http://www.ipwatchdog.com
Today's Date: September 3, 2010 Home | Contact | Services | Patent Attorney | Patent Search | Patent Application | Confidentiality Agreements | Recommendations

Archive for March 2008

Obscure Patent: Mouse Trap

No Comments » | Page viewed 2,654 times | Written by Gene Quinn
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
Tags: , , ,
Posted in: IPWatchdog.com Blog, Museum of Obscure Patents

Trap for a mouse
US Patent No. 6,655,077
Issued December 2, 2003

Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door!  Here is a better mouse trap, at least according to the disclosure contained in the patent.  It would be easy enough to poke fun at the Patent Office by saying that “the mouse trap was patented in 2003,” but we could even go one better than that.  The last patent issued with the words “mouse trap” in the title issued in May of 2007.  This patent, US Patent No. 7,216,457, is to a pyramid shaped mouse trap, which is of a different kind than this far more traditional mouse trap we are discussing here, but it is still nevertheless a mouse trap. 

           Continue Reading (324 words, 1 image)

Obscure Patent: Sports jersey chair

2 comments | Page viewed 2,004 times | Written by Gene Quinn
Posted: Friday, March 14, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Tags: , , ,
Posted in: IPWatchdog.com Blog, Museum of Obscure Patents, Patent Fools™

Chair upholstered with sports jersey
US Patent No. 7,340,813
Issued March 11, 2008

This is an interesting invention for many reasons.  While this may seem like a silly invention to some, I think this is a very creative invention that is well worth protecting.  Yes, I just might surprise long time readers of IPWatchdog.com by not making fun of a patent profiled under the heading “obscure patent.” 

           Continue Reading (663 words, 1 image)

Don’t Send the Wrong Message

2 comments | Page viewed 3,268 times | Written by Gene Quinn
Posted: Monday, March 10, 2008 @ 10:25 am
Tags: ,
Posted in: Business, IPWatchdog.com Blog

Many times inventors and entrepreneurs will unwittingly price products at a point where they are sending the wrong message.  Virtually everyone who has their own business, whether they are selling a product or offering a service, has fallen victim to the same problem at one point in time or another.  When you are starting out it is tempting to offer a low price in order to get started.  The trouble with this method, however, is that many people use price as a way to inform themselves about quality.  If your price is to low then many will assume that what you have to offer is not of a high enough quality and simply go elsewhere. 

           Continue Reading (363 words, 1 image)

Obscure Patent: Skateboard deck

1 Comment » | Page viewed 29,899 times | Written by Gene Quinn
Posted: Friday, March 7, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Tags: , , ,
Posted in: IPWatchdog.com Blog, Museum of Obscure Patents

Composite sports board such as a skateboard deck
US Patent No. 6,648,363 [ PDF ]
Issued November 18, 2003

The picture gives this invention away.  If you guessed skateboard then you are correct!  In reality, the disclosure would also be sufficient to cover any type of sports board, not just a skateboard.  In fact, the wheels (shown above as 121A and 121B) are not present in any of the claims, which makes for an interesting skate board, doesn’t it?

           Continue Reading (423 words, 1 image)