Q: Can I get credit for an invention even though I have no proof?
I emailed a patent attorney about the idea of car vent clip-ons, years before air freshen clip-ons came out on the market. A young man called me several times, however he said he needed $10,000 to initiate the patent process. That was more than I could afford, not to mention fear of being scammed, so I told him I could not. His response was, "don't you want to be rich?" Quite a few years later they came out on the market. I understand that nothing can probably be done to get any credit, but was wondering if there would be anyway to find out who first obtained the patent, or if my name was mentioned in connection with it.
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A:
To find out who first obtained the patent for the car vent clip-ons, you can search the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database. This database allows you to look up patents by keywords, inventor names, or patent numbers. By searching for terms like "car vent clip-ons" or "air freshener clip-ons," you can review relevant patents and identify the inventors and assignees.
If you want to know if your name is connected to any related patent, this would depend on whether you were officially named as a co-inventor or contributor in the patent application. If you were not involved in the formal patent process or documentation, it is unlikely that your name would appear.
If you believe your idea was used without proper credit, proving this can be challenging without documentation or a patent application of your own. Consider consulting a patent attorney to discuss any potential legal steps you might take and understand your rights in this situation.
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