This weekend the President of United Patent Research (UPR), Mr. Patrick Ralston, attended a major trade show on behalf of UPR clients. The Toy Fair 2017 was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, New York from February 18–21, 2017. This premier toy product show featured booths from major toy manufactures from around the world.

One of the major successes of UPR’s attendance at this tradeshow was that three companies signed general non-disclosure agreements with UPR. A general non-disclosure agreement is a signed document in which a company promises not to utilize or disclose any invention information provided to it by UPR. This safeguards the intellectual property rights of UPR clients.

At the tradeshow Mr. Ralston made many meaningful contacts with representatives of several major companies. Mr. Ralston met twice with the Vice President of New Brand Development of Razor USA, a major toy company. This company representative said that he is looking forward to fostering a mutually advantageous relationship with UPR. He discussed having a meeting next week to narrow down which products the company may be interested in licensing.

Mr. Ralston also met with the Marketing Director at Cobra Toys. This company is currently in the process of completing the appropriate confidentiality agreements which are needed before UPR provides the company with detailed information about our clients’ inventions.

At the Tomy International booth Mr. Ralston met with the Design Manager. Currently Universal Licensing, the licensing affiliate of UPR, is reviewing the non-disclosure agreements submitted by Tomy International. Once the proper non-disclosure agreements are in place discussions and licensing negotiations can commence. While at the AmEurop booth Mr. Ralston met with the Product Development Manager and Managing Partner. Another promising meeting occurred with the representative from Zuru which has offices in 6 countries. Mr. Ralston is looking forward to starting presentations with the President and Product Manager of Zuru early next week.

Finally, two significant meetings were held with Gund and Toys R Us. The Gund representative said that Gund is looking forward to meeting with UPR to review toy products that are available for licensing. Regarding Toys R Us, Mr. Ralston held a private meeting with Associate Buyer Mike Melo in the American Express lounge during which Mr. Melo reviewed UPR products for possible licensing agreements. UPR follow up will occur in the next several weeks.

On the fun side, Mr. Ralston was able to meet superhero Batman at the show who “guarded” the show from any trouble. All together, the Toy Fair 2017 was a great success. As can be seen from the above partial presentation of UPR’s activities at the tradeshow, there is a lot of hard work and targeting of attention that is needed for a meaningful representation of new invention concepts. UPR will continue to work hard for our clients at the tradeshows we will be attending in the upcoming months.

United Patent Research (UPR) is happy to report that a major North American manufacturer has shown initial interest in ten practical inventions conceived by inventors working with UPR. The interested company has signed a general non-disclosure agreement with Universal Licensing, the licensing affiliate of UPR, promising to guard any invention information in strict confidence. Eight of the new ideas under review deal with ladder related inventions.

The other two inventions are innovative construction aids. The Worthy Scribe, invented by UPR client Patrick C., is a construction tool allowing the user to easily and accurately transfer to a given surface an exact shape to be cut out. The unique design permits the user to work with horizontal or vertical services and use a variety of marking pens and pencils. The device is especially useful for carpenters, tile installers, and granite fabricators. The other invention, Shoulder It, was invented by UPR client Justin M. Shoulder It is a unique construction site accessory designed to make the carrying of wooden planks convenient and relatively pain free. Shoulder It fits on the user’s shoulder and cushions the weight of the wooden planks being carried as well as properly positioning the planks. As Shoulder It is adjustable and composed of lightweight materials, it is a valuable product for anyone carrying items on the shoulder.

It should be noted that the interested manufacturer was contacted by UPR’s President, Mr. Patrick Ralston, at the Chicago International Home & Housewares Show held this March. After the tradeshow, Mr. Ralston maintained telephone and email contact with the company in an effort to acquaint the company with the many practical inventions conceived by UPR clients. Mr. Ralston is anticipating the interested manufacturer will complete the review of the UPR inventions by the middle of January, 2017.

