I didn't know you could patent something as generic as crystal dice, but he did and he held on tight. Of course, GenCon might be a little awkward for him now...
Patents although good in principle, they are a pain far too often. I work with them (or at least trying to get around them) on almost a daily basis in my field. I've learned that you can patent anything; even if it doesn't actually work. That's not one of the criteria that is actually used whether it is stated as one or not. There was a huge to-do about the ability to patent the generic idea of an electronic on/off switch on a paintball marker a few years back. That patent also held up although the outcome was not favorable. There were a lot of small paintball marker creators that also made and built what they created that were put out of business because a larger company sued them to extinction for using a generic on/off switch.
That's pretty crazy. I always thought you had to have a unique idea and very specific implementation--in other words, an invention. What's to stop someone from patenting a wooden salad fork or something?
Anyone can make dice. Anyone can make stuff out of crystal. Why should someone be able to patent crystal dice?
But he did do the legwork and get it and pay for it. That it was upheld means the law at least was fairly applied.
You're right. The idea or device is supposed to be unique itself or have an unique implementation with very specific description and implementations. However, this is where the lawyers come in. The patent attorney gets paid to create the broadest description possible. That way the person or company filing for the patent insures the patent covers as much as possible. This is necessary in that it's suppose to stop people from doing what I'm paid to do which is find ways around patents so that my company can make money on it too. In many senses it creates a generic implementation the patented item. After the patent is filed as generic as possible it is up to the patent department to come back and say that it was too generic. This is how we get people patenting items for very generic purposes.
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There was a huge to-do about the ability to patent the generic idea of an electronic on/off switch on a paintball marker a few years back. That patent also held up although the outcome was not favorable. There were a lot of small paintball marker creators that also made and built what they created that were put out of business because a larger company sued them to extinction for using a generic on/off switch.
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Anyone can make dice. Anyone can make stuff out of crystal. Why should someone be able to patent crystal dice?
But he did do the legwork and get it and pay for it. That it was upheld means the law at least was fairly applied.
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