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Did you read the patent? That's not tin cans and a string. It's an improvement that allows it to be packaged in cereal and assembled by the end-user. Sure it's
by function_seven 11y ago
Did you read the patent? That's not tin cans and a string. It's an improvement that allows it to be packaged in cereal and assembled by the end-user.
Sure it's not complicated, but novel inventions aren't always complex. This is a unique-enough idea that it probably deserves the patent.
- leeoniya 11y agoi just looked through it beyond the abstract after your comment. "probably deserves a patent" is a weak argument for granting protection. i did not find anything that was so novel as not to be obvious to any high school student if presented with an assignment to design this device with the purpose of minimizing cost/weight/assembly. i suppose it does protect from very literal copying, but it is trivial to make any of a dozen modifications such that not all claims hold up to scrutiny.
- tyingq 11y agoThe "claims" portion of the patent does not reference any of that. The scope of the grant is wider than you think.
- tclmeelmo 11y agoThe claims establish the legal bounds of a patent, however, they must be read in light of what is disclosed in the specifications. The enforceable scope of this patent is fairly limited.
- tyingq 11y agoYou would think so, but in practice, that's not really what happens. NCR, for example, successfully settled with many companies "infringing" on their ancient patents with their ecommerce sites. The patents predated ecommerce, and made reference to things like microfiche.