So you’ve brought something new and wonderful into this world. At first reading, you may think we’re referring to the magic of parenthood, but we’re actually talking about a different kind of creation (though you might consider it your “baby”). For some, it’s a formula or for others, it’s a design or even a whole new invention, the likes of which the world has never seen. Regardless, your hard work and research have finally paid off so give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve done all you’ve set out to do… now what? Well, to protect the intellectual property of your creation, you’ll need to patent it (if your invention isn’t patentable, there may be other IP protection available). Unfortunately, unlike the excitement that comes with inventing, the patenting process is a bit arduous. To help you out, here are some general time estimates for the patent process:

Disclaimer: Davison is not a law firm and does not provide patent services or other legal services. The information being presented is factual in nature and is not offered as, nor may it be taken as, legal advice. Any legal questions should be directed to a competent patent attorney or patent agent.

Step-by-Step: Navigating the Patent Process

Patent Process Step 1: Patent Searching (15 minutes to several weeks)

This first step involves searching for other patents, products or information in existence that may be similar to yours. While a search isn’t required to submit an application, it is an important step. This way, when you apply, you’ll be sure to avoid claiming features that already exist. You can do this yourself; however, if you’re not experienced at performing patent searches, you may want to work with a patent attorney/agent. If working with a patent attorney/agent, the time can vary depending on the case, but typically can be done in a manner of weeks.

Patent Process Step 2: What kind of patent?

This step involves simply making sure you’re aware of what type of patent to file for. This way you’re filling out the proper paperwork. There are three types of categories to consider:

Utility, Design, or Plant Patent?

a) Utility Patent: A utility patent may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new or useful process, machine, composition of matter, article of manufacture, or any new useful improvement thereof.

b) Design Patent: A design patent may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, or ornamental design for an article of manufacture.

c) Plant Patent: A plant patent may be granted to anyone who discovers or invents and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.

Patent Process Step 3: Drafting a Patent Application (Several weeks to several months)

Once you’ve done your research and figured out what type of patent you’ll be applying for, it’s time for the next step- apply! At this stage, you’ll be required to put together the patent application. If you complete an application yourself, the process would simply be as long as it takes you to form a draft without errors. But again, if you lack experience, a patent attorney/agent is strongly recommended. Similarly to the patent search stage, an attorney/agent could take anywhere between several weeks to several months complete the application. This depends on the type of patent, the volume of work, and information provided by the client. At the very least, you should have a patent attorney/agent review your work.

If your invention needs a Utility Patent, you’ll have to decide whether to file a Provisional or Non-provisional application.

a) Provisional: a quick, informal and less-expensive application process. This applicant is not examined by the USPTO and is only valid for a year. That time allows an applicant to seek funding or test the marketability of the invention before incurring the added expense of a non-provisional application.

b) Non-provisional: Only a non-provisional application can lead to the issuance of a patent. The process of filing one is a lot longer and more expensive than a Provisional form.

Patent Process Step 4: File to Acceptance (7 months to 23.9 months)

At this point, your patent will have a ‘Patent Pending’ status. Don’t get too excited when you see 7 months up there, though. Typically the only cases where a patent is approved within a 7 month period is if it’s what’s called a Track One, which just means it’s prioritized. This can only apply to plant or utility applications and has different requirements, including a much larger fee than a normal non-provisional patent application.

Per the USPTO, the current estimated time for review from a Patent Examiner (or First Office Action) is 15.7 months (or 1.7 months for Track One) and the average wait to actually get a final determination (notice of allowance or final rejection) is 23.9 months. A provisional application is not examined and gives the applicant one year from that date to file for a non-provisional patent.

The non-provisional patent application process is lengthy because, at any given time, the USPTO has hundreds of thousands of patent applications to process. For example, in 2015, 629,647 applications were filed. Compare this to the mere 7,966 Patent Examiners working as of 2014.

We know this process can be overwhelming for some, and, for anyone feeling a little out of their depth, a patent attorney/agent can be very helpful. Our patent attorney, David DeMay, empathizes with those who get overwhelmed with the process, stating, “It certainly can be overwhelming, particularly if you are unfamiliar with government bureaucracy. There are numerous federal statutes and regulations that need to be followed and failing to follow proper procedure can have negative effects on the individual’s rights. That is why the USPTO requires every patent attorney/agent to pass the Patent Bar Exam before they are permitted to represent another individual in patent matters.”

