Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing in On Your Inventions

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

obviously, this guy makes money with his "inventions." although i wouldn't call him so much as an "inventor" as he is a highly successful marketing man. "inventor" of the Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus GAME!!! i mean, come on. this book has a few useful tidbits which are more or less common sense, but is mostly a lot of fluff--useless "interesting" facts hodge-podged together (probably by well paid research staff). also, the guy can't resist throwing in some boastful quasi-relevant stuff whenever he gets the chance, very annoying. as a first-timer who is trying to patent/market a piece of medical technological equipment, i found this book pretty useless. all in all, i thought the take-home message of the book can pretty much be summarized by "inventing and marketing is hard, but don't give up!!" sure the guy is rich and successful and a good marketer, but this book doesn't really help YOU to become rich, successful, and good at marketing. i'm not a bitter person, just someone trying to find good info to eventually become a successful person. i couldn't help but feel i'd been completely "had" after buying this book. the money for this book could have gone to better uses, other than making this guy more rich.

I am happy for the author for his successes, but... he knew people that could help him get his foot in the door. He really has no knowledge of how to help you get YOUR foot in the door, other than general comments on what he would do if he had not known anyone. I am slightly unhappy with the book because the reason I bought it was to get my ideas developed into tangible products. This book will tell you valuable info on what the terms are and helpful info on making a decision about how to proceed, but not enough info about getting to the decision makers of a company. You will be more knowlegable if you buy this book, but you still have a ton of research ahead of you, as the author doesn't help you by providing names and address of key personnel that can help you get your idea or invention shown. Some of you may still feel like "idiots" when you're done reading this book. (?)

I tried plowing through this book from beginning to end and found it much more valuable as a general reference than as a step-by-step guide. This is because every case is different and requires different treatment in handling the patents and trademarks involved. The author puts forth various alternative approaches to patenting, licensing, trademarking, manufacturing, etc. - each section is useful in ascertaining the best approach you should take in your own particular case.

There are many options that may not occur to someone like myself who is going through this process for the first time, so it is a big help to be mentored by someone who's been down that road before.

Bruce Boatner
Inventor, PEGASUS Wind Engine (TM)

Inventor-marketer Richard C. Levy has written a one-of-a-kind, practical, easy-to-read and understand guide to licensing inventions. It is the
quintessential tool for inventors who want to attain the American dream. I have read the complete body of literature on invention marketing and this book is the best of the lot.

His forte is business practices, and every bit of advice is rooted in his own empirical experience. Nothing is theoretical. In particular, Levy's 10 Commandments of Negotiation are outstanding. And the licensing and option agreements will save me thousands of dollars in legal fees.

It is obvious that the author makes his living from royalties and not books and seminars. Most books in this genre are written by self-proclaimed inventors, invention marketing experts, and patent lawyers. Few of these people can point to success. The money they earn is from consultation fees, not royalties. Levy is a full time player whose success has been remarkable,
and it can be seen beginning with the cover photo depicting him with some of his licensed products.

If you want an added edge, read this book.

Whether you are an inventor, aspiring inventor or want a remarkable insight into the art and science of inventing, this is a must read. I have worked with and among inventors for most of my career and yet this book is already dog eared, annotated and all marked up so I can easily reference its many gems. It is a fun and easy read and packed with information I find I use daily!

I recently bought the Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing In on Your Inventions and found it a treasure trove of invaluable information. This is real world stuff, written by a guy who is obviously in the arena everyday. It was exactly what I needed to give myself an edge. In fact, following Levy's advice, I have already placed two products with licensees.

Levy is described on the back cover of his book as "a marketing genius with a flair for invention." The capacity for creating is shared in measure by us all. The capacity to create salable products and commercialize them is a skill known but to a few. Inventors who do not appreciate the importance of marketing will wind up with 100% ownership of nothing. Levy has achieved remarkable commercial success, and every serious inventor or designer who wants advice on how to successfully license to industry should read this book.

Thank goodness I didn't take the advice of "A reader" who only gave this book one star ("not very useful, July 30, 2003").

My library had an electronic copy of this book that I've been reading online for the past hour. I'm at the point in the invention process where I've designed my invention and now I need to build a prototype. Already I've gotten valuable advice on invention promotion firms, licensing versus venturing, and where to receive government funding.

When I wrote this review, it wasn't possible to search inside the book. That has since been corrected. Search for and read "Levy's 10 Commandments for Success" on page 12 and "Do You Need a Patent Attorney?" on page 162 for some good advice.

I often rely on reader reviews to help me decide whether to buy a book. However, it's obvious that "A reader" didn't give this book a chance. You will certainly need to read more than one book to learn how to make money from inventing. Your library will probably have lots of inventor books you can read before making a decision to buy. Even if you are going to use a patent attorney, you definitely need to buy "Patent It Yourself" by David Pressman. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing in on Your Inventions" is another book to own for its helpful tips at many points along the path to profiting from your invention.

I bought Levy's Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook after it was recommended to me by a toy company representative. It was so helpful that, out of curiosity, I purchased his Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing-In on Your Inventions, too.

I have never read books with more inspirational messages, home-spun advice, and easy to remember passages that energized and emboldened me. I am no longer intimidated by large corporations and know what they need to make decisions.

The books have clearly shown me how to take stock of my creative potential, and confidently approach companies in a toy market that is moving at an accelerating rate of change.

Levy's passion, work ethic, common sense and honest approach to business have given me new confidence. They are contagious. This guy knows his stuff.

Brian
Atlanta, GA

Richard Levy shares his experiences as an extremely successful individual inventor. These are revealed through lists, anecdotes, fast facts, notable quotes, and savvy forms and resources (in the appendixes.) He wants people to enjoy the process of commercializing an invention as witnessed by the many "wacky patents" added through the book for humor. Sharing such key insights as his "Fairness and Flexibility Rule" in licensing, he sheds light on the kind of business relationships that are successful between individuals and corporations. "It's the relationship that will sustain the partnership, not the contract." And there are many small but important gems, "Fast Facts - Try not to conduct negotiations before 9:00 A.M. or after 4:00 P.M." The reasons were very interesting and demonstrated his many years of experience in pursuing this profession. The complexity of commercializing inventions is very difficult to cover in one book, but this book will help anyone looking to "Cash In on Your Inventions."

This is the best book on invention marketing that I have ever read. It is compulsively readable; deliciously explored. Levy's writing is energetic, down-to-earth, and just plain fascinating reading.   His vast, firsthand knowledge of the process is awesome. This book is of interest and help to more than just inventors.