I was told, when it came up recently in conversation with one who was there and knew, that the defense for Harman was incompetent. Since one of the witnesses for H was chewed out by the judge and this widely reported, I hadn't realized that other aspects of the case were mishandled. This was the bass port case, I don't know about the woofer one.
Another patent funny: when one of my bosses saw that H was advertising for a position, he applied, interviewed, and was accepted. On his first day of work a substantial set of files were delivered to H from the guy's former employer L. It was alleged that an agreement had been made between H and L that H would never raid L. Well, of course it was not a raid, but as well it came out that the agreement was a secret one between one highly-placed H officer and L. Potential trouble.
But the suit proceeded. At one point L cited all sorts of IP that H was now going to have in house, including a virtualization scheme dubbed VMax.
H attorneys, after a brief conference, pointed out that H was licensing VMax to L.
So Sy,
You want to help me write a patent for my cone material that would hold up? I have never divulged what I have done to anyone, not one person knows what I did but me. How do you protect something like that if you are a sole proprietor once you publish the patent? It would include manufacturing methods also.
You want to help me write a patent for my cone material that would hold up? I have never divulged what I have done to anyone, not one person knows what I did but me. How do you protect something like that if you are a sole proprietor once you publish the patent? It would include manufacturing methods also.
You'll have to lay out a few thousand bucks to take it through prosecution and into issuance. Once it's issued, if someone infringes it, then it's a matter of figuring out how much business you've lost or can reasonably be shown to be likely to lose, and seeing if that's a big number. Determine if the infringer actually has any assets (if you're lucky, you were infringed by Microsoft!). If there's damages and the defendant has a means to pay, then there's lots of attorneys who would be happy to take your case on contingency in exchange for a percentage of recovery (typically 30-50%) plus fees. I could certainly recommend a few.
I'd be happy to help you put an application together, on the understanding that I am not an attorney nor am I a patent agent, just an experienced inventor who has been through quite a few patent cases as a litigant, a defendant, and an expert witness.
I'd be happy to help you put an application together, on the understanding that I am not an attorney nor am I a patent agent, just an experienced inventor who has been through quite a few patent cases as a litigant, a defendant, and an expert witness.
St,
I'll email you on this so it isn't on this server. I understand if you are an individual and can show you don't have a lot of money the cost to file is cheaper than for a company to file a patent application. You would understand the chemistry, not many would understand what I've done, but I know you would. I don't remember if I have your personal email, I think we just communicated through LinkedIn? Send me your personal email and we can talk about it.
Thanks,
Steven
ps. I did do a patent long ago with a patent attorney. I didn't write the language but ended up having to do the drawings for the filing as they couldn't draw it correctly. The drawings in that patent are mine.
I'll email you on this so it isn't on this server. I understand if you are an individual and can show you don't have a lot of money the cost to file is cheaper than for a company to file a patent application. You would understand the chemistry, not many would understand what I've done, but I know you would. I don't remember if I have your personal email, I think we just communicated through LinkedIn? Send me your personal email and we can talk about it.
Thanks,
Steven
ps. I did do a patent long ago with a patent attorney. I didn't write the language but ended up having to do the drawings for the filing as they couldn't draw it correctly. The drawings in that patent are mine.
More than zipper mistakes. Community was doing it in the 70's.
The woofer was a dual resonant chamber. J did a triple and lost. Something that dates back a few centuries..,
At least those drawings are original.
Some clown recently obtained a patent for an audio cable made using litz wire with fine stranding (something like 40 gauge and above). There was no special construction. The patent literally just covered the use of fine wire strands.
The kicker was that his patent drawing was a copyrighted illustration that New England Wire produced to illustrate the various types of litz wire they produce. Not similar to the illustration, but THE illustration.
The patent office should be shut down and abolished for granting patents like this which put this clown in the advantageous "plaintiff's" position should he decide to sue some company using a litz wire that has been commonly produced for many decades.
Next thing you know they'll be granting a patent for dihydrogen monoxide if they haven't already.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the patent office is a joke.
se
And what about the "innocent" public? On several occasions, I witnessed anger from a would-be user at someone for NOT publishing their technical illustrations. It was said that any new knowledge gained shouls be publically available. Weird or what?
The last time, I was attacked for not illustrating how my power line filter works. I had absolutely nothing to protect simply because it had zero new content, such filters were made like 70 years ago, before (even) I was born, the only "new" thing I introduced were simply more recent configuration changes (e.g. instead of using one 680 nF cap, I used two 330 nF caps in parallel). What irritated me was the leech mentality propsed to me as natural law, I thought of something, and therefore I was OBLIGED to tell everyone???
So I told him to get his head out of that one place where the sun don't shine.
