Clark has talked in the past about phony invention groups. There was even a law passed in 1999 - the American Inventors’ Protection Act – to safeguard consumers against these fraudulent companies. But apparently, they are back. The Patent & Trademark Office has issued a warning about these groups, and you can find it at uspto.gov. The scams usually work in three steps. At first, they send you a free information kit. Then, they hit you up for $500 to $700 to do some “preliminary research” into the viability of your idea. After a few weeks, they send you another thicker package, saying your idea is a hit and they need more money to start a marketing campaign. This time, they hit you up for $5,000 to $10,000. Don’t allow yourself to be taken. So, how do you find legitimate groups? For general information, howstuffworks.com is a good starting point. Another one is inventored.org, which is an informational site for inventors. Another easy one is asktheinvenstors.org. The site tries to sell you things, as well, but you don’t have to buy. Then there is the International Federation for Inventors Association. They even have information specifically for women because women tend to experience some discrimination from men in the inventing world. It’s at invention-ifia.ch. So, stay out of harm’s way. When you see those ads on late night TV, steer clear.