Re: Novice needs help with crazy project

I've been learning from reading these points. But I believe you are taking a narrow view, here. In Europe, I gather any implementation of a patent that's just for personal use is completely exempt. So this may be a US-only thing.

Jon

Yes, that's what I meant.

In following up with your comments and references, I then found some suggestions about what I mentioned regarding the EU. I'm no expert on any of this, just vaguely interested.

And here we may need to disagree, though I'm not interested in debating it at length. The patent system wasn't created because of some fundamental underlying idea that 'theft of ideas is wrong' and a conclusion that inventors are under some attack by thieves demanding social remedy, but instead because there is a value for the social commons in encouraging inventors to disclose what novel things they discover that might otherwise be lost as an art when they die.

If the EU constructs a patent system, which is also based upon the commons idea, but designs it somewhat differently to serve different exacting design purposes, I see no problem with that, at all.

Jon

I don't have a precise enough mental model of my own. But I'd imagine that patenting vs copyright might play in this example you gave, in some fashion. I don't imagine that the 'good for social commons' concept underlying patents needs to capture every conceivable idea that anyone might come up with -- just something likely to capture some of the more important inventions.

Isn't that just life, though, in a world where countries claim any sovereign power? It seems already the case that US patents will be treated differently, elsewhere. And in particular, if I'm reading correctly, in the case of personal use already as a matter of reality we now live with. I think that's just the world that an inventor anywhere must accept or reject on their own. We may lose some inventions because some folks are riled by the treatment of patents outside their own legal environment, or inside their own, but at least the existing systems capture _some_ useful inventions that might be otherwise lost. And that is all anyone can reasonably hope for.

I don't personally grant much commons value for inventions that would otherwise be invented repeatedly and frequently and with variations of little importance in difference, as who cares? We can just wait a little longer. I've no problem with that and wouldn't want to exchange much value back for getting it a few months or a year earlier (except in VERY RARE hypothetical circumstances, which I wouldn't bend over backwards to get.)

Jon

Unless the person is selling this thing who cares? I was under the impression someone could build something for personal use regardless of patents.

I certainly wouldn't let a patent stop my own innovation.

Which reminds me, a few years ago i remember a case where a company create a product that some one else had a patent on. The product was for a very small and specific market. The person that held the patent for this, heard about it after 2 years of it being used then the legal battle started. In the end. the patent holder didn't get anything other than a large bill from his lawyer. It appears that this person had patents on a lot of different things with no actual material(devices, paper work, documentation ect) etc.. In other words, they simply created patents on idea's only. It was there for decided in court that the patent was invalid, and soon after, the company got a patent for them self's on this product.

I remember a few years ago when i was in a small business of my own, I was told to package a sample of the product we had and mail it to my self but never open it. Do this once a year. and also get a legal patent on record. Because cases like this happen all the time.

Bad advice. Write it up, get someone with understanding to read it and date and sign the report.

Late at night, by candle light, John Fields penned this immortal opus:

I've heard a sculptor describe his works just like that :)

- YD.

just a thought how about using wireless. I guess the quality might not be good and will have some delay.