Overall, there’s no one size fits all timeline for the patent process. It’s kind of like ordering from your favorite Etsy shop, the delivery timeline is just a rough estimate. Sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised, and other times you’re left waiting longer than you bargained for. The keys to getting through the process are to take your time, be detailed/thorough, and most of all – be patient. If you’re able to do all of this then, eventually, your invention or creation will legally be yours.

How do you feel after learning about those simple four steps to get a patent? Do you know what kind of patent would work for your idea? Are you ready to research your idea?

Click HERE to connect with a Davison invention team member.

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If you or anyone you know has ever been in this situation, don’t fret. While sketching is an important part of both the brainstorming and prototyping phases, it’s not strictly necessary. There are also workarounds to get something like a sketch finished, without the need for artistic talent.

HIRE AN ARTIST

The most obvious solution is also the most difficult. Art takes time, and as the saying goes, time is money. Unless you have a very close friend or family member willing to be your sketch artist, you’re going to be shelling out for a commission. Even then, what you envision in your head might be difficult to communicate with others. Only attempt this step if the invention is simple design-wise and only if you have the funds.

ATTEND ART CLASSES

If you have the time, a few art courses might help you improve. This is still a desperate option and should only be tried if you have deep pockets. However, most art classes teach a great number of skills beyond being able to sketch, which could prove useful as an inventor. If you’re a student, see if it’s offered as an elective. Also, many community centers offer art classes.

USE CLIPART

Clipart and premade assets might not convey professionalism, but they’ll do in a pinch. Combined with the above methods, it may be possible to create something far closer to your interior visualization. Don’t be afraid to be creative, especially with any recolor or cropping tools. Need a wheel? Crop one off a car. Use a jump rope as a cord. You’re an inventor and therefore naturally creative. The options are endless.

USE A GRAPHING PROGRAM

As we covered in a previous article, graphing and art programs may assist you if you struggle to draw. Being able to connect lines through points, both straight and curved, should give you the same freedom you’d expect with a pen or pencil. The drawback is that some programs are finicky to use or cost money, but plenty of free alternatives exist.

SKIP TO PROTOTYPING

Why not? Skipping to the prototyping is a viable option in some cases. It may be a bit more difficult without a sketch, especially if you’re using a 3D printing program. But it’s still possible! If you can modify previously-existing products, that’s a great way to start. And if you have to start from scratch, using a 3D printer is still feasible. In fact…

USE A MODELING PROGRAM

Using a 3D modeling program has the added bonus of making a multi-dimensional version of your product. There is one downside: many 3D modeling programs are difficult to use and can be costly. Again, if you can find a friend who owns the program and have them assist you, it should make your project all the easier. From there, you can go straight to printing and have a basic prototype for your pitch meeting.

SKETCH ANYWAY

Unless it is physically impossible, try sketching anyway. It may not be the most beautiful or recognizable creation, but the only way to improve is through practice. Furthermore, drawing your invention yourself is the only way to ensure it looks like it does in your head. Just remember to use fresh paper and your eraser.

Remember: there is no wrong way to sketch. If you can hold a pencil, you can do it. Believe in your own talent.

While sketching is important to help get your idea across, don’t feel stressed if sketching isn’t your strong point. As long as you have inspiration for your idea and you can describe it we can help you! Check out what type of inventor you are by taking our inventor persona quiz!

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1) Factory or Outsourcing?

When you’re looking for an invention company, one of the most important things to check is whether the company will be building your invention in-house or whether it will be outsourced. A lot of invention building companies tend to outsource the bulk of the building work to a factory across the country and sometimes even across the world. They typically do this to save money on production costs, which may make them seem appealing as the cost will likely be lower for you as well. But this savings comes at a price.

Companies that outsource tend to be less customer-service friendly as there will be a constant back and forth between the customer, the sales company, and the outsourced production company. This means if you have a question or concern, it will likely take days or even weeks for the company to get back to you with an answer. And, because the company itself isn’t directly overseeing the invention process, there can be a ‘telephone effect’ where you tell this company what you want and then, when they communicate it second-hand, it doesn’t result in the outcome you expected. As a general rule, look for a company that does its inventing work in-house.

2) Getting products in store and on shelves

Another important thing to look at is a company’s ability to get inventions on the shelves of stores. Once you’re finished going through the actual production process, a lot of product development companies will leave you high and dry. Many may be able to create your invention, but there are very few that will help you with what comes after the invention is completed. Those next steps can be scary and difficult to navigate. When you’re looking for a company to build your invention, see what they can do to help you in the next steps.

