| Recently in Maine, I talked with a gentleman and | | | | make use of it either for profit or for all of our |
| we discussed at a coffee shop the issues | | | | well being.We are crippling ourselves in the |
| concerning the Patent and Trademark Offices and | | | | process of registration and then killing our best |
| the slow processing problems with registration of | | | | people and ideas in the court room over frivolous |
| everything from a simple patent or concept | | | | lawsuits meant to impede the progress of good |
| patent to a Registered Trademark or Service | | | | ideas, in other words our PTO is helping kill good |
| Mark. Also this past week had an email | | | | ideas which in itself is a very bad idea. This is not |
| conversation with a gentleman from NC in a small | | | | the good for all concerned and it means less great |
| business regarding weak trademark and service | | | | companies, which start in the garages across |
| mark case law in several states and at the | | | | America becoming the next new thing. We must |
| Federal Level and how that affected him and the | | | | stay ahead of the innovation curve and make |
| owner of a mark in Ohio. Also discussed the | | | | sure that PTO is working for the needs of the |
| issues with an Aussie who now lives in BC Canada | | | | our future and the future of all mankind.Have a |
| with regards to a cross border US Competitor | | | | good idea, so do we, problem is we sit on it, then |
| using a name he intends to use and has already | | | | it is useless, if we try to register it we will die of |
| used in Canadian Commerce. First use laws and | | | | old age and the actual innovator may go broke |
| case laws are different that in Canada and the | | | | paying attorneys and fees.If we sell it before we |
| US. And certainly no trademark is worth a dollar in | | | | have the Patent complete, it will be stolen and the |
| China. Some would disagree if you have the right | | | | money to fight it costs too much and the court |
| attorney there in that country. I had mentioned | | | | would tie it up until which time the technology |
| these types of issues in a letter to the FTC and | | | | might be passed over. Therefore many smart |
| discussed the problems with patent law and not | | | | Americans who are regular people sit on good |
| knowing, the patent books, which explain all this | | | | ideas.If we do not make anything anymore in this |
| are over 400 plus pages now and when you are | | | | country, because they are made somewhere else |
| done reading them you may or may not know | | | | where the labor is cheaper or because of |
| enough to get the job done.Many will say | | | | previous trade deals with WTO or NAFTA and |
| entrepreneurs are risk takers, although most | | | | jobs have left the country, then our economy is |
| entrepreneurs will tell you different, they unlike | | | | service based and knowledge based. But we give |
| the observers of their activities do not see it as a | | | | all of our knowledge away for free due to in part |
| risk at all. Yet when you throw more variables | | | | the help of inane disclosures of various industries |
| into the loop, the waiting from slow processing at | | | | as well as the PTO issues discussed here, thus |
| the PTO everything gets put on hold, as | | | | the risk of capital is not usually justified and |
| innovators do not want to reveal secrets until | | | | therefore smart people sit on their ideas and do |
| they are protected, and the PTO takes their time | | | | not produce all they have to give mankind, |
| and tries to do research although it is hard to be | | | | namely information, knowledge and that original |
| a Michael Creighton when you work for the | | | | thought that will change the world we live in and |
| government.There are some sharp examiners | | | | make it better.Has your Light bulb gone off yet? |
| there and we have had the opportunity to talk | | | | It should, that was exactly the type of invention |
| with a few although generally if you are not an | | | | the article is talking about and I feel it safe to say |
| attorney forget that thought. And if you are an | | | | that everything that will ever be invented |
| attorney such as our PTO attorney he will tell you | | | | probably has not all been invented yet. Remember |
| as will anyone dealing in that antiquated system, it | | | | also that the Tesla was often compromised in his |
| takes forever. Sure does and that cost the | | | | ongoing efforts due to money issues. And |
| innovators, American Business and the quality of | | | | remember that the Wright Brothers were bicycle |
| life of every person living on the Planet so much. | | | | mechanics working out of a bike shop. Are we |
| Why are we doing this to ourselves? We need a; | | | | quite certain we do not need the future |
| from the ground up system and complete | | | | producers of knowledge, wisdom, ideas and |
| revision. We need to fix this situation, a scientist | | | | innovations and that we need to make it difficult |
| or inventor of the next needed item to make life | | | | for those who possess the drive to make them |
| a little better for all of us will go broke and die of | | | | so?Wake up world we are in the year 2003. It is |
| old age without ever bringing that idea to fruition | | | | time to accelerate. Bill Gates discussed eliminating |
| through an entrepreneur or selling his/her invention | | | | paperwork, and paper forms, I cannot agree |
| to a large company or our own government to | | | | more. |