On 8/9/14, 12:56 PM, Bob Camp wrote:
Hi
Keep in mind that the patent(s) do not keep you from building a part for your
own use.
AS I understand it, this is not technically true. You can practice the
patent to gain an understanding of it for the purposes of inventing
something new that is based on that patent, or to design around it. But
you can't practice it, just because it's useful.
If I patent, oh, let's say, a swing consisting of a board (of an
exotic, but readily available, composite material) hanging from a tree
limb with two rods (of another exotic, but readily available material),
you cannot go out and build that swing in your backyard for your kids to
play on. You can, however, build that swing and do testing on it,
connecting load cells, motion tracking systems using real time kinematic
GPS receivers, and carefully measure the variations in the period of the
swing as the gravitational pull of the moon shifts, etc. Perhaps you are
going to build a better swing, maybe using 3 ropes instead of 2 (since
my patent attorney didn't write the claims well).
Regardless of what they do / do not patent, a TimeNut can still build
(and use for themselves) what ever they wish.
————
Now, if you (after careful examination) believe that the privately held patents
keep you from building a receiver for a Federally Funded service - talk to your
elected representatives. They are the ones who can / will fire up a committee
to look into this sort of stuff. I think I would want to have some information
on license costs before I made that phone call though.
precisely so
Jim
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