3) Prototyping

When you’re choosing a product development company, have them take you through their process from signed contract to the completed invention. It’s important to make sure they’ve included one crucial step: Prototyping. For those unfamiliar, prototyping is the step in which one makes an early sample or model of a product or invention to act as an example or something to be learned from. This step is crucial because it’s the time to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Without this step, your invention will likely not look or function as you envisioned it.

4) Customer Service

This is another aspect to keep in mind as you’re having a company walk through their product development system. It’s important to know how heavily involved you’ll be in their process. Ideally, you’ll work with a company that involves you in the procedure each step of the way, rather than a company with a more hands-off approach. If the company isn’t willing to take the time to talk with you in detail about your invention throughout the process, you run the risk of them building a product that wasn’t at all like what you had envisioned. So, when you call companies, you should not only make sure you ask about your involvement throughout the process but also make sure you like the people you speak with.

5) Confidentiality

This is one of the more common fears for inventors: how do I know my idea is safe? It’s absolutely crucial that you make sure whichever company you choose to work with takes measures to ensure your confidentiality is protected. This typically involves a confidentiality agreement of some sort between yourself and the company as a whole. However, some companies take the extra measure of making each of their employees sign a confidentiality agreement as well upon hiring. Both of these measures ensure that you’re working with a trustworthy company and that your idea is safe from those with unsavory business practices.

6) Awards/Proof of Excellence

This step isn’t absolutely necessary, but it is helpful to have further proof of a company’s good track record aside from their word. Knowing they’ve won awards or even seeing some good reviews is a way to further make certain that you’ll be in good hands. There are several different awards that a product development company could have won or been nominated for. For example, it may be helpful to see if they’ve ever won or been nominated for an International Design Excellence award, which is an awards program co-sponsored by Businessweek Magazine and the International Designers Society of America.

Summary: Questions to Ask Product Development Companies

1) Do you build your inventions in-house or do you outsource them to another company?
2) Have you gotten products in stores?
3) Take me through your inventing process. Do you prototype inventions?
4) How involved will I be throughout the inventing process?
5) Is my invention idea protected? If so, what steps do you take to protect it?
6) Have you won any awards? Or do you have any other proof of your expertise?

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Do you have a better understanding of things that make an invention company a good one? Are you comfortable with looking for the invention company that is right for you? Check out what kind of inventor you are by clicking our link below!

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Just because we love something with all of our hearts, doesn’t mean we’ll automatically do it justice when it comes time to talk about it. The same goes for pitching your invention. You may have faith that companies will respond to simply a description of the invention or your passion for the project, but that’s unfortunately not the case. If you want to get people interested, you need to give them a good reason why (actually, several of them). And to do that, you can’t just leave it up to chance- you need a structured pitch.

1) Set the Stage

The first step to crafting the perfect pitch for your product or invention is to create the perfect opener. The goal of your presentation opener is to hook your audience in, to peak their interest and entice them to be at the edge of their seat. The best way to accomplish this is to focus on the problem that your invention is proposing to solve. If you immediately hit on a problem that your audience constantly finds themselves faced with, you will immediately have their attention.

You could approach this practice in a few different ways. You could begin your presentation simply by proposing a question like, “Do you often find yourself [insert problem here]? Well, what if I told you there’s an easy solution?” Another approach would be to set the stage for your audience. Paint them a vivid picture of what it’s like to be in the thick of their problem. Matt Alwine, Managing Senior Director of Licensing at Davison, advised on this approach saying, “Put your audience mentally in the environment where the product would be used. For example, you are walking to your vehicle after a late meeting at work and cannot remember where you parked. This will ‘set the stage’ for the problem you’re attempting to solve.” Painting this picture reminds your audience what it feels like to experience this problem. The imagery will engage them and get them prepped to hear your proposed solution.

2) Know Your Audience

When prepping your presentation, it’s important to research the specific person or company to whom you’ll be presenting. Your pitch should only briefly discuss what your invention actually does, and focus on specifically how it will benefit the company or person at hand. This requires you to do a lot of research on the company to whom you’re presenting. What’s their current product line? How does your invention fit within their current market? Prove to them that they’re lacking in an area to which your invention can help accommodate.

