Who Invented Post-it Notes and Protecting an Invention

In 1974, Amron mailed samples of what he called Press-on Memos to 3M executives and other industry leaders and later he was at a trade show in New York City selling and distributing samples. He discussed his product with 3M executives and worked out technical details with them. He was later told production would be too expensive and the notes would gum up machinery.

But a product known as Post-it^® Notes was later created and has proved wildly popular. It was Amron's understanding with 3M that they would not claim credit for inventing the product.

"I was always under the impression with 3M that they would not claim they invented it," said Amron. "They would change their advertising campaigns. But they started again during the 30^th anniversary that they invented it."

Post-it^® Notes has evolved into its own brand name. On the product website, post-it.com, 3M gives its version of the product's beginnings:

The Post-it^® Note was invented as a solution without a problem: Dr. Spencer Silver developed a unique, repositionable adhesive, but the 3M scientist didn't know what to do with his discovery. Then, six years later, a colleague of Dr. Silver, Art Fry, remembered the light adhesive when he was daydreaming about a bookmark that would stay put in his church hymnal. The rest is history. Today, Post-it^® Brand boasts more than 4,000 unique products, and has become one of the most well-known and beloved brands in the world.

The company also has a thirtieth anniversary website for Post-it^® Notes titled "Celebrating 30 Years of Keeping it Simple."

I asked Alan if he thought inventors are better off trying to work through large corporations like 3M or Qualcomm. He said "no" if an inventor wants to reap the full financial rewards.

"I don't think so. Look at the two guys claiming to invent Post-it Notes^® within 3M ... if I would have had a patent I would have made hundreds of millions off the Post-it products."

"I've been in contact with 3M. I have no legal claim or financial claim. In America we have a system of inventing that is different than the rest of the world. If I can prove date of first conception, which I've done, then I'm the true inventor."

Amron has court documents to back up his claim.

I asked him what he would do differently given his knowledge and experience.

"Years ago, we didn't have Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA). I've learned NDAs are valuable. I would have filed a patent at the time if I could have afforded the cost and I knew more about inventing."

A quick scan through search engines will reveal some of the products and ideas Amron has developed in his career as an inventor. Amron advises inventors to form teams and not try to fulfill all parts of the process themselves including the cost of filing patents, maintaining the rights, manufacturing prototypes, and being prepared to litigate to protect a patent.

"If you've got a good idea and you can protect it, your deal is going to be a lot better if you go to private money. I don't care what the economy is. There will be somebody who can put up the money to do it."

Amron says inventors and investors have gained a reputation for being litigious. It costs from fifteen-thousand dollars to twenty-five thousand dollars to file a patent properly.

"A patent is a right to sue," Amron told me. "Why would you file a patent if you aren't going to protect it?"

The Inventor's Handbook, made available through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, advises inventors to not go it alone: "Hiring an attorney can save you grief and money in the long run; in some cases, patent attorneys can also provide guidance in licensing and marketing."

Amron has no legal claim against 3M and he's not seeking money from the corporation. He wants to set the record straight and receive recognition for his role in making the Post-it^® Notes product available. Alan Amron has written a book currently titled Hey, I Invented It that digs more deeply into his career as an inventor including one chapter on his relationship with 3M.