Callaway Wants the ProV1 Jury to Hear the Testimony of Phil Mickelson

Phil’s testimony was excluded from the first ProV1 trial, but Callaway is doing their best to get it admitted in the second trial. This week Callaway filed a motion titled “Callaway Golf’s Motion to Introduce Deposition Testimony from Phil Mickelson,” which explained their view of why his deposition testimony is important to the case. The motion explains….

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This Acushnet Golf Ball Design Will Wrinkle Your Brain

Golf ball patents and patent applications are generally one of two types. First, the most common type is directed to the complex composition of one or more layers of the ball, and you generally need an advanced degree in chemistry or polymer engineering to make heads or tails of what has been invented. The second type is directed to the general construction of the ball, often with emphasis on the surface pattern and the related aerodynamics; these are the applications that I find fascinating and are something that the average golfer can appreciate. Lately there has been a trend toward golf ball patent applications directed to improving the aerodynamics of the ball with some rather unconventional surface patterns; and I call them “surface patterns” because they are just too far removed from what most golfers think of as a dimple. In fact, you may recall THIS recent post in which I questioned if the traditional dimple has reached the end of its useful life. Well, today an aerodynamic golf ball patent application was published that discloses a golf ball that is probably unlike anything you could have imagined. Check out this golf ball disclosed in an Acushnet patent application that became public this week….. Pretty amazing stuff! Are the days of the traditional circular dimple numbered?…..

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Scotty’s Latest Design Patent

Over the years I have covered a few of Scotty Cameron’s inventions (HERE, HERE, and HERE). Well, last week he had an interesting design patent issued titled “Front Face of a Putter” (USPN D611,553). Check out this putter face patent!….. Pretty cool, but I am still not sure I am ready to shell out the premium required to have a Cameron putter.

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Nike is Definitely Thinking Outside the Box With This Design

If you frequent this site then you know that in the past six months I have authored several posts (HERE, HERE, and HERE) regarding some pretty cool, albeit unconventional, designs by Nike. Well, this week another Nike patent application became publicly available and it gives us a look at another interesting design that they have come up with. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20100062874 titled “Golf Club Head and Golf Club with Tension Element and Tensioning Member,” and explains….. Interesting concept, but this is design that I would have to see to believe…..

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Everyone Wants to Know How Much is at Risk in the Titleist ProV1 Patent Litigation Case, Well Here You Have It

The following is a statement of what Acushnet intends to prove during the ProV1 trial. The most interesting portion contains a statement regarding how much Callaway feels they are entitled to as a result of the alleged infringement. It should be no surprise that Acushnet disagrees. Enjoy….. I actually expected the number to be even higher!….

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The Real Issues to be Litigated in the Titleist ProV1 Patent Dispute

So far this week we have looked at the facts that Callaway and Acushnet agree upon and we have seen the facts that they intend to litigate; let’s now look at the legal issues that will be litigated. The following is taken from Acushnet’s Statement Of Issues of Law That Remain To Be Litigated; it is long, but I guarantee you will will learn a lot if you read it (and I have highlighted the most interesting portions)…… As you can see, patent law is complex and I am sure the jurors have no idea of what they will be in for!

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Gearing Up for the Biggest Golf Patent Infringement Trial in History

Jury selection begins this Friday for the big ProV1 trial. This could be the jury that awards the largest amount of damages in golf history; but it could also be the jury that awards nada. In this case it isn’t very often that Callaway and Acushnet agree on anything, therefore let’s take a look at their jointly proposed voir dire designed to screen prospective jurors……. What are your thoughts? Are these questions good enough to identify the crazies or those with bias? I wonder if one side or the other is better off having jurors that are golfers? Interesting question that Callaway and Acushnet have probably studied in detail. What about the USGA question? Would you want people associated with the USGA on the jury, or excluded from it?…..

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Acushnet Patent Application Publishes Directed to Golf Ball Recycling System

That’s right, green is in (and very PC). Still, I was surprised to see an Acushnet patent application publish today titled “Recyclable Golf Ball and Method Therefor.” (US Pub. No. 20100056305) Just close your eyes and imagine golf ball recycling kiosks in every pro shop. Perhaps one at the local grocery store; you know, right next to the can recycling kiosk, the change counting kiosk, the DVD rental kiosk, and the game with the hanging claw and crappy stuffed animals. I think I just heard a tear fall and hit your keyboard. When you read the number of patent applications that I do, eventually you will start to believe that kiosks are about to take over the world. So, what does Acushnet have in mind? Well, I will let the patent application explain the situation….