3) Know the Competition

Equally as important, you must prove to your audience that you have a thorough knowledge of your competition. Do your research to see if there’s a similar product or invention currently on the market. If there isn’t anything similar, prove this by giving them information about the closest thing to your invention and what yours does instead. If there are similar products, show them how yours is better. Will it cost less to make? Does it fix a problem that similar products commonly have? Does it have an additional function? If the answer to more than one of these questions is yes, include each in your presentation.

4) Prepare Some Cold Hard Facts

The most important aspect of pitching your product is making sure that your presentation comes across as incredibly well-researched. To start, you should know what materials you’ll need for your product and the quantity of those materials.  Have a list of similar products and their prices. If your product is about better functionality, your sales price will likely be slightly higher than the rest. If yours is about beating out the competition with a more cost-effective model, then yours will be slightly lower. Do your research and come prepared with this information.

It’s also helpful to have (very) rough numbers on how much profit you anticipate making on the product.

5) Know Your Time Frame

Finally, make sure you know the allotted time frame for your pitch, and use every second wisely. The last thing you want to do is prepare a thirty-minute presentation, only to arrive and realize you’ll have to condense it into a ten-minute time frame. Cater the presentation tools and information you use to fit the window of time you’re allotted. If the window is short, make sure to include your most important selling points. Remember: Don’t focus on what your invention does, focus on what it can do for the company.

Though you should cater each presentation to fit the business or person to whom you’re presenting, you should also prepare an elevator pitch to always be ready. The world is a very serendipitous place, you never know who you’re going to meet and when. Make sure you have an abridged version of your presentation prepared to pitch at any given moment. For this, focus on your knowledge of the competition, the market overall, your product itself, and the potential profit margin. It wouldn’t hurt to get some business cards, too.

How do you feel after learning how to pitch your idea? Do you have a better idea on your next steps? Check out what kind of inventor you are by clicking our quiz below!

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NOTE: While this is a general guide to follow, there are quirks and minor details not covered below. It’s also important to know what the umbrella term of “intellectual property” means, as it can refer to copyrights, trademarks, and patents, or any combination of the three. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, “intellectual property” is defined as “creations of the mind: inventions; literary and artistic works; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce.”

TRADEMARK

A trademark protects a symbol, word, slogan, design, name, and/or image that identifies the source of goods or services. For example, the smiling face logo of Wal-Mart is trademarked, as is the slogan “Save Money, Live Better.” Owning the trademark is basically a notice of ownership that the public can see. Registered trademarks are the ones that can use the ® symbol to defend their work.

If you own a trademark and see somebody using it without permission, you can sue for infringement. However, this only applies to the country you’ve registered the trademark in- if it hasn’t been registered there, your legal rights are much less powerful. A trademark is valid for an unlimited amount of time, as long as it is used in commerce, but must be renewed every 10 years or it lapses.

Of additional note is the term “service mark.” This is for the slogans, symbols, logos, and words associated with a service, not a place to purchase goods. Ronald McDonald and other icons associated with McDonald’s are protected under service mark.

PATENTS

Patents are for inventors and designers. Machines, chemical combinations, specific processes, or even the design of a product can be patented. Unlike trademarks and copyrights, it cannot be renewed. When the twenty-year patent term expires, the item in question becomes part of the public domain. However, during that time, the owner has the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention.

While many items that are patented remain under the protection of their creator, others may choose to sell them to companies and enjoy royalties from the sales. The company takes over the ownership of the item and most of the sales, while the inventor gets a base sum after selling the item and small payments with each purchase of the product.

Patents and trademarks are both served out of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, at least in America. There are also three types of patents you can apply for: a design patent, a plant patent, and a utility patent. Each variety has its own paperwork and system to filing.

COPYRIGHTS

This applies to the work of many creative types.  Copyrights are automatically granted upon creation of an original work. Artists, choreographers, musicians, authors, architects, and other creative professionals also can register a copyright for their work. However, the work must be in a tangible state; it’s impossible to copyright just an idea. Some copyrights are part of a larger trademark. For example, the video game Overwatch and its logo are trademarked to Blizzard, but the mascot character of Tracer is copywritten.

Also, much like a trademark, a copyright is a public notice of ownership. It’s legal evidence that can be used to sue those who infringe upon your work, so long as the paperwork is in order. A copyright never has to be renewed and is valid for life various terms, depending on whether or not the work is for hire. If not for hire, the current copyright duration is for the life of the creator, plus 70 years.