United Patent Research will be attending the exciting ICAST 2016 tradeshow, the largest sport fishing tradeshow in the world. ICAST 2016 is being held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from July 12 to July 15, 2016. This convention center, with one half a million gross square feet of showroom floor, provides an ideal venue for the hundreds of manufacturers and distributors who will be in attendance. The focus of ICAST 2016 centers on fishing gear, accessories and apparel. As a significant number of inventors working with United Patent Research have conceived products related to sport fishing, this tradeshow provides an opportunity for United Patent Research to make meaningful manufacturer contacts on behalf of our clients.

United Patent Research (UPR) attended the International Home & Housewares Show 2016 this March. This extensive tradeshow was held in Chicago, Illinois in the state-of-the-art McCormick Place Exposition Center. This annual tradeshow is oriented towards the industrial and business community with over 60,000 industry and business professionals in attendance. Mr. Patrick Ralston, the President of United Patent Research, was in attendance with the goal of establishing productive manufacturer contacts.

One of the companies that Mr. Ralston reconnected with at the tradeshow was the AllStar Products Group. This company showed special interest in the All Around Sunshade invented by UPR client Jose F. After returning from the tradeshow Mr. Ralston emailed AllStar Products Group information about this innovative sunshade which helps to keep cars cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Another productive meeting was held with the Arrow Plastic Manufacturing Company. Three representatives of this company showed initial interest in four inventions in the category of food/beverage carriers.

At the COSCO (Home and Office Products) booth Mr. Ralston enthusiastically presented information about the Tripod Ladder System conceived by UPR client Alan L. This creative ladder combines the reach of an extension ladder with the safety and security of a step stool. As COSCO indicated an interest in step stools, Mr. Ralston thought that this product might be an excellent addition to their product line. After the tradeshow Mr. Ralston contacted the inventor and told him that the COSCO review team would like to evaluate a sample of his invention.

One of the exciting aspects of attending tradeshows is that our representatives can discover corporate relationships that might not be readily known. For example, at the March housewares show Mr. Ralston met with a representative of Creative Concepts USA which has a working relationship with Tristar. In this meeting Mr. Ralston presented information about the Workout Buddy, an exciting product which is simultaneously a pet toy, pet exercise item, and a human workout device. Upon returning to UPR headquarters, Mr. Ralston sent Creative Concepts additional information about this pet/exercise product.

Mr. Ralston’s meeting with Hampton Direct was also very productive. The representative of Hampton Direct showed an initial interest in four inventions created by UPR clients: the Workout Buddy (a pet item); the Baseboard Heater Covers (a home improvement item); the All Around Sun Shade (a unique auto sun shade); and the Tree Shelf (an accessory for decorative trees).

As can be seen from the above summary of Mr. Ralston’s activities at the International Home & Housewares Show 2016, many positive contacts with manufacturers were made. Some of these contacts were “old friends” that wanted to review our latest product offerings and some contacts were “new friends” who were eager to review the many innovative inventions conceived by United Patent Research clients. The important fact is the United Patent Research will continue to present interested manufacturers with pertinent information about our clients’ conceptions. As with any endeavor, consistent effort is the road that leads to success.

United Patent Research engaged in very productive meetings with major manufacturers during the 2016 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The meeting at the Prism booth was especially interesting as the company’s founder and CEO, Steve King, is also an inventor.  He has developed a very unique stylus for use with computers and tablets having touch screens.  United Patent Research will be sending this company some of its product offerings for their consideration.  Moving on to the Levo booth, UPR’s representative, Mr. Patrick Ralston, met with the representative of this successful manufacturer of accessories for electronic tablets.  UPR hopes to interest this company in some of the inventions created by UPR clients.  Mr. Ralston was impressed with the wide range of quality headphones at the Audio-Technica booth.  As this company seems to have expanded its product line to include holders for portable video cameras, UPR may have some very relevant inventions to present to them.

A major company working in conjunction with Wal-Mart has shown initial interest in Plate – Bowl & Cup Loc conceived by United Patent Research (UPR) client Paul S.  The Plate-Bowl and Cup Loc is an innovative item for infants.  This unique, spill-resistant serving tray permits parents to confidently put food and beverages on a highchair without worrying that the food and drink will soon be on the floor.  The simplistic yet rugged design of the tray insures low production costs and a long product life.

