£500 OF Treehog Products Up For Grabs!

[Martyn Amos]

Martyn Amos is from south Wales

[Stihllymok]

I'm sorry you feel like that, but we haven't stolen any patentable ideas at all, and we certainly won't be. We adhere to a moral standard of business and we don't do things like that.

 

The comp was genuinely a chance for one person to win some gear, and for others to get a heavy discount on some new products - and we got info on what would be popular products to bring to market. Yes, that kind of info is very valuable to us, as if we make things people want to buy we'll do more business.

 

Also, you cannot patent an idea, it has to be an invention, and generally it has to be secret and your own invention. So we can't take anything that we didn't invent, or that someone tells us about, as it's now shared information - that we didn't originate. If you (or anyone else) genuinely feels you've entered an idea that you've lost, contact me and I'll reassure you its not at threat, it'll still be all yours to invent and keep for yourself as far as we're concerned.

 

I have to say though, that if you really thought you had an invention you could patent, sending the idea of it into a competition for product ideas seems a bit reckless. Even spreading an idea by word of mouth can invalidate a chance of patenting an idea - sending it in to a competition would certainly risk that. But even so, fear not, it's not going be taken by us, or spread about by us. Again, the company just doesn't do business like that.

 

It was more a very straightforward popularity contest to what people wanted - the ideas we're going with are all products that exist in some way shape or form but could be done cheaper, or in different colours, or just aren't available widely enough. That was made clear on the original announcement. We even made clear we were picking the winner, it wasn't a prize draw. Like all companies we keep out product pipeline secret until we're ready to announce it, but that's for effective marketing reasons.

 

We said there'd only be one overall winner, but that if we used the any other ideas we'd give the entrants 50% off the product if we developed it. Some people sent in ideas for products that are already in the pipeline, but we'll still offer them the 50% rate on them as they weren't public when we launched the comp.

 

Lastly, I haven't edited any posts - I can't, and wouldn't anyway. I don't believe in trying to suppress comments, I prefer to answer them openly and honestly. My life is too short to waste time doing things any other way.

 

I would like to hope that this reassures you somewhat.

 

Good Post Robin! Wish there was more companies about that operated by your ethos!