Filed under: Friday fun on June 27th, 2008 8:51
tagged: marking plates, patent marking, phonograph, thomas edison
1 comment
I’ve been collecting patent marking plates for several years. We’re assembling the collection in the new office and it’s becoming a wonderful conversation piece.
Some of the plates are just plain fun to look at - turn of the century plates have some really neat and elaborate designs (while others are extremely utilitarian). Others are neat to think about the story they represent - a notable invention, inventor and/or company (sadly, most of the companies I research based on the plates are no longer around).
And there’s a few that are interesting from the legal side of things.
Last week, I added a real gem to the collection that falls into all three of these categories - a plate from an Edison Amberola Phonograph (a Model A) - a phonograph manufactured under the patents of Thomas Edison.
Great design. Check. The plate has great styling of the Amberola mark (it’s too small to get a decent photograph from my point and shoot, so you’ll have to trust me on this).
Notable invention and inventor. Check and check. The plate proudly states that the marked phonograph is “manufactured under the patents of Thomas A. Edison, et als, at Orange, N.J., U.S.A.” Very cool.
Interesting legal issue. Yep - it’s got that too. Check out the plate’s fine print:
“This machine is sold upon the condition that it is licensed to be used or vended only so long as…every possessor of this machine admits the validity of the above enumerated patents.”
How’s that for a bold mark? I’ve never seen a statement like that on another marking plate, and the legal questions it raises are quite interesting. I also wonder whether Edison was the first to use such scare tactics (or did he get the idea from someone else?). Were they ever challenged?
The quest continues.
Filed under: Friday fun on June 6th, 2008 8:34
tagged: backpack, bike, commute
2 comments
Opening a new shop ushers in a sea of changes. There’s all the formal firm stuff (new letterhead, docketing software, change of addresses, etc.), and then there’s the fun stuff (new office space and furniture, etc.).
So far, the change I’m having the most fun with is my new commute - I’m now riding my bike to work. I live just a couple miles from the new office, which makes for about a 10-12 minute bike ride. It’s great exercise and provides a fresh new morning routine. The riding time also gives me good “thinking time” that would normally be cluttered with radio noise were I commuting in the car.
I had to get a new bag to make the commute work - slinging a briefcase across your shoulder while riding a mountain bike is not all that fun. I typically carry a full load to and from the office - laptop case loaded with the MacBook 
Pro and every gadget you can think of - so I knew a good bag would be critical to the success of my new routine. I found the perfect pack in the Brain Bag from Tom Bihn. This backpack takes a ton of stuff, easily, and makes you forget about all of it when you sling it on your back. It’s comfortable, lightweight, cavernous, and non-shifting. Looks pretty good, too.
The ride home is also welcome, except on those days that I’ve got to rush off to hockey, baseball, soccer, or some other kid event. But, minor adjustments should help me work it into the routine.
Filed under: EffectiveIP on June 3rd, 2008 1:13
tagged: EffectiveIP
No comments
I’m working on an overview of the concept of EffectiveIP that I’ll share on the site once its ready for prime time. I might even enlist the services of big-picture-guy extraordinaire Matt Homann (whose input has already proved invaluable).
In the meantime, though, a few phone calls from old friends during the official BIPO launch helped me confirm that which EffectiveIP is not.
Here’s the comment that really crystalized it for me:
“Matt…the ideal patent practice is where you park your desk chair opposite a big machine that spits out invention disclosures, one after the other.”
I’m pretty sure I spit a bit of coffee out my nose when I heard that one, and then immediately recognized it as the exact opposite of the ideal practice for me. Don’t get me wrong…I love writing applications just as much as the next guy….but I also love doing so much more for my clients.
The “so much more” part is where EffectiveIP comes into its own, and that’s the part I’ll attempt to explain over the coming months.
Filed under: BIPO news on May 30th, 2008 6:14
2 comments
Hello world! Today I give you a new firm…and a new blog.
My new firm - Buchanan Intellectual Property Office LLC - goes live over the weekend on June 1. And with the new firm comes, of course, a new blog. So welcome to The EffectiveIP blog.
The firm is grounded in and guided by several core principles:
- passion
- quality
- strategy
- technology
- flexible billing structures
The blog will focus on these core principles and their application in the work at the firm. In that way, the blog will provide insightful content that is useful to a broad audience, including inventors, business folks and other practitioners.
I’ll sprinkle in some occasional fun stuff, too (all work and no play….). First up….look for some pictures of the new office (a lot of time, thought, and energy went into it…so I plan on showing it off a bit!). I promise to write about the badges you see at right, too.
I plan to leave comments open, but may be forced to close them from time to time depending on the spam factor (damn you Canter & Siegel!). You can always send me an e-mail (matt@effectiveip.com) or ping me on Skype (jmbesq) with any questions or comments. Suggestions for topics are welcome, too.
Two RSS feeds are available for your reader:
I hope you enjoy the site. Welcome.
And there’s a few that are interesting from the legal side of things.
