<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: [CAUT] downbearing gauge, homemade</TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I 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).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jeff O.</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=fssturm@unm.edu href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">Fred Sturm</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 05, 2006 6:25 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] downbearing gauge, homemade</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=Verdana>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.<BR>    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.”<BR>Regards,<BR>Fred Sturm<BR>University of New Mexico <BR><BR><BR>On 4/4/06 6:19 PM, "Don Mannino" <DMannino@kawaius.com> wrote:<BR><BR></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Verdana><FONT color=#000080>Might infringe on Tom Lowell's gauge, though.  I know he does have patents.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT color=#000080>It's OK to make anything for one's personal use, of course!<BR></FONT><BR><FONT color=#000080>Don<BR></FONT></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE><FONT size=2><FONT face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Fred Sturm<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, April 04, 2006 5:10 PM<BR><B>To:</B> caut<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] downbearing gauge, homemade<BR><BR></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana>On 4/3/06 6:20 PM, "Jeff Olson" <jlolson@cal.net> wrote:<BR><BR></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Verdana><BR></FONT><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>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? :-)<BR></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><BR></FONT><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>Jeff<BR></FONT></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Verdana><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Verdana><BR>Hi Jeff,<BR>    Nope, no patent. Open source code <g>. Any and everyone may feel free to copy, improve, do whatever. That’s why I posted it.<BR>Regards,<BR>Fred Sturm<BR>University of New Mexico <BR><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Verdana><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Verdana><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>