With no money coming in from the invention, the loan payments to the ISC subsidiary became a burden. It is a disappointment, but it is the nature of the industry. Mahaffey's case was not unusual. Consumers have to do their homework. She says that of the 5,324 clients the company represented from 1997 to 1999, only 11 had made more money than they invested.
Consumer advocates say even that number is inflated.
While no one questions the risks inherent in developing a new invention, experts say the odds shouldn't be that low. ISC's treatment of Mahaffey wasn't illegal. However, experts say it is among the nicer things that happen to naive inventors who rely on any one of the dozen or so major players in the industry. Nearly every one of their patent searches comes back with favorable results, often raising the hopes of inventors by estimating a huge market potential. Most of the patents obtained by these companies, he argues, are also worthless.