RE: patents

From: Dave Flynn (dflynn@proex.com)
Date: Fri Feb 02 1996 - 16:06:30 EET


There are precious few original thinkers in this world, but, unfortunately, an overabundance of people willing to copy, and take credit for, other folk's ideas. Patents or no patents, Rapid Prototyping exists because of the inspiration and perspiration of Chuck Hull, Carl Deckard, Michael Feygin, Scott Crump, and a select group of other risk-takers. Thank you, gentleman.

Dave Flynn
Prototype Express, Inc.
dflynn@proex.com

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From: Nkin@aol.com[SMTP:Nkin@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, February 02, 1996 4:59 AM
To: carl.deckard@eng.clemson.edu; rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi
Subject: Re: patents

In a message dated 96-02-01 15:46:21 EST, carl.deckard@eng.clemson.edu (Carl
Deckard) writes:

>t

Every case is different - so it may be better not to over generalize.

One example: Can you deny Chester Carlson's rightful place in history?
  Afterall : 1.) his 1939 patent application does not teach enough to allow
one who is skilled in the art to build a copy machine, 2.) his prototype
machine failed, and 3) it took two decades of outside help - from both
Battelle and Haloid to get the legendary 914 on the market.

Contrast that starry-eyed vision of 1939 with the 'whatever' Xerox had left
in the 1970's - when they actually had a working personal computer and a
working laser printer (actually working!). It then took years before the
magic ingredient was added - before vision by the right people. Vision.

I suppose there there are plenty of stories for both sides of the argument -
and, probably, no easy answers.

Norman Kinzie
Laminar Systems, Inc.
45 Brentwood Circle
Needham, MA 02192



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