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Dick’s Sporting Goods Entry in the Golf Club Design Business – An Eagle or a Shank – You be the Judge

There is no doubt that Dick’s is a major force in golf equipment retailing, yet I was still surprised this week to see that they had a patent application publish that is directed to a club head design. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 201000041495 titled “Golf Driver Head with Exchangeable Rear Sections,” which describes the invention as…. Interesting, very interesting. Look’s like the OEM’s may soon have more competition. It does make you wonder how long it will be before walking into a golf retailer will be like walking into a grocery store. Will each name brand product will have a very similar “house brand” product for sale right beside it (for 30% less)? Perhaps a little chart will even compare the ingredients…. yes, the house brand is all titanium; yes, the house brand has an MOI of 5000; yes, the house brand…..

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Day 5 – Karsten’s Patents Directed to Woods

So far this week we have looked at Karsten’s non-golf related patents, golf tool related patents, a golf ball patent, and his golf grip patents, therefore it is about time that we start looking at his golf club patents. Let’s start with woods. I was surprised to learn that Karsten is listed as an inventor on only two wood-related patents, however we all know that the PING brand made its name with putters and irons. Karsten’s first wood related patent is USPN 3625518 titled “Golf Club Head with Complex Curvature for the Sole and/or the Striking Face.” The patent, which issued in 1971, describes the invention as….

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Day 4 – Karsten’s Golf Grip Patents

We have looked at Karsten’s non-golf related patents, golf tool related patents, and a golf ball patent, so now let’s look at his golf grip patents. He has many golf grip design patents, but only one golf grip utility patent. The 1992 utility patent is USPN 5087042 titled “Golf Club Grip,” which describes the invention as…. I wonder how many of these grips have made it into golfers hands. One million? Ten million? Hundred million? Hard to guess. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come with upcoming posts covering Karsten Solheim’s inventions directed to woods, irons, and, of course, putters…..

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The Week of Karsten Solheim – Day 3 – The Lone Golf Ball Patent

Over the past few days we have examined Karsten Solheim’s non-golf related patents, as well as his golf tool related patents; well, there is one other unusual invention and patent that most people would not typically associate with Karsten and the PING brand…. a golf ball patent. Karsten’s one and only golf ball patent is USPN 4653758, which is appropriately titled “golf ball” and issued in 1987. The patent explains….. It seems that this man of many talents also knew a thing or two about aerodynamics and golf ball manufacturing…..

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Day 2 of “The Week of Karsten” – His Golf Tool Patents

Yesterday you learned about Karsten’s non-golf related patents. Today let’s look at his inventions that are golf related, but aren’t the type of inventions that you would typically associate with PING. You know, some behind the scenes tools…… Neat stuff! Stay tuned, the upcoming posts will delve into the patents that reveal Karsten’s true genius, including posts covering his golf grip patents, a golf ball patent, patents on woods, iron patents, and, of course, putter patents…..

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The Week of Karsten Solheim – Day 1 – Karsten’s Non-Golf Patents

As we approach the 10 year anniversary of the passing of one of the most prolific golf club design visionaries, a week long tribute to the inventiveness of Karsten Solheim seems appropriate. If you don’t know who Karsten is then you are probably on this site by mistake; however, you may want to check out this nice biography on the World Golf Hall of Fame website. Diehard golf geeks know that Karsten did not even take up golf until he was in his forties, and that it was not until he was in his mid-fifties that he quit his day job as an engineer at General Electric to focus on Karsten Manufacturing and build the powerhouse PING brand. There was a great portion of his life in which he did not focus on the torture that a little white ball can inflict on a person. So, without golf what is a man to focus on? Good question, let’s look at some of Karsten’s earliest non-golf inventions….. Well there you have it. Karsten was obviously an inventive person that probably learned a lot about the value of protecting intellectual property when he was at General Electric. Stay tuned, posts later this week will cover the following categories of Karsten’s inventions: golf tools, grips, balls, woods, irons, and, of course, putters…..

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A Wild New PING Dynamically Variable MOI Driver

The Golf-Patents blog has revealed some pretty radical golf club designs in the past, but rarely do they originate from Karsten Manufacturing (aka PING). Therefore, when an unusual PING patent application is published it deserves a close look. This week PING had two related patent applications publish related to variable MOI driver designs, one of which is US Pub. No. 20100029402 titled “Golf Clubs With Variable Moment of Inertia And Methods Of Manufacture Thereof.”….. Wow, I suspect that design concept will surprise a lot of people; but will it ever make it to the market?…..

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Wrapping Up the Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents – A Compact Design

What better way to get hit by a golf ball than playing on a compact golf course. Every golfer has played on one of those courses that squeezed 18 holes in the space that should house 14 holes. The type that has a net around at least one tee box; probably the result of a line drive to the forehead (and a lawsuit). Can you appreciate a course that takes it a step further and fits 18 holes in the space of 7 holes? Well, check out the disaster waiting to happen in disclosed in USPN 4,157,831 titled “compact golf course.”….. This wraps up a rather uneventful week of crazy golf course designs! (thankfully)…..

