[CAUT] downbearing gauge, homemade

[Jeff Olson]

Re: [CAUT] downbearing gauge, homemadeI agree with the Spurlock approach (having owned a patent for awhile).  It can get slightly annoying when some Chinese company starts manufacturing your unpatented device for 1/10 your price, but hey, c'est la vie :-).  In niche items like piano gadgets that wouldn't be very likely, of course (also, higher-end items tend to be immune...but that's probably temporary).

Jeff O.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Fred Sturm 
  To: caut 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 6:25 PM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] downbearing gauge, homemade


  Yes, don't make it for sale without investigating. I tried to buy a Lowell gauge for several years running: back ordered and not filled. I finally asked and was told it might not become available again. At which point I decided to make one, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. If someone wanted to challenge that patent, they might have a good case, based on its not having been exercised. I understand that if you get a patent, but then fail to make use of the item/process/whatever by manufacturing, making available to the public, the patent lapses, loses force. Not something I care to find out about, but if it isn't true, it ought to be.
      As long as I'm opining on the subject of patents, I have to say I vastly prefer the Spurlock approach: come up with a design, tell people about it, then manufacture it at a reasonable price. The idea catches on better, and you probably make more money in the long run. We are such a tiny market that patenting something like Lowell's gauge is rather silly IMO. I have no objection to somebody making some money on inventiveness, but a bit of common sense doesn't hurt, either. BTW, I notice in the latest Pianotek catalog that Lowell's gauge is listed "call for price."
  Regards,
  Fred Sturm
  University of New Mexico 


  On 4/4/06 6:19 PM, "Don Mannino" <DMannino at kawaius.com> wrote:


    Might infringe on Tom Lowell's gauge, though.  I know he does have patents.

    It's OK to make anything for one's personal use, of course!

    Don

      -----Original Message-----
      From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fred Sturm
      Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 5:10 PM
      To: caut
      Subject: Re: [CAUT] downbearing gauge, homemade

      On 4/3/06 6:20 PM, "Jeff Olson" <jlolson at cal.net> wrote:



        Wow, thanks, Fred.  Maybe I'm overly in touch with my feminine side, but I think it's downright cute.  The level on top is cool.  Think I might make me one (you didn't go and patent it, did you? :-)

        Jeff




      Hi Jeff,
          Nope, no patent. Open source code <g>. Any and everyone may feel free to copy, improve, do whatever. That's why I posted it.
      Regards,
      Fred Sturm
      University of New Mexico 





-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20060405/9dddb513/attachment.html