3 ms·

Makes me wonder, is there any formal representation for smells like we have with colors?

tyingq 8y ago
Not in English, but...http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/01/15/this-language-names-odors-as-precisely-as-english-speakers-name-color/ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/01/15/this-la...
oneplane 8y ago
I think one of the problems is that color and what you see is somewhat tightly related where taste and how taste works is highly varied. While you can get some sort of single-molecule chemical representation of some specific smell or taste, that would be static (as in, the formula or construction wouldn't change) but most people would smell different things. I suppose for those 'inventions' the recipe or method would be trademarked/copyrighted/patented but not the result.
- frozenport 8y ago
  Now, you might be shocked to learn that color can be part of us design patents.
ergothus 8y ago
There is a whole world of professional "noses" used by perfume companies. They have a system for describing "notes" but I know far too little (and honestly, don't want to know more) to say more than that.
- donkeyd 8y ago
  The same for wine. However, research has shown that adding red food coloring to white wine, causes people to smell the notes that are usually smelled in red wine. [0] [0] https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/08/the_most_infamous_study_on_wine_tasting.html https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/08/the_most_infam...
ajuc 8y ago
You could just specify the chemicals and their proportions in air.
- AstralStorm 8y ago
  That's good enough for a design patent but not for a trademark.
Angostura 8y ago
I’m not a trademark lawyer, but I used to work with them in the UK. From what I recall, trademarks need to described in language accessible to ‘everyman’ to be protectable. So when I was there, about 5 years ago, I don’t recall that there had been a successful bid to trademark a smell because a gas chromatograph didn’t fit the bill.

Not in English, but...http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/01/15/this-language-names-odors-as-precisely-as-english-speakers-name-color/ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/01/15/this-la...

oneplane 8y ago

I think one of the problems is that color and what you see is somewhat tightly related where taste and how taste works is highly varied. While you can get some sort of single-molecule chemical representation of some specific smell or taste, that would be static (as in, the formula or construction wouldn't change) but most people would smell different things. I suppose for those 'inventions' the recipe or method would be trademarked/copyrighted/patented but not the result.

frozenport 8y ago
Now, you might be shocked to learn that color can be part of us design patents.

ergothus 8y ago

There is a whole world of professional "noses" used by perfume companies. They have a system for describing "notes" but I know far too little (and honestly, don't want to know more) to say more than that.

donkeyd 8y ago
The same for wine. However, research has shown that adding red food coloring to white wine, causes people to smell the notes that are usually smelled in red wine. [0] [0] https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/08/the_most_infamous_study_on_wine_tasting.html https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/08/the_most_infam...

ajuc 8y ago

You could just specify the chemicals and their proportions in air.

AstralStorm 8y ago
That's good enough for a design patent but not for a trademark.

Angostura 8y ago

I’m not a trademark lawyer, but I used to work with them in the UK. From what I recall, trademarks need to described in language accessible to ‘everyman’ to be protectable. So when I was there, about 5 years ago, I don’t recall that there had been a successful bid to trademark a smell because a gas chromatograph didn’t fit the bill.