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2020
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April

10 Patents That Shaped the Intellectual Property World

Laws that come into order – or laws that are abolished – can have a massive impact on society and the way the world functions. But did you know that this is also applicable to intellectual property? Did you know that there are certain cases of intellectual property and patents that have also shaped the world in a permanent way?

MDE Patents has compiled a list of ten patents that are popular, and have shaped the current world:

1. Dropbox

Filed ten years ago, this patent by MIT alumni Houston and Ferdowski detailed the concept of cloud-based file sharing. Dropbox’s patent described a synchronized manner in which files could be stored online, and multiple users could share them and view multiple versions of the file. Today, Dropbox’s methods are the base for multiple independent creators, personal logs, and businesses.

2. Zynga

Zynga’s name brings to mind the image of mobile based gaming, and multi-player adventures. That is exactly what their patent anticipated, too. Filed in late 2008, Zynga’s vice president detailed a patent for gaming technology where characters and character teams had the ability to challenge other players based on characteristics in the profile. It was a concept that took off with an unprecedented vertical growth, and changed the casual gaming world forever.

3. GoPro

GoPro is such a known name among videographers, travelers, and adventurers that it has almost become a verb instead of a noun. While the concept of recording one’s trip or tricks is not a new one (having been done since the invention of portable cameras), GoPro patented their special harness in early 2004. It detailed the invention as a camera holder that would allow the fixing of a camera on one’s body, which would not dislodge during any activity. While their cameras are more known now, that patented harness is what launched their entire brand value.

4. NASA

NASA patented their weather prediction technology in 2016, in the hopes of preventing future disasters that cost loss of lives, property, and millions of dollars of damage. The earthquake predictive equipment can detect shifts in tectonic activity by measuring fluctuations in magnetic fields. The use of such technology could also change meteorology reports and navigation systems.

5. Walmart

The supermarket chain could not have predicted creating a world-changing patented technology, but it did. Filing a patent for robotic bees, Walmart intends to create a positive effect on the otherwise endangers agricultural industry. The drones are said to be able to identify crops and pollinate them – something that could be potentially lifesaving given the endangered status of bees worldwide.

6. Samsung

A tech giant like Samsung no doubt has multiple patented ideas – and some patent disputes as well. But their healthcare technology takes the cake. Although not the first automated surgical device, the Samsung surgical robot had higher mobility, greater articulation, and an endoscopic camera – all steps forward in the future of medical technology.

7. Crown Cork

An old one but a golden one. The Crown Cork patent by William Painter was nothing short of revolutionary, in that it preserved the fizz and freshness of carbonated drinks in their glass bottles. You can thank Painter for the bubbliness of your soda, or the lack of flat beer when you take it out of the fridge.

8. Kelloggs

A staple to all diets, Kelloggs’ cereal patent is another classic. The patent is technically on flaked cereal, an accidental discovery by John Harvey Kellogg when he forgot to properly store a wheat dough slab. Today, it is one of the most consumed and varied forms of breakfast foods.

9. Marshall

Paul Marshall patented the technology for virtual reality in 2000 in order to analyze financial data, and create improved outputs. Today, two decades later, VR has become a staple icon of futuristic technology. From games to apps, healthcare, and even research – the world has taken the VR concept and transformed it into something new.

10. Apple

Nothing spells transformation like the iPhone. Apple’s cellular device is now a household name, from its software and interface, to its design and name. Funnily enough, the original patent description wouldn’t help you recognize it as the signature iPhone. It was simply for an electronic, handheld device. Nonetheless, it was a game changer in global, private communication.

Visit our website to discover more such interesting pieces of information and exhaustive knowledge on the patent industry.

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2020
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April

Who are Patent Trolls? How Do They Work?

The patent and trademark legal branch is very closely linked to commercial profit and claim. So, there is no doubt that it has to frequently deal with wrongful claims and defamation, all for the sake of undeserved profit, publicity stunts, or press. Patent trolls happen to fall into this very category of “bad apples”.

In legal jargon, patent troll is actually a word with negative connotations. They are companies or entities who make patent infringement claims in court, purely to make profit or block competitors from being able to make a similar product. It is important to understand that this process is not strictly illegal, but it is frowned upon. One of the main examples in this day and age, are the multiple pharmaceutical companies attempting to patent the research work for potential COVID-19 vaccines and cures.

Another example of a patent troll is a company earning the right to charge tolls for a roadway, but not putting the money to use for repairs and improvements of the roadway. In this case, the patent troll or “patent shark” is using the patent to generate revenue without an equal exchange of any material benefits. The aim of the parent then becomes purely top line generation.

Other instances of patent trolling include buying patents from bankrupt companies for the sole purpose of removing all competitors from the market. Another one is enforcing a patent without intent of manufacturing the product. In all these situations, the intentions of the patent are far from actual protection of intellectual property to preserve the rights of the creator. They exist purely to glean money or to harm others in the same field of work.

One of the reasons why patent trolls are so successful is because of the amount of money that goes into a patent lawsuit. The fees for license lie in the range of tens of thousands of dollars – however, patent lawsuits can run into millions of dollars. As a result, smaller companies who are seen as competitors are likely to settle instead of fighting over the patent, even if no infringement has occurred.

In this way, patent trolls create a monopoly in the industry, one which is not actually beneficial to the industry or its consumers in any way. MDE Patents frequently looks into such thin claims and if you are at the receiving end of one, allow us to help you through it.