Backyard swing patent
2002-04-15 17:45:36+00 by
Dan Lyke
6 comments
Via Doc Searls, more evidence of the suitability of patents to protect intellectual property Patent 6,368,227: Method of swinging on a swing:
A method of swing on a swing is disclosed, in which a user
positioned on a standard swing suspended by two chains from
a substantially horizontal tree branch induces side to side
motion by pulling alternately on one chain and then the other.
Find published prior art. Or start paying license fees for your kids.
[ related topics:
Intellectual Property Children and growing up moron
]
comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment made: 2002-04-16 17:32:06+00 by:
warhol
Read the patent carefully. It covers side to side swinging rather than the
usual front to back swinging.
Still a stupid patent, but not as egregious as it would seem at first
appearances.
#Comment made: 2002-04-16 17:37:17+00 by:
Dan Lyke
No, I did read it carefully. And I did that as a kid, before I could get the leg motion synchronized enough to do the fore-aft swinging on my own. Didn't you?
#Comment made: 2002-04-16 22:32:12+00 by:
meuon
Sure did.. He stole my idea, mine! Mine! I tell you! And I think there are some grade school records of my being reprimanded for doing side/side swinging in this manner on the playground and creating problems with the forward/backward swingers. In the 1960's in Kansas I even got paddled for it. I am sure it got put on my 'permanent record' and I was ashamed at the time for soiling my 'permanent record'. Maybe this is a good thing and we can file suit with this as proof? ROFL!
Unfortunately, it's a sad example of why patents are often abused.
#Comment made: 2002-04-16 23:20:22+00 by:
ghasty
And speaking of abuse...this did finnally make me fill out the forms to get a "customer account" with the patent office. Hmmmmmmmm, what to "invent"??????
#Comment made: 2002-04-17 06:34:13+00 by:
dws
The "inventor" is 10 (the patent application was filed when he was 7), and his father is a patent lawyer. This smells to me like a case of "Oh, what the heck. This might just sneak by, and then I can get junior a plaque for his birthday."
#Comment made: 2002-04-17 11:42:34+00 by:
ghasty
Yes....and you're saying I can't think like a 7 year old and I wouldn't want a plaque too <grin>