Re: O/T Patent applications

Hans,

Keep in mind that a patent is an EXPENSIVE "license to sue" which
takes awhile (at least) to get. AND... it REQUIRES you to
tell "everyone" HOW you're doing it! (whatever IT is).

Patents CAN be a good thing, but don't make the common mistake of
thinking they are some kind of protection. They are, as I said, a
license or right to sue somebody for using your idea before you have
had time to exploit it yourself...

If you don't have money to defend it, or a pretty good idea of WHO
DOES, and are SURE they will help YOU, your patent can nearly always
be "broken". Or "tied up in litigation" for so long it becomes an
albatross around your neck.

You may be better off with "trade secret" protection. Or just moving
quickly in the marketplace, and EXPECTING your "published"
designs/ideas to be stolen, knowing they can't steal what they don't
know about yet...

Ballendo

> Any of you guys patented something on your own? Possibly machine

tool or

> CAM related?
> Thanks.