Anyone Hold any Patents?

S

Scott Free

Joined
Sep 15, 1999
Messages
3,319
I am always fascinated with creativity. With that in mind, does anyone here hold any patents?

Scott
 
No patent, but I had to get a copyright when my book was published. Wasn't NEAR as expensive as a patent! :D
 
We've applied for a provisional, 1 year patent on one of our products, but I have to mull over whether we can spare 20 grand to convince the examiner that our product and/or process is non-obvious enough for a high quality patent.

My observation on patents:

1. Your formulae/process is freely available on the Internet to patent pirates.
2. The expense is UNGAWDLY.
3. Your patent has to be "high quality" -- that is, broad enough to really protect your invention. If your invention is only partially covered by a patent, you can be really screwed because a big company can come in, tweak one small process, wind up with a substantially identical product with no recourse availble to you.
 
Mellow Chaos said:
I have to mull over whether we can spare 20 grand to convince the examiner that our product and/or process is non-obvious enough
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Oh, that's easy. Patent examiners are incredibly over-worked. It's not difficult at all to convince them to grant you a patent. But, will your patent hold up in court is another matter entirely.


1. Your formulae/process is freely available on the Internet to patent pirates.
Click to expand...

True, especially internationally. A well-written patent can get around that. A patent application begins with the phrase, "This patent teaches a method of..." or something like that. Whenever the lawyers give me an application to proof-read, I always cross out "teaches" and write, "obscures" because that's what the lawyers try and do.

There is another process called "Trade Secret" that you can use to give some protection but without disclosure. What Trade Secret does not protect you from is someone else making an independent invention of the same thing.

3. Your patent has to be "high quality" -- that is, broad enough to really protect your invention. If your invention is only partially covered by a patent, you can be really screwed because a big company can come in, tweak one small process, wind up with a substantially identical product with no recourse availble to you.
Click to expand...

Very true. Again, this is where a good lawyer comes in.
 
Your patent has to be "high quality" -- that is, broad enough to really protect your invention. If your invention is only partially covered by a patent, you can be really screwed because a big company can come in, tweak one small process, wind up with a substantially identical product with no recourse availble to you.
Click to expand...

See Gerber Evo
 
Mellow Chaos said:
We've applied for a provisional, 1 year patent on one of our products, but I have to mull over whether we can spare 20 grand to convince the examiner that our product and/or process is non-obvious enough for a high quality patent.

My observation on patents:

1. Your formulae/process is freely available on the Internet to patent pirates.
2. The expense is UNGAWDLY.
3. Your patent has to be "high quality" -- that is, broad enough to really protect your invention. If your invention is only partially covered by a patent, you can be really screwed because a big company can come in, tweak one small process, wind up with a substantially identical product with no recourse availble to you.
Click to expand...

This is true, and well written. My grandfather invented something that most of us use every day, and after meeting with some people about it, it became their idea with a few small changes. Not sure the whole story, but I do have the old patent.
 
I have one pending. In retrospect, I should have done more market research before shelling out the money, because I've made a modification that people seem to like a lot better. Now it's not protected, and I'm not terribly eager to shell out more money for what will really only be useful to the military, and a novelty to everyone else. Yes, novelties sell, but there's a running joke with the guy I do this stuff with: The world doesn't need another Pasta-pot.

There's two more ideas I've been batting around in my head for a while, but I'm going to get a provisional and prototype them first to determine feasibility, get feedback, and cover all modifications. Damn things are expensive.
 
Scott Ridgeway said:
I am always fascinated with creativity. With that in mind, does anyone here hold any patents?

Scott
Click to expand...







Florida has a very large senior population & I have a great aid for them. Have talked to sever mrchanical people & they agree it's a great idea but they,like almost everyone these days,have their own agenda. I am too old & have lost my adventurous spirit & don't want to spend venture capital either.
Old too soon .....


I invented the push button phone 2 years too late. A teenage boy beat me to it.

Uncle Alan
 
You guys with the patents aren't saying what they are for. Is there a reason for this besides modesty? I mean, you have a patent. You're idea is protected--right? Why not elaborate or it?

Scott
 
I have a couple of ideas for patents. Tell me what you think.

Inflatable dart board.
Pedal powered wheel chairs.
 
what it all comes down to is,,when you get your patent,,can you afford to enforce it? if you live in new york,,,and some guy in california infringes on your patent,,whata re you going to do ? call the patent police? no such thing ,,you have to go to california and go to court and try to stop him ,,the court in california will look at it and say well this guy is earning money in california for california,,, whats their incentive to stop the "local" guy from making money? can you afford to do that? once a year ,,twice a year ?
the cost of a patent is just the begining
look into the other sides of the patent lol
good luck ,,
 
Larry B. said:
I have a couple of ideas for patents. Tell me what you think.

Inflatable dart board.
Pedal powered wheel chairs.
Click to expand...
Screen Doors for Submarines
Kick Stands for Tanks

Any More Ideas? :p
 
Scott Ridgeway said:
You guys with the patents aren't saying what they are for. Is there a reason for this besides modesty? I mean, you have a patent. You're idea is protected--right? Why not elaborate or it?

Scott
Click to expand...


A bunch of computer networking stuff. Sorry, but it's all really very technical.
 
Funny thing, some inventions have been very simple. The last 150 years have seen the factory-loaded shotshell, toilet paper, and the PAPER CLIP. It is just amazing to think that people did not think of some things sooner than they did.
 
Thank God for mass produced toilet paper, I remember back in the days when we had to use rocks:eek:.................












Just kidding.:D
 
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