$400M Question: Who Invented Post-It Notes?

Industrial giant 3M has been sued by an inventor who claims that he was the inventor of what 3M later called Post-it Notes. Alan Amron, who holds 40 U.S. patents, says that – inspired by his own use of chewing gum to stick a note on his refrigerator – he invented what he called the “Press-on Memo” in 1973. That was a year before 3M says it came up with its version, and he wants $400 million in damages. 3M settled a previous lawsuit filed by Amron over the same invention, but Amron now says the company breached terms of that settlement by not giving him credit as inventor. A 3M spokesperson denies the claims of the current suit, says the company developed Post-it Notes “without any input or inspiration from Mr. Amron,” and that his claim to the invention is “false and misleading.” A judge in federal court in Florida has ordered the parties to enter mediation.