.com. He is somewhat skeptical of their claims, and actually went so far as to classify them as a scam. They didn’t like this, and ‘Invention Submission Corporation”, doing business as Inventhelp is suing Gene, and his wife. [...]
[...] lawyer Gene Quinn has been sued by Invention Submission Corporation (dba Invent Help) in the United States Federal District Court [...]
[...] Switcher Home > Uncategorized > IPWatchDog Patent Lawyer Sued by Invention Submission Corporation IPWatchDog Patent Lawyer Sued by Invention Submission Corporation January 26th, 2010 Goto comments Leave a comment Patent lawyer Gene Quinn has been sued [...]
Gene-
Good to hear that a number of litigation attorneys have offered to help you.
A lawyer who represents himself often has an emotional fool for a client.
It “feels” different when you yourself or a family member is the target of a lawsuit rather then someone else. No way to shut off the emotions completely.
That said, I hope discovery in this lawsuit becomes a transparent process. Do you think the parties (cough cough) will insist on all discovery materials being stamped as “trade secrets”? In other words, a protective order?
[...] Monopoly Patent lawyer Gene Quinn has been sued by Invention Submission Corporation (dba Invent Help) in the United States Federal District Court [...]
Step-
I can’t imagine why there would be a protective order placed upon any discovery. I am sure ISC will want to keep everything secret, but I cannot envision any legitimate legal reason for a secrecy order. Who knows what they will try and do though. They seem to like to draw attention to themselves in curious ways, such as when the sued the Patent Office (and ultimately lost) claiming the Patent Office should not have engaged in a PR campaign to warn inventors of invention promotion firms. As I understand it, the USPTO ad never mentioned InventHelp or ISC. So why they would sue the USPTO and basically say “this warning is about us and our practices” seems odd. They seem to like to bring negative publicity on themselves.
In any event, the complaints that are made about Invention Submission Corporation to the FTC and USPTO and State Attorney Generals is public record, so there doesn’t seem to be any way they could prevent them from being made public.
-Gene
The days of blanket protective orders where parties get to unilaterally designate materials for filing under seal are all but over. These days most courts require a very specific showing of harm before they will allow information to be filed under seal. Even then, many courts only allow redactions of specific portions, not entire documents. Courts do occasionally order the parties to maintain the confidentiality of information that is not filed, but here again they have become far more cautious in doing so in recent years. Unless InventHelp can make a legitimate argument for why disclosure of discovery information would harm its business, I would expect the information to be produced in an unrestricted manner. Blanket claims that information is “confidential and proprietary” without further elaboration rarely fly these days.
Best of luck Gene. Go get em!!
-Amar
[...] Defense Fund re: InventHelp LawsuitAs many undoubtedly know, Invention Submission Corporation has sued IPWatchdog, me personally and my wife Renee. I learned moments ago that they have filed paperwork requesting [...]
[...] now many in the patent and inventing community know that Invent Help has sued IPWatchdog, Inc., me personally and my wife Renee personally. The InventHelp complaint alleges, among other [...]