Invention Evaluation

[nameless999]

What is the name of your state? Indiana. In Jan. of this year, I contacted a firm "Lambert & Lambert" located in Minnesota for an evaluation on my invention. I found them on the 'good guy' list on the 'Patent Cafe' web site. For $150 they promised an evaluation in 3-5 weeks, but I received mine in 10 weeks. They sent me an evaluation but it wasn't for my product and they also sent references to other websites for me to contact and one of them wasn't even a good site. After numerous tries to contact them to no avail, I filed a complaint to the USPTO. Now they finally call me and beg me to rescind my complaint and they will refund my money. I wasted all these months with them but I did fax the USPTO to rescind my complaint upon my receiving the refund but haven't received it so far. My question can I sue these people as they have my patent application and I also sent them my prototype which they did return but in a damaged condition? I think they want me to cash the check they are going to send so that it releases them from the cotract so they can steal my invention. We did sign a disclosure document though. Help, nameless999.

 

[Dandy Don]

Of course you CAN sue them, but first get a local patent attorney to help you negotiate the return of your prototype so that a lawsuit won't be necessary except as a last resort. You also need to let your state attorney general know about this company so he can investigate it and put it out of business so that other inventors won't be taken advantage of like this.