& development formerly davison & associates 1 and often referred to as simply davison is an invention promotion firm . the company is based in pittsburgh and was founded in 1989 by george mcconnell davison . davison s workplace inventionland has been likened to the willy wonka candy company and is noted for its 16 life sized themed sets including a motor speedway sewing cottage cupcake log cabin and others . 2 the company is the subject of a reality television show on the history channel called inventionland . the federal trade commission ftc has described davison as a typical invention promotion scam . 3 in 2006 following a complaint filed by the ftc a court ordered davison to pay 26 million in consumer redress for misrepresenting its services to inventors . 3 the court set a list of restrictions on davison s activity prohibiting davison from presenting new product development services to inventors unless they clearly state that these services will most probably not lead to a profitable or marketable product . davison ultimately reached a 10.7 million settlement with the federal trade commission in 2008 but the guidelines and restrictions set on davison in the original 2006 court ruling were maintained . 4 contents 1 business 2 inventionland 3 awards 4 legal disputes 4.1 misrepresentation of services 4.2 lawsuit alleging unpaid overtime 5 references 6 external links business edit davison provides new product development services to inventors corporations and entrepreneurs using a nine step process intended to bring new products and inventions to market . 5 davison services include research industrial design virtual reality video animation product prototypes packaging presentation to manufacturers and royalty management . 6 their annual revenue is about 25 million . 7 davison does not provide any evaluation of the commercial potential of a product or invention . as of 2 july 2015 only 16 people have earned royalties greater than davison s fees out of 62 000 who purchased product development services in the preceding 5 years . their fees range from 800 for a patent search to 10 000 or more to build a prototype . 8 the percentage of davison s income that comes from royalties on products is 0.001 % 9 or about 250 . 8 davison designed products include the hover creeper meatball baker bread it breading stations the bikeboard pugz shoes and the hydrobone for dogs and the 360 wrist therapy brace . davison says that it produces approximately 200 prototypes per month and its products have been sold in 1 000 retail stores and online venues . 10 the firm has received several international design excellence awards from the industrial designers society of america idsa formerly sponsored by i.d. magazine and businessweek now sponsored by the annual design review 11 online only via f w media . for example the firm received an honorable mention in i.d. magazine s 2007 design review competition . 12 the company was founded in 1989 by george m. davison . he has expressed a preference for patenting ideas only after a product that uses them is ready for manufacturing . 13 inventionland edit main article inventionland inventionland is a 61 000 square foot 5 700 m2 design facility that houses 16 themed sets including a pirate ship tree house and giant robot . 14 within inventionland which opened in 2006 davison s creative teams work to develop new consumer products and inventions . types of goods include automotive holiday kitchenwares children s and babies products pet products consumer electronics audio and video hunting fishing and sporting goods and others . 15 awards edit creative rooms in business crib award 2011 inventionland was the recipient of this regional design award given as one of the pittsburgh design art and technology data annual awards and sponsored by the pittsburgh technology council . the crib award celebrates creative work environments incorporating nontraditional design unique methods of company community artwork or space that encourages creativity . 16 steel heart award 2006 for replacing employee cubicles with a tree house . 17 industrial design excellence award idea silver award for design strategy industrial designers society of america idsa 2006 the hover creeper . 18 idea bronze award for medical and scientific products idsa 2006 the bikeboard product line 19 idea bronze award idsa 1996 oil filter gripper 20 legal disputes edit misrepresentation of services edit in 1997 davison was one of eleven companies named in a federal trade commission consumer protection operation called project mousetrap for protecting inventors against invention promotion scams . 21 in 2006 davison were ordered to pay 26 million in consumer redress for misrepresenting its services to inventors and the ftc said davison were typical of invention promotion scams . 22 23 davison appealed and ultimately settled with the ftc in 2008 agreeing to pay 10.7 million in cash real estate and investment assets . 24 in keeping with the requirements of the american inventors protection act of 1999 25 the judge set out the details of an affirmative disclosure statement to be issued to future clients . such disclosure statement must specify among other things the number of consumers in the last five years who have made more income in royalties or sales proceeds than they paid the company . 26 as of 2 july 2015 the statement says that 16 people have earned royalties greater than davison s fees out of 62 000 who signed a pre development agreement or similar contract . 9 lawsuit alleging unpaid overtime edit in july 2013 the pennsylvania department of labor filed a federal lawsuit saying that davison failed to pay overtime to at least 214 current and former sales representatives arguing that davison s business means they are covered by federal wage laws requiring them to do so . the lawsuit calls for davison to start paying overtime and to pay employees unpaid back wages . 27 references edit pennsylvania department of state dave & dave explore inventionland on q wqed tv july 17 2007 a b court halts bogus invention promotion claims on the uspto us patent office website the head of the ftc consumer protection department stated this outfit is typical of invention promotion scams davison vs. ftc ruling from 2006 with a 10.7 million settlement and restrictions reinstated . creative profits american executive july 2010 workplace wonderment pittsburgh tribune review october 7 2007 michael braga inventionland entrepreneur buys on manasota key herald tribune 13 february 2015 a b kerry dolan inside inventionland forbes 10 november 2006 a b affirmative disclosure statement the cbs early show inventionland turns dreams into reality august 22 2011 annual design review people on the move . davison inventing method the balancing act lifetime television july 30 2010 tugman lindsey 22 august 2011 . inventionland where your ideas come to life . today s thv . retrieved 29 august 2011 . dave & dave explore inventionland on q wqed tv july 17 2007 http www.pghtech.org events art and technology call.aspx who s who of the 2011 design art & technology data awards pittsburgh technology council http www.pittsburghwillsteelyourheart.com steelheartaward12 06.htm pittsburgh will steel your heart monthly awards sponsored by the keygroup . http www.idsa.org content content1 hover creeper the hover creeper http www.idsa.org content content1 bikeboard product line the bikeboard product line annual design awards 96 industrial design excellence awards businessweek june 2 1996 ftc ftc state project mousetrap snares invention promotion industry press release july 23 1997 inside inventionland forbes november 2006 court halts bogus invention promotion claims pittsburgh tribune invention promotion firm federal trade commission retrieved 2013 08 30 invention promoters will pay 10 million to settle ftc charges ftc press release labor dept. rules o hara invention firm must pay overtime pittsburgh tribune review 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