Within the United States, the Copyright Office is part of the Library of Congress. Most copyrighted works are subject to the Fair Use doctrine, or how said products can be used without permission in the public domain. Parodying a song or showcasing footage of a video game in a review is allowed under Fair Use. Uploading an entire movie to YouTube for others to watch for free, on the other hand, is not. This has been the source of some controversy lately as the definition of Fair Use evolves and shifts.

Again, this guide is by no means all-encompassing. There are many details that weren’t covered in the above descriptions and you should not consider this legal advice. Nevertheless, hopefully, you understand the basic differences between ©, ®, and now and what types of protection are available.

Now that you were able to learn about trademarks, copyright, and patents you hopefully have a better understanding of where to head next on your inventors’ journey.  Not sure about what steps to take next? Check out our inventor quiz to help you learn what kind of inventor you are!

The post Copyright, Patent, and Trademark: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Davison.

A three-hour car ride home from a lacrosse tournament doesn’t sound all that bad. However, a three-hour car ride home from a lacrosse tournament with a pile of stinky, sweaty gear in the back of the car may make you think twice about going on that road trip.

This is exactly what happened to the mother of three sports-loving children, Krista Wood, while on her way back from her son’s tournament one evening. With their son fast asleep in the back of the car, husband and wife duo Krista and Chris were left stuck with the unpleasant stench nearly 150 miles away from their final destination.

Coming up with a solution for stinky sports equipment seemed hopeless for Wood. A lot of sports gear is not washable and it’s certainly too expensive to replace every time it gets soaked in sweat. After having tried nearly every spray on the market to rid her son’s lacrosse equipment of the stench, Wood was left feeling defeated with no solution in sight.

But she was determined to conquer the odor. After doing some research on what causes bad odor, she and her husband got to work developing a prototype in their garage. After nearly a year of fine-tuning their product, the Woods family invented the first pair of Glovestix, a now popular sports accessory meant to stop bad odor in its tracks.

Using two perforated plastic tubes lined with silver to kill odor-causing bacteria, the husband and wife team discovered the solution they were so desperately in search of. Today, the inventors have expanded on their original idea to include an entire line of odor-killing “stix” intended for items such as boots, skates, helmets, gloves, and even ballet slippers.

After appearing on NBC’s Today and QVC, the Woods family quickly sold out of GloveStix when they received 5,000 orders …2,000 orders over their initial goal! The duo is still inventing, currently working on different iterations of their original Glovestix.

*Davison had no involvement with the design of the featured product

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As parents to five daughters, Jennifer and Gifford Briggs were no strangers to long hair clogging their shower drains. Not only does this pose a drainage issue, but it’s also at the bottom of every household’s to-do list.

Nobody wants to get down on their hands and knees to clean a drain full of soap scum, hair, and dirt. Having a large family, the Briggs grew tired of how slow their drain was. Not only was it slow, but sooty rings were forming in the tub because of the slowly receding water.

A slow drain, coupled with the amount of time it took in between showers (while waiting for the tub to drain) sent the husband and wife on a mission to develop a solution for a problem that plagues many households.

Sure, you could purchase expensive liquids to pour down your drain, but those damage pipes and can wreak havoc on a septic system. A hair trap may seem like the perfect solution, yet you’re still left cleaning out the hair trap – which isn’t much better than having to clean the drain in the first place.

Although there was a wide array of solutions on the market, none met the needs of a family constantly up against this problem; thus, the Drain Wig was born. A long metal string attached to a decorative topper was the perfect solution the Briggs were searching for.

Homeowners simply drop the string down the drain while the topper keeps it from falling down entirely. The unique hooked-chain design catches all of the hair as it goes down the drain, allowing for easy removal when it’s time to clean. The simple, yet effective hair trap is 100% disposable which means you won’t need to touch any of the mess or break out the rubber gloves.

Do you have an idea for a new invention or product? Confidentially submit your idea today!

*Davison had no involvement with the design of the featured product

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If you celebrate Christmas, you certainly remember the excitement that came when it was time to put up the Christmas tree. Boxes upon boxes of ornaments scatter the living room as if a decorative bomb went off, leaving behind a colorful mess in its wake while you eagerly ran back and forth putting up as many ornaments as your tree could hold.

For Ryan Kenny, Christmas was always a special holiday that he held near and dear to his heart. Growing up, Kenny would meticulously comb over the Christmas tree, repositioning the ornaments until he felt it looked just right.

