Greg Luckett Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 I have seen these home made clamps for years, but it looks like someone patented the idea. My question is, when? If they just copied a good idea that lots of folks have been doing, then it seem unethical and maybe unenforcable as a patent. ??? http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=123-734&go=5555IRW4A Quote
Charlie Jones Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 REDUCED to 79.99 for 30 of them??? :o You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!! Quote
PAR Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 A patent is only as good as your ability to defend infringement, which I've learned from practical experience. Maybe we should test this theory out and market 30 for $39.99 and see if they'll jump to the plate in defense of their product. In all honesty, I've seen these clamps and they aren't just cut down sections of PVC pipe, but molded specifically for their use, with "swollen" feet and an internal structure of some sort, likely an egg crate sort of deal. Quote
Ken_Potts Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 I think Par's completely correct on the patent thing. I've seen another company patent exactly the same thing my company had patented decades earlier. We won that fight but a patent is really just a tool to use in court - It's not a lock on a particular product or design. And if they have feet on the clamps it's possible the patent is just on the feet so it would be totally legal to sell regular old PVC ring-clamps. The thing to do is read the patent and see what it actually covers. It is funny that someone would bother to patent that though, when they're so easy to make... Quote
Craig Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Everything seems to get dumber as I get older, Including me!! : What will they think of next?? Quote
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