They require the consumer to pay a fee, usually several thousand dollars in advance for phase two services. The FTC notes reputable companies usually rely on royalties from the product's success rather than advance fees. The unscrupulous firms often apply for the limited protection of a design patent in order to avoid breaking the law of promising to obtain a patent and not doing it. That is simply not true. If a firm insists on an up-front fee, take your business elsewhere.
Many firms claim to have a great record licensing their clients' inventions.
Ask for the company's success rate and the number of clients who made more money than they paid for their services. Ask for references of recent clients and check with your state Attorney General's office whether your state requires success rate disclosure. A list of that nature is of extremely limited value. IF you want to send a message to N.I.A. or Vince fill out the below form.