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Day 4 of the Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents – Finally a Web Pattern Layout

What happens when a statistics professor designs a golf course? The possibilities are endless. Actually, I don’t know if the inventor of the course of today is a statistics professor, but it wouldn’t surprise me. So, what could possibly follow a linear golf course layout, a circular layout, and a shared fairway layout (with movable trees)? A web pattern layout, of course. Today’s course is found in USPN 6,036,606 titled “Golf Course with Multi-Sequential Arrangement of Golf Links,” which explains….. You may ask, how many combinations are there? Good question. Check out the diagram below and read the subsequent paragraph…… I think I have spotted a trend; the more likely you are to receive a patent on a golf course layout, the less likely it is that most golfers will be interested in playing it!…..

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Day 3 of the Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents

So far this week we have examined a linear golf course layout and a circular layout, therefore it must now be time to look at a design incorporated shared fairways. Today’s design is found in USPN 6,053,819 titled “Golf Course, Golf Park and Associated Method of Playing a Golf Game,” which describes the invention as….. What do you think of playing “back and forth along a fairway” for as long as you have reserved the course? While I love the movable tree, I think this concept might be a tough sell……

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A Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents – Day 1

Ever wonder if you can patent a golf course’s architecture? Well, this week I will provide you with some interesting golf course layout patents that you may find hard to believe. Additionally, if you are a golf course architecture aficionado then you should avoid these posts because they will bring tears to your eyes (or make you puke)….. I am all for speeding up the pace of play, but I would prefer to play a slower round on a nice unique design rather than a blazing fast round on an, umm, less unique design….

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A Golfer Can Dream of the Day that a Golf Swing Training Kiosk is in Every Mall and Airport

In the past I have posted, in a sarcastic manner, about driving range kiosks putting Hank Haney out of a job, but now I am starting to think we may start to see these things pop up as frequently as golf simulators. This week an interesting kiosk-type system patent issued as USPN 7,651,406 titled “Active Golf Instruction System.” Check it out…..

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Yes, I Believe I Have Found a Helpful Training Aid

It may be hard to believe but I, like most golfers, occasionally get jaded after seeing training aid after training aid, none of which seem particularly helpful. Every now and then I come across one that actually seems to have some merit. Today was one of those days. USPN 7,651,405 titled “Device for Visualizing and Practicing a Correct Golf Swing” issued today and describes the patented invention as….. Check it out!…..

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Another Interesting Nike Design

In the past six months I have authored several posts (HERE, HERE) regarding some pretty cool, albeit unconventional, designs by Nike. Well, this week another Nike patent application became publicly available and it gives us a look at another interesting design that they have come up with. The following drawings tell the story…..

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Pull This Putting Invention Out on the Practice Green and You May Get a Few Stares

I love inventions directed to conquering this maddening sport. It is a sign that human spirit is alive and well; and that some tinkerers truly believe they have invented a gadget that will make the game less frustrating for the rest of us. Sure, there are those golfers (typically the ones that throw their clubs and angrily smack their ball of the green after missing a short putt) that bash every new golf product created since the advent of laminated woods; but can you really knock a golf training product until you have tried it out? OK, I suppose there are a few (example 1, example 2, example 3) that I do draw quick conclusions about, but in general I would be willing to try any training product that the inventor really believes will help a golfer enjoy the game (provided it doesn’t look like it could inflict bodily harm). Thus, I come upon the following putting training aid invention with an open mind. Check this out…..

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Are Your Balls Deformed? Come On, Golf Balls of Course. Well, This Putter Will Let You Know

Ever wonder if your balls were deformed? Well, if so I have found the perfect putter for you. An interesting putter was disclosed in a patent application that published this week as US Pub. No. 20100009781 titled “Putter and Golf Ball Deformity Measuring Apparatus.” The application explains……. I am not sure what to say about this one. Just because I cannot remember the last time that I wondered whether my golf ball was deformed doesn’t mean that there isn’t a huge population of golfers fixated on whether their balls are deformed. Right?….

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A Future Generation of Taylor Made Drivers?

It is hard to believe it has been almost 18 months since I wrote a post about a rather radical Taylor Made patent application. The post was titled “The Future of Taylor Made Drivers? Will This Design Ever Make it to Store Shelves?” Well, they prosecuted the patent application and paid to have it issue last week as USPN 7,641,568 titled “Golf Club Head Having Ribs.” So, maybe a club like this will make it to market someday……

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Heavy Putter, Heavy Wedge, What’s Next?

Not long ago I posted about Heavy Putter’s intent to use the trademark Heavy Wedge™ on “golf clubs”; and commented that doesn’t take a genius to speculate that those “golf clubs” might just be a new line of wedges! Well, now I can report that they also have intent to carry forward the product line to…..

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Need a Golf Bag to Match Your Man Purse?

Hermes has just the offering for the metrosexual golfer that has just about everything, except a golf bag to match his fancy luggage and man purse. Check out this bag!….. The drawings come from the recently issued design patent USPN D606,750. Classy and interesting design, but I would expect golfers that I play with to kick my rear if I every showed up carrying one of these…..

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