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> "We had a limited amount of materials to pick from," Smith says. "I can’t say what they are, but we’ve patented the hell out of it." Wait wait wait, someone

> "We had a limited amount of materials to pick from," Smith says. "I can’t say what they are, but we’ve patented the hell out of it." Wait wait wait, someone needs to explain to them what the intent of a patent actually is.

1234the1234 14y ago
I know. I saw this and immediately thought, here comes another E Ink with pretty much only one company using it in any meaningful amount until it becomes obsolete and no one uses it for the remaining 16 years left on the patent.
kondro 14y ago
I'm sure they've used some unique combination, treatment and application of those materials to create this effect.
- hej 14y ago
  That’s not the point. If you patent it, you make that process public. That’s the intention behind patents. They were supposed to give inventors an incentive to publish how their inventions work while still protecting them.
- rurounijones 14y ago
  Which is exactly what the patent is supposed to describe, in detail. Take X, Do Y, Add special sauce Z. We have patented this method biatches, no touchies.
- starwed 14y ago
  The point of a patent is that you must disclose the method in return for a limited monopoly. It's to encourage the sharing of techniques!
  - mechanical_fish 14y ago
    So it is. Go find their patents and read them. Deduce what you can. The spokesman is under no obligation, legal or otherwise, to make this easier than necessary. That is how the game is played. Nor is he a lawyer, or foolish enough to issue an off-the-cuff statement that undercuts the work of the actual team that has crafted the wording of the patents.
    - starwed 14y ago
      Ok, but why are you replying to me about this? I was trying to address kondro's obvious confusion about mikeknoop's point, not pass judgement on anyone in the article.
  - roc 14y ago
    When a patent is granted, or 18 months after its filing, it's published. Until that time there's no obligation to disclose and no attorney would ever advise it. If the USPTO should rule it not patentable, it could still be a very valuable trade secret.
- Tsagadai 14y ago
  Given the number of patents in existence at the moment and the complex wording, if someone didn't tell you what something was called you probably wouldn't be able to find their patent. Security through obscurity.
quote 14y ago
So maybe they've filed the application but have not received the patent/disclosed the invention yet? In the US, you have to prove that you were the first to invent something, not the first to file something (as in Europe), so the secrecy would make some sense...
- roc 14y ago
  It's worth noting that the US is switching to a first-to-file system early next year.

1234the1234 14y ago

I know. I saw this and immediately thought, here comes another E Ink with pretty much only one company using it in any meaningful amount until it becomes obsolete and no one uses it for the remaining 16 years left on the patent.

kondro 14y ago

I'm sure they've used some unique combination, treatment and application of those materials to create this effect.

hej 14y ago
That’s not the point. If you patent it, you make that process public. That’s the intention behind patents. They were supposed to give inventors an incentive to publish how their inventions work while still protecting them.
rurounijones 14y ago
Which is exactly what the patent is supposed to describe, in detail. Take X, Do Y, Add special sauce Z. We have patented this method biatches, no touchies.
starwed 14y ago
The point of a patent is that you must disclose the method in return for a limited monopoly. It's to encourage the sharing of techniques!
- mechanical_fish 14y ago
  So it is. Go find their patents and read them. Deduce what you can. The spokesman is under no obligation, legal or otherwise, to make this easier than necessary. That is how the game is played. Nor is he a lawyer, or foolish enough to issue an off-the-cuff statement that undercuts the work of the actual team that has crafted the wording of the patents.
  - starwed 14y ago
    Ok, but why are you replying to me about this? I was trying to address kondro's obvious confusion about mikeknoop's point, not pass judgement on anyone in the article.
- roc 14y ago
  When a patent is granted, or 18 months after its filing, it's published. Until that time there's no obligation to disclose and no attorney would ever advise it. If the USPTO should rule it not patentable, it could still be a very valuable trade secret.
Tsagadai 14y ago
Given the number of patents in existence at the moment and the complex wording, if someone didn't tell you what something was called you probably wouldn't be able to find their patent. Security through obscurity.

quote 14y ago

So maybe they've filed the application but have not received the patent/disclosed the invention yet? In the US, you have to prove that you were the first to invent something, not the first to file something (as in Europe), so the secrecy would make some sense...

roc 14y ago
It's worth noting that the US is switching to a first-to-file system early next year.