Author Topic: Foil Patents?  (Read 12553 times)

PonoBill

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Foil Patents?
« on: November 06, 2019, 07:19:46 AM »
Inspired by the picture of the GoFoil mast in the Mast Cracks thread, I looked up the GoFoil patent. Interesting patent. Its worded as a general patent for hydrofoils on boards but then cites a lot of specific dimension ranges. I'd say it's like the patent I have on some core internet tech--nice to have from a defensive standpoint, but hopeless to use against competitors. If the people you sue hire a lawyer who isn't terminally stupid they show up with a bunch of prior art and all you own is worthless paper and a lot of legal bills. The patent office went looney about 20 years ago and started granting patents that are indefensible. The only people that benefit from them now are patent trolls and lawyers. Even that game has become weak, as judges caught on that a bullshit patent is a bullshit patent.

I might be wrong, but I'd say most of the foils we use infringe on that patent. The fact that there haven't been any legal battles tells me it's defensive only. Probably for the same reason mine was only good for that.

My patent, granted in the early days of the web, is for detecting who visits a website, attaching any existing data to them to change the website to suit their profile, and adding data according to their actions in the site. Sounds like it would be worth billions given that Google, Facebook, and every modern website does that, but it's just an invitation to be pummeled in court. It was initially refused and the examiner cited prior art up the gazoo that I didn't know about--even the name we used (WebProfiler) had been used in a fictional story that talked about exactly what we were trying to patent.  But the patent office was under political pressure to grant patents, so they suggested we resubmit the application and rubber-stamped mine.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2019, 07:29:32 AM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Wetstuff

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Re: Foil Patents?
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2019, 09:26:29 AM »
Bill, This one might have boot prints all over it...

https://patents.google.com/patent/US7017747B2/en

(I was looking for...) Back when, there was this kid from NJ who came up with/patented a teeny air mattress with slots to protect surf fins.  He thought I might be interested in the mfg/distribution...?  If I remember, that was $3k in fees before the prototypes. 

Hoyle and Diane Schweitzer showed up in Boston for a meeting with editorial at SAIL wearing sandals and short sleeves in winter. (when most in Boston wore their father's suits) ..they had this crazy 'sailboard' thingy.  I hope they got all the royalties due. 

I don't know the whole story,  but I gather the brothers who did inflatable kites had less fun.

Jim
Atlantis Mistress .. Blue Planet MultiTasker ..   Atlantis Venom

PonoBill

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Re: Foil Patents?
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2019, 09:48:52 AM »
There was some troll wandering around who enlisted Todd Bradley (C4) to try to extract licensing fees from all the inflatable surfboard manufacturers based on a questionable inflatable rescue board patent, which of course was based on drop stitch fabric that had been around for 40 years or so. I don't think that went anywhere. They were threatening lightning, hellfire and chicago lawyers to be rained down. It was quite humorous.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

steamroller

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Re: Foil Patents?
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2019, 02:07:30 AM »
HA!.....C4 tried to sneak in some language into the contract with Uliboards hoping they would sign without reading every little thing...they did read it and signed NOTHING...at the time Uliboards owned the inflatable board market...C4 sent a shit ton of lawyers afterUliboards and everyone else withn an inflatable board...they lost...got their asses handed to them   8)

 


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