That same energy stuck with Kenny all the way through to adulthood. One day while decorating the tree with his family, Kenny couldn’t help but notice the unsightly pole that supported the artificial Douglass Fur. “Never should a tree that represents such a special holiday have such a hideous green fuzzy pole holding it upright,” Kenny thought to himself.

After realizing the glaring problem, Kenny took to the internet in search of a solution that would hide this imperfection. To his surprise, there was nothing on the market that currently addressed the problem at hand. Kenny decided to take action.

With a background in graphic design, he began developing a few prototypes that might do the trick. Keeping in mind that his product would have to fit more than one model of tree, Kenny finally decided on a design that worked – thus, the Christmas Tree Hugger was born.

After scouring the market for the right materials, Kenny decided on neoprene, a particularly elastic material that could stretch and hold shape. This material, coupled with a few Velcro closures did the trick. Taking a traditional tree bark design, Kenny printed a nearly perfect tree trunk right on to the material.

With a reversible wrap, one side being bark and the other side being a candy cane pattern, the Christmas Tree Hugger proved to be the perfect holiday accessory.

*Davison had no involvement with the design of the featured product

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Jennifer Sullivan, mother of two, was enjoying a rare moment of downtime and watching one of her favorite shows, Cougar Town. In this episode, two women were talking about wine and how uncorking the bottle is always the most dreadful part.  In the episode, one of the women took out a device which she screwed on to the top of the wine bottle, turning the bottle itself into a wine glass.

Awestricken by the device, Sullivan turned to the internet to find one for herself. To her surprise, the ‘invention’ didn’t actually exist. Beaming with excitement, Sullivan phoned her brother-in-law who also shares a love for wine. The two began brainstorming different ways they could make this product become available to the public.

After setting up a website and working out a deal with a manufacturer, Sullivan and her brother-in-law, Randy Rothfus, began selling the Guzzle Buddy – a one-size-fits-all wine bottle topper.

Thanks to viral videos and the internet, the Guzzle Buddy grew in popularity – eventually finding its way to The Ellen DeGeneres Show and became a featured gift idea in several magazine articles. Made using borosilicate glass and silicone, the Guzzle Buddy easily screws into most standard-sized wine bottles, creating a great gag-gift and conversation piece at parties.

Although popular, Sullivan and Rothfus were constantly faced with the question, “Why not just drink from the bottle?” In an effort to combat the negative stigma around their product, the two began researching. It wasn’t long before they found an answer.

As stated on the Guzzle Buddy website, “Researchers suggest that when we taste something, as much as 80 percent can be attributed to the smell.” Drinking directly from the bottle doesn’t allow appreciation of the smell of the wine or beer. While using the Guzzle Buddy, however, “liquid streams down the inside of the glass allowing the carbonated bubbles to burst releasing those wonderful aromas that you inhale.”

Today, the Guzzle Buddy remains one of the most popular wine-related gift items on the market today. The company has even begun to branch out, creating beer soda bottle toppers as well. Remember, just because you see it on television doesn’t mean it exists.

*Davison had no involvement with the design of the featured product

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As human nature entails, whenever we find something that works, we stick with it – sometimes never changing it for hundreds of years. Take the fork for example. Since its invention nearly 500 years ago, not much has changed. Why fix something that isn’t broken?

Well, Kyle Donavan has a sensible answer for you. Since the time he was a child, he was always looking for opportunities to make things better. One day while Donavan was sitting at an outdoor restaurant, he witnessed a bird fly over and land on the table he was sitting at. Delighted at first, Donavan soon came to the realization that this bird was standing on the same table that his eating utensils were resting on.

You don’t have to be a germaphobe to understand the potentially dangerous problem here. Hundreds of thousands of germs call tabletops home. Those are the same places that we place our forks, spoons, and knives – all of which eventually come into contact with our mouths.  Who knows how many people have sneezed or coughed on that surface before your eating utensils were placed there?

Witnessing this issue firsthand, Donavan decided to take action by coming up with an idea so simple that it’s surprising it hadn’t been invented hundreds of years before when the fork first made its way to our dinner tables.

Donavan’s solution: the iFork line. By incorporating a small post into the design of the utensil, he found a solution that prevents the prongs of your fork, the bowl of your spoon, and the edge of your knife from ever touching the table.

Not only does this new design prevent your utensils from coming in contact with a germ-ridden tabletop, but it helps keep your tablecloths clean by preventing the utensils ‘dirty’ end from touching the linen surface.

This new elegant stainless-steel line of utensils now solves the age-old problem that not many people realized even existed.

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