On Thu, 2 Sep 2010 06:02:49 -0700, "azotic"
wrote:

Old patent numbers can get you in deep dodo.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj

Best Regards
Tom.

So, who gets the money in the lawsuits? If it's just the lawyers who
found the "offending" products, then they are doing a really great
public service - right? NOT. That's just ambulance chasing without
even having to chase ambulances, and without anyone getting hurt
(until after the suit). (Insert your favorite diatribe against lawyers
here - I prefer Shakespeare's comment.)

I can agree that a manufacturer has no right to mark a product with a
false patent number, but if they actually were awarded a patent for an
invention, why not let them crow about it; even after the protection
has expired, the patent they were awarded continues to exist. I know
that, because I've looked up patents from the 19th century to see how
the old scientific devices in my collection were "superior" to their
competition. Usually some small detail that seems rather trivial.

Joe