2014 Tennessee Code
Title 47 - Commercial Instruments And Transactions
Chapter 25 - Trade Practices
Part 12 - Invention Development
§ 47-25-1204 - Initial disclosures to customer by developer.

In the first oral communication with a customer or in the first written response to an inquiry by a customer, other than an oral communication or written response, the primary purpose of which is to arrange an appointment with the invention developer for presentation of invention development services, the invention developer shall cause the following disclosures to be made to each customer:

(1) A statement of the fee charged, if known, or a statement of the approximate range of fees charged; a statement that a portion of the fee charged will be paid as a commission or other similar payment if, in fact, it is intended to be so paid, to a person inducing, directly or indirectly, a customer to contract for the services of the invention developer; and a statement of the approximate portion of the fee charged, if any, that will be expended for services relating to patent matters;

(2) A statement that the invention developer does not intend to expend more for the invention development services than the fee charged the customer, if, in fact, it does not, and if it does so intend, a statement of the estimated expenditures of the invention developer in excess of the fee received from the customer;

(3) A single statement setting forth both:

(A) The total number of customers who have contracted with the invention developer; provided, that the number need not reflect those customers who have contracted within the last thirty (30) days; and

(B) The number of customers who have received, by virtue of the invention developer's performance of invention development services, an amount of money in excess of the amount of money paid by such customers to the invention developer; and

(4) A statement as follows: "Any contract for invention development services between you and our firm will be regulated by law. Our firm is not qualified or permitted to advise you whether protection of your idea or invention is available under the patent, copyright, or trademark laws of the United States or any other law. The contract does not provide any patent, copyright, or trademark protection for your idea or invention. If your idea or invention is patentable, copyrightable, or subject to trademark protection, or infringes an existing valid patent, copyright, or trademark or a patent, copyright, or trademark for which application has been made, your failure to inquire into these matters may affect your rights to your idea or invention."