AN IDEA IS SIMMERING
Brick man's pot doesn't burn what's in it

By Tristan J. Schweiger • TOMS RIVER BUREAU • February 15, 2008

BRICK — At first, all Paul Scioscio was trying to do was find an easier way to cook sauce.

Scioscio, a 48-year-old Brick resident who used to own a roof-cleaning company, did a lot of cooking and was frustrated by the uneven heating he was getting from traditional pots and pans. He said the lengthy process of making sauce was particularly annoying, as it required constant stirring to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom and burning.

"After burning it a couple times, I figured, "There's got to be a way not to burn it,' " Scioscio said.

The result of his brainstorm is the Pauli Pot, a double-bottomed pot with a layer of silicon oil in the space between to spread the heat evenly across the bottom of the pot. But after making the device for his own use, Scioscio began wondering — why not sell it?

Since then, Scioscio has been learning how to navigate the laborious, often frustrating process of turning an idea into a marketable, patent-protected invention. He was encouraged by the enthusiastic responses of the friends and family members he shared the pot with.

"Everybody said, "It's a great idea. Go get a patent,' " Scioscio said. "And then everybody said, "Hey, I want one of them.' "

Getting a patent approved by the U.S. Patent Office takes, on average, about two years, according to John Kettle, a Rutgers University professor who specializes in patent law.

But Kettle said the process can take significantly longer, if a patent is granted at all. Federal patent inspectors' job is to make sure an invention only gets protection if it is truly a new idea.

They're under a statutory duty, in a sense, to reject patents. Their job is to be absolutely convinced that this is novel, useful and nonobvious, Kettle said.

Once a patent is granted, Kettle said it is a somewhat expensive proposition to maintain it, particularly for an individual. Protection lasts for 20 years, but a person must pay periodic maintenance fees that will total thousands of dollars during that span.

Scioscio has a patent attorney, but he said he still has been waiting about four years for a patent, and has had to go back and forth with the Patent Office several times, arguing why his invention is indeed unique.

Despite the lengthy process, he clearly believes in his invention. He sold his roof-cleaning business, and has invested about $200,000 so far in developing the cookware.

Scioscio has even traveled to China to find a manufacturer. He and his wife, Beth, are anxious to see the invention succeed, though he said the risk is somewhat mitigated by the fact that most of the money came from his old business, not a personal bank account.

"That's a lot of money to lose if it doesn't take off, but the money was tied up in equipment," he said.

The Scioscios are awaiting the first order of 1,000 pots from China later this month. At this point, they're marketing the device themselves online at the Web site www.paulicookware.com.

Regardless of their business success, however, the Scioscios say they have something useful out of the process.

"He tested it and he came up with it, but now I use it for everything I cook," Beth Scioscio said.