In January of this year United Patent Research (UPR) attended the 2016 International Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas – one of the largest consumer shows in the world.  At this show many valuable manufacturer contacts were made.  United Patent Research President, Mr. Patrick Ralston, met with the representative of OBM Distribution, Inc. who showed an interest in the Back Jack developed by UPR client Brian B.  The Back Jack is an innovative backpack which can easily be converted into a combination waterproof jacket and backpack.  This item would especially be useful in situations where a person needs to carry an emergency raincoat.  The simple yet effective process to convert the product from a backpack to a backpack/jacket combo makes the Back Jack ideal for use by school students, hunters, hikers, bikers, vacationers, and many more.  After signing a standard confidentiality agreement, the manufacturer’s representative was shown a short video of the invention which further enhanced his interest in the invention.  The manufacturer’s representative promised further review and consideration of this truly unique and practical backpack.

The President of United Patent Research (UPR), Mr. Patrick Ralston, is pleased to note that his contacts with manufacturers are leading to positive results for several inventors working with UPR.  Creative Concepts has shown initial interest in the Reaching Cane conceived by UPR client Danilo A.  This medical/convalescent accessory is designed to serve as both a walking cane and a reaching/grabbing tool.

Another major manufacturer of creative and novel products has indicated interest in the Universal Forefoot Guard (UFG) conceived by UPR client Gwyndell D.  The Universal Forefoot Guard is an innovative clothing accessory designed to provide added comfort and protection to the user’s toes, forefoot, and bunions.  This soft yet effective item easily fits into standard shoes and socks and cushions shocks that might otherwise produce bruising and/or strains.  Diabetic users would especially find this product to be of significant value.

Mr. Ralston is also pleased to note that he met with Toys are Us in a private meeting during which several innovative products were introduced to this major toy manufacturer.  Finally, Mr. Ralston is encouraged that a large American based company has shown interest in the Wiper Techion invented by UPR client Mark M.  The Wiper Techion is an innovative wiper blade accessory designed to significantly prolong the life of car wiper blades. Users can quickly and easily attach the Wiper Techion to existing wiper blades thereby protecting the wiper blades from exposure to sun and various weather conditions.  As an added benefit, the aerodynamic design of the Wiper Techion reduces air drag on the vehicle.

A major company specializing in unique work clothes has expressed interest in two inventions devised by inventors working with United Patent Research (UPR).  Joseph M. is the inventor of the Knee Ease.  This unique knee pad provides comfortable yet effective protection for the knee.  The innovative design allows the pad to easily conform to the user’s knee and leg. Additionally, the product is lightweight and uses a replaceable wear pad in order to promote a long product life.  The other invention of interest is Comfort Knees invented by UPR client John D.  Comfort Knees is an innovative clothing item designed for people who, at least occasionally, need to perform tasks on their knees.  This unique clothing item allows people to easily work in comfort while kneeling.  This clothing item is unobtrusive and does not need to be attached to the knee.  An additional advantage is that no adjustment is required for effective use.  The inventors will be keeping in close contact with United Patent Research and Universal Licensing, the licensing affiliate of UPR, regarding these manufacturer contacts.

C & H Stamping, Inc. has expressed initial interest in the Z-Best Portable Overbed TV Stand invented by United Patent Research client Joseph R.  After C & H Stamping signed an appropriate confidential disclosure agreement, Universal Licensing, the Licensing Affiliate of United Patent Research, provided C & H Stamping with detailed information concerning the Z-Best Portable Overbed TV Stand.
The inventor will keep in close contact with Universal Licensing and United Patent Research regarding further contacts with this interested manufacturer. The Z-Best Portable Overbed TV Stand is an innovative television/bed accessory which permits a user to comfortably view television while lying on a bed or sitting in a side chair. The multiple, easy to use adjustment options allow the stand to provide comfortable TV viewing with any bed/television combination while casters permit the stand to be easily moved around. Anyone who is confined to a bed will find this TV stand to be of great value.