Patent in RP

From: Jürgen F. Müller (jfm@bmtec.com)
Date: Mon Apr 24 2000 - 12:54:29 EEST


Hello RP´lers,

I am very unhappy about all the patent discussions in the world. If you will
check the public companies of RP, nobody is earning money. The are only
staying in business and nobody is creating a lot of cash.

The patents on the other side are stopping all the technology for the
future. Patent and RP in this moment is having the taste to stay behind of
new technologies. I am very tired to read all the Emails about infringing
the patents of others.

Do you agrre in the RP world?

Jürgen F. Müller
Managing Director

www.bmtec.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <EdGrenda@aol.com>
To: <rpreport@cadcamnet.com>; <rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2000 4:47 PM
Subject: Re: OBJET Patentability [Long]

> Hi:
>
> Mr. Hastabacka may indeed be prejudiced, but in fairness I have to say
that I
> have also discussed privately with a couple of people that there could be
> siginifcant patent challenges to the Objet work in the US. And I am as
pure
> as the driven snow, if those years spent in high school and college are
> disregarded.
>
> There is more than one 3D Systems patent that has claims which seem to
> interfere. There is also work from BASF, Brother Industries and others
that
> should be looked at carefully. In a previous posting I mentioned that
NASA
> also seems to have applied for patent(s) on exactly identical technology.
> This is just what I can recall without really looking at any references.
> More interferences can be found with diligence, I'm fairly certain.
>
> Mr. Pettengill asked, "How does this happen?" Well, this happens for
several
> reasons. First and foremost, is that engineers seem to work in what
amounts
> to a perfect vacuum of information. There is something in our temperament
> that forbids obtaining and using the knowledge that others generate.
There
> have been very few engineers I've worked with that look upon the work of
> others without prejudice and as something to build upon, rather than a
> porcelain receptacle of their contempt.
>
> The second reason is that the patent system is very complex. You can get
all
> the recent patents on line, of course, but it takes more doing to really
> follow a given field than you might expect. Searching out the 25 or 30
> patents for RP that occur in a quarter from the 25,000 issued takes me
> several days of diligent -and extremely boring - work. Plugging in a few
> keywords doesn't do the job. [This statement was an ad for me and Al.]
>
> Once you find those patents, discerning the differences and nuances in the
> claims can be maddening and mystifying. You will come to wonder what goes
on
> at the PTO that allows seemingly identical claims to be issued multiple
> times. You will print some claims out, lay them on top of one another,
and
> hold them to up the light of - not only scrutiny - but a 100 watt bulb, in
> your quest to figure it all out.
>
> Mr. Pollak asked, "Does this preclude the use of the technology?" Yes,
> starting right after the injunction or the trial if the claims are found
to
> interfere.
>
> Ed Grenda
> Castle Island Co.
> 19 Pondview Road
> Arlington, MA 02474 USA
> 781-646-6280 (voice or fax)
> EdGrenda@aol.com (email)
> http://home.att.net/~castleisland/
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 00-04-20 16:39:15 EDT, rpreport@cadcamnet.com writes:
>
> << Does everyone know that ChathamRes@aol.com is Al Hastbacka (Sanders
> Design),
> who has already gotten flack for making comments about the Objet? Al may
be
> correct about potential patent conflicts, but he is also involved in
making
> and selling machines and might view the Objet as competition.
> >>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
>

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



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