Hey Tom. Great insights. You've obviously BTDT.

yah in my case, it would basically be a "no harm no foul" at some
level. I just wanna save a buck. I may not even need the thing.
(support for my bass trombone says he with a sometimes painful elbow
and hand). We'll see.

Given my business, I'm just sensitive to the issue of "stealing"
someone else's work w/o permission so......

Neil.

On Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 11:00 PM, Tom Hargrave <thargrav@hiwaay.net> wrote:
> Neil,
>
> Patents are an offensive tool - they give the patent owner the leverage he
> needs to go after someone who has stolen his design or implementation. A
> patent owner is not going to go after someone who copies a tool to
> accomplish a task in his garage.
>
> It's my opinion today that most patents are BS (short for Bull S^%$@)
> patents. Someone will produce a copy of a established idea then will find a
> almost obscure feature of the design to patent. This gives him the right to
> apply his patent to his product but in reality it's just for that one
> feature.
>
> So, if you are looking at a product that has a patent applied it's always
> worth doing a patent search on the patent or patents applied. You may be
> surprised at how little of the design they applied to.
>
> For example, the stir plate was patented in 1942 (US Patent 2,350,534) and
> this patent has long since expired. But a newer patent exists (US Patent
> 7075040) for stirring hot plate. But stirring hot plates have been around
> for a long time too!
>
> Read the patent and you would believe they have all aspects of a stir plate
> covered but then you finally get to the SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION which
> states:
>
> "Embodiments of the present invention provide an improved stirring hot plate
> that provides an improved visual indicator to the user that the platform is
> hot-to-the-touch, and that visual indicator is especially effective when the
> stirring hot plate is not in use.
>
> Additional embodiments provide a stirring hot plate which can rapidly brake
> the magnets which cause a magnetic stir bar to rotate within a mixture
> container."
>
> In other words, the patent is for a "hot plate" indicator light and a motor
> that rapidly slows down when you turn the motor off!!!
>
> BTW, this was part of the patent research I did before designing the two
> stir plates I sell. And neither stir plate has �a BS patent applied.
>
> Thanks, Tom Hargrave
> www.stir-plate.com
> www.towercooler.com
> www.kegkits.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> neil n
> Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 11:59 PM
> To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> Subject: Copyright Questions: Item in hand, copy and make similar or same.
> VLVC
>
> Hi all.
>
> Hypothetically speaking, this would be a "one off" for me to use at
> work. Did some patent searching online but didn't get any hits.
>
> If one makes an item, that is the same or very similar in function and
> appearance to original design, is this *generally* considered a
> copyright infringement?
>
> Item design appears simple and at most I figure $50 in materials.
> Likely less as some materials are on hand. Item new is $250.
>
> The VLVC: learning a little more about design and fabrication during
> my engine swap has only spurned me on to make this thing!
>
>
> Neil.
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engine
> s
> -----
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>
>

-- 
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines