DAMPS.com

An American Inventor contestant blog
of the ABC show The American Inventor

March 25, 2006 show two, The American Inventor.

Patent This!

So here we are ready to talk more about the American Inventor, show two. During the interim we have added links to several other invention web sites that are blogging the show as well as provide important invention services. These new links can be found below our home page blog link on www.damps.com. I did not find any former or current contestant blogging the show. I may be the only one. Proactive invention is a good thing.

The two hour American Inventor premier received one of ABC’s highest Thursday night ratings. The show was well advertised and I think it may have been a curiosity more than anything. There were a lot of comments from loyal American Idol viewers. The majority I read agreed with my assessment that the judges were very inconsistent, had contrived banter amongst themselves and lacked warm and a real compassion to make them believable. The panel mimicked the judging style for the American Idol poorly, not seeming to realize that with the different invention talent format they need a fresh inventive approach.

There were several continued personal attacks on the judges, possible karma for what the DAMPS invention team experienced first hand in our auditions.

Red Flag
One tiny part of the original show bothered me then and after much thought and considerable discussion with other members of our team, has started to become a festering sore.

F Chuck(Doug Hall) as we were called him after the audition, divulged in his background segment that he had done consulting work for Nike. That is a major Red Flag!!!

Modern Day Tucker Scenario
As I noted in my previous blog, we have been developing DAMPS for over 18 years. A lot of people ask us, what’s taking us so long? Besides great things simply taking time on their own, in that same time we have received no reasonable interest other than to find how close we are to manufacturing, from the footwear industry.
We have had one five year losing law suit, that I prosecuted myself with adidas because we could not afford an attorney in our early stages. Please note this former suit was unrelated to our DAMPS opposing magnet technology. This plus a history of countless rejection letters and numerous negative participation discussions within the industry have left us wondering, is something else going on?

We did have to send a cease and desist letter to Adidas last year when they began marketing a new shoe they were calling the Smart Shoe. We have copy written and have been using the phrase Smart Boots since 1993.

If anyone doubts our industry efforts please try to contact a footwear company and see how difficult it is and what type of leveraged agreement an inventor has to sign in order to demonstrate any new shoe idea. An applicant has to give up his or her rights to confidentiality in order to get a viewing. Confidentiality and original disclosure should go hand in hand. Check it out. Go to Nike.com and request a submission agreement.

To hear on the show that F Chuck had a business relationship with Nike that could conceivability have biased his review of DAMPS Technology footwear, certainly opens grounds for a serious conflict of interest. No one wants to lose. Certainly no one wants to lose on an unfair playing field. After our audition we kept asking each other why the judges were so negative? Everybody else loves the technology.

Next Steps
We are continuing our management discussions re our options including discussions with the producers, ABC et al., with our General Council for possible further discussion. Initially, at the very least we believe that Doug Hall should have disclosed his relationship with Nike and the potential for any bias with the DAMPS team or the remaining judges.

Bring DAMPS Technology Back
We are discussing that we should be given at minimum due consideration for an unbiased audition, within a fairly negotiated contestant platform.

Contracts
With new inventions offered to the show, the possibility of this judging bias occurring elsewhere becomes a situational consideration that the show’s producers must offer protection from. The covenant of good faith and fair dealings permeates all contracts. You cannot frustrate the ability of a contracting party to enjoy the benefits of the contract entered into.

I really hate to dwell on the negative things however if life gives you lemonade what if you are allergic to lemonade? In thinking back re our final audition there is another incident that now also begs to come to life.

Coincidence or Conspiracy?
In our audition battle with the judges, in response to who else thinks your technology has merit, I answered explaining that General Motors (GM) had just responded positively by email on Friday (the audition was on Sunday) to a letter I had sent to the their Chairman Rick Wagoner in December, introducing DAMPS Technology and the many health, and productivity benefits of reducing heel strike injury for people working on hard surfaces. Mr. Wagoner forwarded our introduction to GM Health & Safety Directors for a reason. F Chuck threw out a challenge for me to show the panel the email, thinking that I would not have brought it with me, trying to make me look like I made it up. For some unknown reason I had brought that email with me. As I produced the email, for the first time all the judges were silent. F Chuck read the email and then Big Red (Mary Lou Quinlan) also read the email and said, yes I know of this group.

This important corporate disclosure did nothing to sway the group in our favor. Here comes the rub. On Tuesday after the show I follow up with my introduction to GM Health & Safety and I am given a brush off. Now am I being paranoid? No one could argue that GM Health Directors would not want to actively discuss reducing heel strike related injuries for their workers. Is this just another coincidence?
When you start putting things together it would appear that there may, be something else going on. It did not help us on the show and it is not helping us elsewhere.

Show II
Again I could not wait for the second show to see what products made it to the next round and what the judges were going to do next. The start of the show was a real gas, pun intended. Fart away just didn’t have the staying power needed for the judges who smelled a foul product.

Right on for the football receiving aid and the nine fingered inventor team.
Catch the ball first and then bring the ball into the body, I was always taught in football.

Big Red (Mary Lou Quinlan) went ballistic with inventor Gina and the stripper while the remaining panel was waiting for a lap dance. LOL when F Chuck (Doug Hall), asked, do you think I’m an idiot? I don’t think he really wants an answer.

The determined inventor and the Bullet Ball set the stage for some Father Knows Best, sage words from the judges, of coarse the background music was brought up appropriately to build the drama.

With eighteen years under my belt, why don’t the judges understand that some ideas take a lifetime. Look at Edison and his lifetime of failures that lead to great innovation. Colonel Sanders was turned down over 1400 times before someone finally bought his original recipe for chicken. The list goes on and on. The judges are asking for sacrifice and passion from an inventor and this guy gave them that. I think F Chuck voted no because he lost playing Bullet Ball. Who is to say that with a little tweaking and marketing that this simple game might evolve into an everyday past time.
The judges are having a lot of trouble trying to get over their individual biases or greed for products that do not meet their particular fancy.

The security lock for public bathrooms showed up simple and strong.
Useful, inexpensive to make and sell, built in market for ladies, plus the lady inventor was so real and genuine in her presentation and trying to retire her husband, she definitely gets my vote.

While all this was going on I missed UCLA’s tournament legacy come from behind win over Gonzaga. I saw one of our DAMPS I LP Advisory Boards Partners and UCLA great Bill Walton in the crowed earlier in the game and while cheering hard his face reflected the concern that UCLA may not pull it out. Oh the sacrifices an inventor makes.

The left side right side pump up bra got a quick squeeze leading up to the multi-language doll. The judges seem to really get off seeing the contestants cry. If crying helped an inventor, Kleenex would be given out with every new patent application. I am glad to see the lady and her doll go through to the next round and remember it is the market place that decides the success of a product, not the judges on American Inventor.

The invisibly tear gas kid is on the inventors road. From a science class mishap to finding a practical application for a “mistake,” is the right approach.

I agree with New York Ed Evangelista, my Therapy Buddy will most likely get your ass kicked or your car jacked.

The wig liner inventor got the real sympathy vote to the next round. Simon Bowells (Peter Jones) was persuaded to compassion by Big Red (Mary Lou Quinlan) in a touching display of, OK you are through to the next round but implied, I don’t think there is a market for sick people losing their hair and if there is I don’t want to have anything to do with it.

Overall I have learned that the inventor passion, the show seeks so desperately translates in realty to crying for the judges. If I had thought crying would help sell DAMPS technology I would have shown up for the audition cutting onions. Crying only helps you feel better for a short time. You can live with the success of one’s invention for lifetimes.

See you here same time next week for another installment of as the invention turns or it’s crying time in Hollywood.