(a) IN GENERAL.-An
invention promoter shall have a duty to disclose the following information to a customer in writing, prior to entering into a contract for
invention promotion services:
(1) the total number of inventions evaluated by the
invention promoter for commercial potential in the past 5 years, as well as the number of those inventions that received positive evaluations, and the number of those inventions that received negative evaluations;
(2) the total number of customers who have contracted with the
invention promoter in the past 5 years, not including customers who have purchased trade show services, research, advertising, or other nonmarketing services from the
invention promoter, or who have defaulted in their payment to the
invention promoter;
(3) the total number of customers known by the
invention promoter to have received a net financial profit as a direct result of the
invention promotion services provided by such
invention promoter;
(4) the total number of customers known by the
invention promoter to have received license agreements for their inventions as a direct result of the
invention promotion services provided by such
invention promoter; and
(5) the names and addresses of all previous
invention promotion companies with which the
invention promoter or its officers have collectively or individually been affiliated in the previous 10 years.
(b) CIVIL ACTION.-
(1) Any customer who enters into a contract with an
invention promoter and who is found by a court to have been injured by any material false or fraudulent statement or representation, or any omission of material fact, by that
invention promoter (or any agent, employee, director, officer, partner, or independent contractor of such
invention promoter), or by the failure of that
invention promoter to disclose such information as required under subsection (a), may recover in a civil action against the
invention promoter (or the officers, directors, or partners of such
invention promoter), in addition to reasonable costs and attorneys' fees-
(A) the amount of actual damages incurred by the customer; or
(B) at the election of the customer at any time before final judgment is rendered, statutory damages in a sum of not more than $5,000, as the court considers just.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in a case where the customer sustains the burden of proof, and the court finds, that the
invention promoter intentionally misrepresented or omitted a material fact to such customer, or willfully failed to disclose such information as required under subsection (a), with the purpose of deceiving that customer, the court may increase damages to not more than three times the amount awarded, taking into account past complaints made against the
invention promoter that resulted in regulatory sanctions or other corrective actions based on those records compiled by the Commissioner of Patents under subsection (d).
(c) DEFINITIONS.-For purposes of this section-
(1) a "contract for
invention promotion services" means a contract by which an
invention promoter undertakes
invention promotion services for a customer;
(2) a "customer" is any individual who enters into a contract with an
invention promoter for
invention promotion services;
(3) the term "
invention promoter" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity who offers to perform or performs
invention promotion services for, or on behalf of, a customer, and who holds itself out through advertising in any mass media as providing such services, but does not include-
(A) any department or agency of the Federal Government or of a State or local government;
(B) any nonprofit, charitable, scientific, or educational organization, qualified under applicable State law or described under section 170(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
(C) any person or entity involved in the evaluation to determine commercial potential of, or offering to license or sell, a utility patent or a previously filed nonprovisional utility patent application;
(D) any party participating in a transaction involving the sale of the stock or assets of a business; or
(E) any party who directly engages in the business of retail sales of products or the distribution of products; and
(4) the term "
invention promotion services" means the procurement or attempted procurement for a customer of a firm, corporation, or other entity to develop and market products or services that include the
invention of the customer.
(d) RECORDS OF COMPLAINTS.-
(1) RELEASE OF COMPLAINTS.-The Commissioner of Patents shall make all complaints received by the Patent and Trademark Office involving
invention promoters publicly available, together with any response of the
invention promoters. The Commissioner of Patents shall notify the
invention promoter of a complaint and provide a reasonable opportunity to reply prior to making such complaint publicly available.
(2) REQUEST FOR COMPLAINTS.-The Commissioner of Patents may request complaints relating to
invention promotion services from any Federal or State agency and include such complaints in the records maintained under paragraph (1), together with any response of the
invention promoters.
Added Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, §1000(a)(9) [title IV, §4102(a)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-552.
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTSection 170(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, referred to in subsec. (c)(3)(B), is classified to section 170(b)(1)(A) of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATE Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, §1000(a)(9) [title IV, subtitle A, §4103], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-554, provided that: "This subtitle [enacting this section and provisions set out as a note under section 1 of this title] and the amendments made by this subtitle shall take effect 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1999]."