Rockford Fosgate Wants Your Ideas

Filed under: Car Audio



I stumbled on something new to me the other day: Rockford Fosgate has a section on their website called "Bright Idea." For those who like to think outside the box, Rockford Fosgate now allows any visitors to the website to submit patented and un-patented ideas alike to their engineering team. A quick read of their Submission Policy and Submission Release highlights a few concerns, though, for those who may be interested.

First, you will essentially need to forgo receiving any compensation or recognition. Though not surprising, this proves more problematic as you continue to read. The Submission Release makes a point of mentioning that the materials you submit become the property of RF. Most confusing of all, though, is the statement that by submitting the information, you agree that the idea is not patented, trademarked, or copyrighted: if one were to submit your already patented idea while agreeing to this clause, it seems as if you are immediately opening yourself to a legal nightmare.

The year 2007 was a bounce-back period RF as they were in the black for the first time in many years. With ads in VoiceCoil magazine seeking a new OEM driver engineer, perhaps they're simply pioneering a new wave of people management: pro bono engineering.