Liz Williams proves that you don't have to be a scientist to patent a new technology

Liz Williams is an artist by background, but prompted by the high-profile child abductions of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, in 2002 she started to develop a bioscience-based way of visibly marking a potential abductor or personal attacker.

She went on to develop her award-winning Linkz DNA technology into a forensic trace alarms enterprise with her business partner.

In the two videos below, Liz first shares the story behind her patented invention, and secondly gives inventors 4 tips toward success.

Video interview No1   4:45 mins  (click on arrow in video to play)

• As well as marking with a dye, in the forensic trace alarm there is a unique DNA code, which is encrypted and never repeated.
• Liz is an artist, and she doesn't know where her scientific idea came from!
• When she wrote her patent, she wasn't sure where the unique code would come from - she tagged DNA as a possible candidate among others.
• Then they found a DNA manufacturer who creates bio-synthetic DNA which can be encrypted.
• She already had her patent, so she knew she was covered and the DNA manufacturer couldn't claim the idea as theirs.
• Her patent covered marking of PEOPLE, rather than assets.
• It's taken 4 or 5 years to set up the processes around the marker product to get it accepted as evidence in the courts.

Video interview No2   3:20 mins  (click on arrow in video to play)

Liz has 4 tips - all beginning with P - for inventors turning their ideas into a business.

1. Protect your product by patent, design right, copyright, whatever, to the best of your ability
2. Protect YOURSELF from someone trying to steal your idea, because it can be easy to get around your patent, for example, draw up a licensing agreement with your own company to ensure YOU keep ownership of your patent. And make sure you protect all future derivations of your product too.
3. Planning
    No one wants to hear it, but you need a plan if you want to reach your destination.
    The plan WILL change, so take time to re-visit it and re-write it.
    It's more of a life plan than business plan - because you have to know what YOU want.
4. Pester
    Get involved in a network that will support inventors and innovators - in Wales, there's the Welsh Innovators Network
    Pester for help, even your local authority, if your idea benefits local community.

Liz Williams' Linkz DNA technology is now used in products supplied by Red Web Security

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