On Thursday, the USPTO posted a transcript of its June 28, 2007 independent inventor online chat. Although many questions were repeated from prior online chats (like the differences between patents, trademarks, and copyrights, inquiries about locating patent attorneys, requests for information on invention promotion companies, etc.), a number of questions were answered that may be helpful to many independent inventors, including:

“What's the best way to research for a product idea that may already exist?”

“If money is sent with your invention to be patented, and it is already patented, do you get your money back?”

“I filed a provisional about two years ago. I am still working on funding. Can I file another provisional if I have not sold the idea in any form? I want to present it to some new people.”

“Is there a way to designate primary and secondary inventors, so that I may give credit to someone for helping, yet keep myself as the sole holder of intellectual property?”

The full transcript is provided in the first link below, while the second link provides additional links to the ten (10) earlier transcripts dating back to 2004.

June 28, 2007 Online Chat Transcript: LINK
USPTO Online Transcript Webpage: LINK
USPTO Online Transcript FAQ Webpage: LINK