SAKA Rides Again: Knee Ascender Wars and US Patents

There were LOTS of ropewalkers at ITCC. Even one footlocker too.

Bob Wulcowicz...hey Wulkie!...invented several very clever things that could be easily copied. To make a good patent he hired an attorney that had made a fat living breaking patents...to write his patents. A few were money makers but most became gifts from Bob. He wanted to make sure that his ideas stayed in public domain and free to use. I don't know all the details but the patents can be used to make the gizmos but no one can capitalize on them. Thanks Bob!

Hey...leave the door open, we need a little AC about now!
 
Tom Dunlap said:
There were LOTS of ropewalkers at ITCC. Even one footlocker too.

Bob Wulcowicz...hey Wulkie!...invented several very clever things that could be easily copied. To make a good patent he hired an attorney that had made a fat living breaking patents...to write his patents. A few were money makers but most became gifts from Bob. He wanted to make sure that his ideas stayed in public domain and free to use. I don't know all the details but the patents can be used to make the gizmos but no one can capitalize on them. Thanks Bob!

Hey...leave the door open, we need a little AC about now!
Click to expand...

That's awesome, and good on Bob, some inventions just need to be set free. There is actually a law that says you can't patent something that is in the public domain already. But sometimes in a niche market like this the patent reviewer might miss that info (X-rings) and award the patent anyway. Also after 20 years it's all up for grabs unless you get crazy with the wording on a new patent before the old one expires.
We have all kinds of big shot knock-offs now because it has been 20 years.
 
treebing said:
what's the reference to x rings?
Click to expand...

There is some controversy, but my understanding is that they were already in the public domain and being sold in Europe by the creator. They were demoed at a conference there, and someone not affiliated with the inventor applied for a US patent after that. The patent office did not spot this and it was granted. It happens.
 
Tom Dunlap said:
That might be a story connected to X rings...not sure.

It is the basis for the story of the ring/ring false crotch patent. A long and sordid tale that is
Click to expand...

Your right Tom it was the ring/ring patent not x-ring, that's what I get for writing snarky subtitles late at night. Not sure if YouTube will let me fix it, but I will give it a shot.
 
Tom Dunlap said:
After seeing production examples in Europe
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that was probably the loophole, if you want to patent something for real, you need around 19 patents to cover all the international jurisdictions. It works the other way as well, something that is patented in Norway for example could be patented by anyone here in the US if they get the application in to the patent office first.

It's interesting, companies keep pools of patents so that if someone sues them, they can see what devices that someone sells, find a patent in their pool that is related, and counter sue to fend them off.

Then there are also patent trolls. Companies made up of lawyers that purposely don't sell anything, they just buy patents with investment capital, and sue anyone they think may have money and be vulnerable. Because they don't actually sell the things they have patents for, there is no way to counter sue them, it is a straight up lawyer fight. The worst part about that is, the thing in the patent never gets made. :confused:
 
There’s a documentary about patent trolls. I forget the name but it’s recent. An episode of Silicon Valley was devoted to those nefarious characters.
 
Awesome video. Thanks so much for the insight. I have been so busy with non climbing stuff I've totally missed all the differences and information about the Mini. I know its out there but didn't pay too much attention because I have a SAKA and love it. If there isn't an issue with using this forum to learn about it, i'd love to hear the differences. If it's not the rite spot then can somebody pm me and tell me about all the new things with the mini? Sorry i've been a bit preoccupied
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom