[sdiy] Patents

[James Patchell]

No, that would not copyright anything...copyrights are implicit.  In fact, 
just the fact that I have written this email and it has my name on it gives 
it an implicit copyright...although, it is totally worthless...

The thing about writing your idea down and mailing it to yourself is 
actually a way of protecting yourself against having an idea stolen.  Of 
even against being at the receiving end of a patent lawsuit.  It would 
establish when you came up with a particular idea, and if you end up in 
court, you could potentially use it as evidence.  However, you need to make 
sure you put the stamps across the flap on the envelope and then get them 
hand canceled at the post office.

One of the things I have noticed about a lot of people is that they don't 
seem to understand what the difference between a copyright, patent and 
trademark are.  A good example...

You can copyright a schematic, but you cannot patent a schematic.
You can patent a circuit, but you cannot copyright a circuit....

Hope that wasn't too subtle...


At 02:26 AM 12/12/2004 -0500, Kenneth Elhardt wrote:
>Fredrick C. writes:
> >>Has anyone here ever patented anything? Was it worth the money/effort?
>I was thinking the next best thing is to publish (as in on this list), so
>that no-one else can patent an idea you have. That way you don't get sued
>for using your own ideas.
>What do you think?<<
>
>Years ago a friend of mine once said that a good way to copyright something
>(might work in your case with patents), is to seal it in an envelope and
>mail it to yourself.  That way you'll get the date of the post mark on it as
>proof as to when you had the idea.  And in your case, you wouldn't need to
>publish it somewhere making it possible for the public to see and use your
>idea, just the very thing you're trying to avoid.
>
>-Elhardt

         -Jim
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