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Are patents basically useless and a waste of time?
Posted on 6/26/17 at 12:27 pm
Posted on 6/26/17 at 12:27 pm
When Apple introduced the TouchID I bet it had some kind of a patent on it related to using a finger print to unlock a phone. It didn't stop others from putting similar sensors on the front (and back) of their own phones.
Ford first invented the kick-activated tailgate and added the feature to the Escape SUV IN 2012. I bet they had a patent for it too. However it didn't stop basically all other automakers from adding the same feature to their own lineups.
I know it is just two examples, but goes to show that however clever your patented idea might be, others can just copy it and use it basically without any repercussions. So why do companies even bother patenting anything in the first place, if you can't really stop other companies from copying it?
Thoughts?
Ford first invented the kick-activated tailgate and added the feature to the Escape SUV IN 2012. I bet they had a patent for it too. However it didn't stop basically all other automakers from adding the same feature to their own lineups.
I know it is just two examples, but goes to show that however clever your patented idea might be, others can just copy it and use it basically without any repercussions. So why do companies even bother patenting anything in the first place, if you can't really stop other companies from copying it?
Thoughts?
5
Posted on 6/26/17 at 12:34 pm to Street Hawk
Are you sure they just copied it? Maybe they could have licensed it out?
Posted on 6/26/17 at 12:36 pm to Street Hawk
Just google "wins patent infringement lawsuit" and you'll see plenty of companies that successfully defended their IP. And as mentioned above, sometimes it leads to licensing agreements. At the very least you force you competitors to jump through a bunch of hoops to steal your idea legally rather than letting them straight up steal it like a Chinese knockoff.
This post was edited on 6/26/17 at 12:37 pm
Posted on 6/26/17 at 12:52 pm to 21JumpStreet
It is definitely not useless. Just because others are doing it doesn't mean they are not violating it and you can get paid if you pursue it.
Posted on 6/26/17 at 1:20 pm to Street Hawk
quote:
When Apple introduced the TouchID I bet it had some kind of a patent on it related to using a finger print to unlock a phone.
They didnt have a patent on the concept of a mobile fingerprint reader. Just their implementation of it. Other companies were/are free to create their own implementation of the idea.
quote:
Ford first invented the kick-activated tailgate and added the feature to the Escape SUV IN 2012.
see above
Posted on 6/26/17 at 1:40 pm to Street Hawk
quote:
When Apple introduced the TouchID I bet it had some kind of a patent on it related to using a finger print to unlock a phone.
quote:...then HTC made one, then Acer, then LG, then Motorola, then finally Apple.
The first mobile phone with a fingerprint scanner was the Toshiba G500 and G900 in 2007.
And as already mentioned, you can't really patent just an idea. It has to be a specific process or method.
Posted on 6/26/17 at 2:02 pm to Korkstand
Patent Trolling is a billion dollar industry but also:
When you see a company like AOL get bought by another tech firm it is not because of a recent growth trend in dialup customers. it is because of AOL's library intellectual propoerty
When you see a company like AOL get bought by another tech firm it is not because of a recent growth trend in dialup customers. it is because of AOL's library intellectual propoerty
Posted on 6/27/17 at 7:49 pm to Street Hawk
quote:
When Apple introduced the TouchID I bet it had some kind of a patent on it related to using a finger print to unlock a phone
Maybe it did. Or maybe another company developed that tech and patented it. Apple and others may have then licensed it from them.
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