Not very polite, but I refuse to be drawn into discussions with idiots to be spared the dragging down to his level, which I consder to be unsanitary.
The last time, I was attacked for not illustrating how my power line filter works. I had absolutely nothing to protect simply because it had zero new content, such filters were made like 70 years ago, before (even) I was born, the only "new" thing I introduced were simply more recent configuration changes (e.g. instead of using one 680 nF cap, I used two 330 nF caps in parallel). What irritated me was the leech mentality propsed to me as natural law, I thought of something, and therefore I was OBLIGED to tell everyone???
So I told him to get his head out of that one place where the sun don't shine.
Not very polite, but I refuse to be drawn into discussions with idiots to be spared the dragging down to his level, which I consder to be unsanitary.
Steve, you mean the “kicker' now can sue “New England Wire” too for infringing his patent and then N.E.W. for to defend itself has to apply for invalidating the patent ?
by the way, a (technically) very interesting page:
https://www.newenglandwire.com/products/litz-wire-and-formed-cables/theory
George
Yes, it's possible. I was in litigation once where a competitor had a patent application in examination, and after seeing our product at a trade show, amended their claims to cover it. Yes, we were on the hook for our own legal fees.
Not just NEW, but anyone making litz with fine stranded wire.
Yeah. And here's the NEW illustration he used. It's the Type 7 illustration.
I guess NEW could sue him for copyright infringement.
se
Actually it is now possible to file an objection to a patent in process. Part of the new first to file is that the patent is published after one year. At that time objections and relevant material can be presented, which will impact the final patent if one gets issued. This is all relatively new so not well known, but I have had it happen to me.
Kindhornman- you should have an NDA between you and Sy before you reveal your tech. Otherwise it can be argued that you have revealed it publicly. I'm sure Sy has a boilerplate NDA. Do not think there is money to be made from technology in speakers. NXT managed to lose $100M proving there is no opportunity to make a killing in speakers with a new tech. Expect to spend close to $10K, maybe more patenting your tech. I have not fown those contingincy lawyers yet. One of my patents went to court and demonstrated that the first stage is a crap shoot. Apparently you need to get to appeal to get judges who actually can read a patent. FWIW East Texas has cultivated patent cases hard and does move them through quickly.
The magic trick to avoid being a defendant in a patent case is to file for declaratory relief. You then force the other side to fight on your turf. Its still big bucks.
I'm surprised so may here are worried about having their ideas stolen. The high end audio market is so fractured, proprietary, self absorbed and egotistical that there is little to be gained stealing ideas. No manufacturer would show in any way that they are using someone else's ideas. I used to worry about it but then, when it happened, I saw no negative impact on me and a clear opportunity to show I understood the technology where the copy did not.
However it matters very little if you have a good sales guy. He will make it all happen with the flimsiest of stories. In high end its all romance and do not turn on the lights!
Kindhornman- you should have an NDA between you and Sy before you reveal your tech. Otherwise it can be argued that you have revealed it publicly. I'm sure Sy has a boilerplate NDA. Do not think there is money to be made from technology in speakers. NXT managed to lose $100M proving there is no opportunity to make a killing in speakers with a new tech. Expect to spend close to $10K, maybe more patenting your tech. I have not fown those contingincy lawyers yet. One of my patents went to court and demonstrated that the first stage is a crap shoot. Apparently you need to get to appeal to get judges who actually can read a patent. FWIW East Texas has cultivated patent cases hard and does move them through quickly.
The magic trick to avoid being a defendant in a patent case is to file for declaratory relief. You then force the other side to fight on your turf. Its still big bucks.
I'm surprised so may here are worried about having their ideas stolen. The high end audio market is so fractured, proprietary, self absorbed and egotistical that there is little to be gained stealing ideas. No manufacturer would show in any way that they are using someone else's ideas. I used to worry about it but then, when it happened, I saw no negative impact on me and a clear opportunity to show I understood the technology where the copy did not.
However it matters very little if you have a good sales guy. He will make it all happen with the flimsiest of stories. In high end its all romance and do not turn on the lights!
I love it.
I saw some advice a while ago. The person said give away your ideas, and then make yourself available for consulting. I haven't gotten too far into that yet, but I'm working on it.
Steve, after mortal pollution of one's envronment, I feel polluting one's mind comes next, and that's usually the only "argument" some idiots have. A scorpion can kill us, but does it make the scorpion a very intelligent species?
I'd like to add just this - I've been ripped off several times, seeing my text reprinted VERBATIM with a different author's name. I know how it feels, and I am certainly NOT consoled by the addage that copying is the highest form of flattery.
This is why I have much understading and support for people like John, Demian and others who spend months creating something only to be ripped off by some shady schweinhund.
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