On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:05:21 -0500, "HeyBub" wrote:

Steve wrote:

Does anyone remember the Mercedes Benz commercials about 10 to 15
years ago where an MB engineer mentions the fact that they were the
ones who developed air-bag technology for their cars. He is asked why
they did not patent the invention and instead shared the technology
with other car manufacturers. He replies that "some inventions are
too important not to share". It seems to me that the Saw Stop people
could do the same by allowing their technology to be used by others
at a small fixed price per unit and still make a nice return on their
design.

Even before that. Ben Franklin did not patent the lightning rod, the
Franklin stove, bifocals, the vehicle odometer, and, to bring it up to date,
Daylight Savings Time, for exactly the same reason.

Well, there were no patents before 1790. ;-)