Mandy Haberman offered her patented leak-proof Anywayup Cup to 18 companies in the baby product industry. They all turned it down. Little did she think that one of those potential licensees, 18 months after watching her successfully launch the product herself, would come out with a copy.

With the Anywayup Cup selling at a rate of 60,000 a week, and an exclusive licensing agreement in the pipeline with a US manufacturer-distributor, Mandy clearly had a lot at stake when the competitor UK company launched its copy of her idea.

Mandy decided to sue the other company, also in the UK, in the process risking her house to pay the legal costs. She won her case, and a small but significant piece of invention history was made.

How DID Mandy have the confidence to take on the big industry player?

And now that she's been a successful entrepreneur for more than a decade, continuing to design and launch innovative products, and championing others to do the same, what has she learned about handling the risky business of launching new products to market?

Register for our live webinar to hear Mandy's story and tips.

Date: 24 February 2010 Time: 11am GMT (presentation 20 mins, Q&A 10 mins) Cost: Free Places strictly limited - first come, first served. This webinar is open to all. It will be recorded for She's Ingenious! Members

 

The valve of the patented Anywayup cup seals between sips. It was the world's first totally non-spill cup. Mandy’s non-spill cups were named a Millennium Product in 2000 and have won numerous awards, the most notable of which include:  The Tommy Award for the Most Parent Friendly Innovative Product (1999 & 2000) Best Product Design (Consumer) at the UK's Design Industry Awards 2000 The overall 3M Award for Innovation at the Design Effectiveness Awards 2000 The British Plastics Federation Award for innovative use of plastics.

Mandy is a big supporter of the the British Library Business & IP Centre as a free resource to help entrepreneurs research their markets and protect their IP.

Watch her in a BIPCTV video below.

"I always try to find time to providing direction, help and encouragement to other would-be inventors - I know there are a lot of people like me out there." Mandy Haberman www.mandyhaberman.com