Among the topics Tom will be addressing are:

• Patents defined. (What a patent is and is not; different types; rights and protections of a patent; ways to get around a patent.)
• Assessing the need for a patent. (When/under what circumstances should an individual inventor be going out and be spending money on a patent?)
• Alternatives to patenting. (Covering defensive publishing, trade secrets, use of Non-Disclosure Agreements, or NDA, in advance of patent application, and use of search to determine validity.)
• International filing. (How to protect in other countries. And... Manufacturing in China and what that means with respect to an inventor's patent rights.)

Please help spread the word on your blogs and Twitter. And don't forget to tune in at 8pm EST on Thursday, April 14.

How to tune in? Just go to http://www.gotinvention.com and click on the "Live" tab.

Today, Mark Cuban is the highly successful entrepreneur and investor who founded HDNet, Broadcast.com and MicroSolutions. He has also been an investor in startups, including Mahalo, JungleCents.com, motionloft.com, Filesanywhere.com, Naked Pizza and 140Fire.com.

When he's not busy owning the Dallas Mavericks, Mark is the owner and chairman of HDNet HDNet and its sister network, HDNet Movies, are one of the few remaining independently owned and operated TV Networks in the U.S. and the first in the world to be programmed exclusively in high definition. Mark takes personal responsibility for the programming on both networks, creating a unique schedule of creative and original programs.

On the second season of the Shark Tank, Mark Cuban joins another new shark, Jeff Foxworthy, and veteran sharks Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Kevin Harrington, Kevin O'Leary, and Robert Herjavec.

What else is new for Season 2?

Intellectual Property attorneys affiliated with the Shark Tank Season 2 production contacted IP.com in 2010 to perform FTO/Clearance searching on the innovations and products being marketed by the contestants of the Shark Tank Season 2 cast.

Freedom to operate searches identify potential patent barriers to the commercialization of products or technologies.

IP.com conducted over 60 freedom to operate research projects on various aspects of the products being marketed by the contestants in order to provide the attorneys affiliated with the show the information necessary to perform due diligence analysis of the intellectual property associated with the contestants' inventions, products and services. Based on the results of that research and analysis, the producers of the show were able to make informed decisions on IP risks.

Find out more about the products and services pitched on the Shark Tank tv show.

We'll be watching.

from the Press Release...

Every day, women in the U.S. think of useful inventions and business ideas and yet don't have the time or resources to catapult their creations to the next level. TLC has joined forces with HSN and Milojo Productions (owned by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos) to premiere the six-part series HOMEMADE MILLIONAIRE on November 19 at 10pm ET/PT. The series offers aspiring female entrepreneurs the potential opportunity of a lifetime - to have their innovative ideas sold on-air and online through interactive multichannel retailer HSN. With product sales on HSN topping $2 billion a year, a deal with HSN could change these women's lives overnight.

"We are super excited to be working with TLC and HSN on this project," explains Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. "We're sent so many innovative products from women every day, and to be able to help them get into the marketplace is a dream come true for us. These inventors have worked so hard in this show. We're beyond proud of them."

"HOMEMADE MILLIONAIRE provides an opportunity to those 'kitchen-table inventors' to get their creative ideas out to the masses," says Nancy Daniels, TLC's SVP of Production and Development. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Kelly and Milojo Productions, and believe HSN is the perfect outlet for these hard-working women to showcase their inventions."

Each hour-long episode of HOMEMADE MILLIONAIRE follows the competitive journey of three women vying for a chance to sell their inventions on HSN. Open calls were held throughout the country, and thousands of women showed up with their unique products in hand, with the hopes of being part of this experience.

"We are very excited to work with Kelly Ripa and TLC to help these inventors realize their dreams," states Bill Brand, EVP of Programming, Marketing and Business Development. "HSN is all about great products and amazing storytellers and that is what this series will deliver to our customers."

The lucky inventors were put through a series of tasks designed to get their product ready for consumers. Helping Kelly coach these women along the way are two business experts, Wendy Robbins and Ed Evangelista, who serve as mentors for these budding business women as they evolve their product and build a unique marketing strategy to present to HSN.

Wendy Robbins, founder of Nowhere To Millionaire LLC and author of "Why Marry a Millionaire? Just Be One!", worked her way out of debt to make millions with her invention the Tingler head massager. She is also a leading expert on mastering the millionaire mindset, and how to manufacture and market ideas to millions. Ed Evangelista became the first advertising executive embedded into entertainment content when he served as a judge, juror, and executioner on ABC's TV series AMERICAN INVENTOR. Evangelista has created award-winning advertising, marketing and alternative content for some of the world's largest consumer brands from diamonds and liquors, to automobiles, finance and bubble gum.

Alongside Kelly on the judges' panel are two HSN executives - Jennifer Cotter, Senior Vice President of Television, and Chris Nicola, Vice President of Product Development - who draw upon their vast experience in television and retail to evaluate each product.

Here's a taste...

Each episode also features guest celebrity judges and experts in the fields of Home, Beauty, Food, and Fashion, including:

Emeril Lagasse: Celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, and creator of Emerilware and other HSN culinary products

Jennifer Flavin-Stallone: Beauty entrepreneur, wife of actor Sylvester Stallone, and co-founder of Serious Skin Care cosmetics sold at HSN

Colin Cowie: Entertaining authority, author, and creator of the Colin Cowie collection sold exclusively at HSN.

Ingrid Hoffmann: Celebrity cook, creator of the Simply Delicioso collection sold at HSN, and host of Food Network's SIMPLY DELICIOSO and DELICIOSO on Galavisión

Diane Gilman: Famed fashion designer and creator of her Diane Gilman collection at HSN.

Stacey Schieffelin: Founder and president of cosmetics line ybf (your best friend) beauty sold at HSN.

Jeffrey Banks: Acclaimed menswear designer, author and creator of a lifestyle collection of home accessories and women's fashions at HSN.

James Mischka and Mark Badgley: Renowned celebrity fashion designers and creators of American Glamour Badgley Mischka sold exclusively at HSN.

Skip Borghese: CEO Multimedia Exposure, Italian Prince and creator of Perlier - Italian Beauty sold at HSN.

Carolyn Forte: Good Housekeeping Research Institute

Allie Lewis: Food Editor, Real Simple Magazine

Lori Bergamotto : Fashion Editor, Lucky Magazine

HOMEMADE MILLIONAIRE is produced by Milojo Productions and Discovery Studios, for TLC. Executive Producers are Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, and Nina L. Diaz (creator and EP, MTV CRIBS & MY SUPER SWEET 16, EP of REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY). Co-Executive Producer is Albert Bianchini (Producer, LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY).

One of the outstanding geniuses in the history of technology, Thomas Edison earned patents for more than a thousand inventions, including the incandescent electric lamp, the phonograph, the carbon telephone transmitter, and the motion-picture projector. In addition, he created the world's first industrial research laboratory.