The Golf Industry's Source for IP News
A recently published patent application caught my eye. The application was titled “Fishing Rod with a Sports Style Handle” and published as US Pub. No. 20070193105. The application describes the invention as….. Check out these figures….. The perfect mix of fishing and golfing.
Read moreReaders of the Golf-Patents blog know that I frequently write on the subject of trade secrets in the golf industry. Few would dispute that it is a close knit industry. Well, recently Callaway’s director of Odyssey Brand Management accepted a position as Nike Golf’s marketing director and was supposed to start work on Monday. Guess what… Callaway was not happy about this. Check out this article by Brent Hunsberger of The Oregonian on the dispute. Fascinating stuff!
Read moreAs you may recall from these prior posts (initial, update 1), on May 11th GPS Industries and Optimal IP Holdings filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 10 defendants. The list of defendants reads like a Who’s Who of the golfing GPS world. The defendants include …….
Defendant SkyHawke Technologies, the maker of the Natalie Gulbis endorsed SkyCaddie, have fired back at GPS Industries in response to GPS Industries’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction. On October 1st SkyHawke filed their “Opposition” to the Plaintiff’s motion, and the supporting Brief (both of which are reproduced at the end of this post and make for some interesting reading… boy, litigation can get nasty). Enjoy!
After 30 months, 578 docket entries, and millions in legal fees, Bridgestone and Acushnet have settled their golf ball patent litigation dispute (see this prior post for a little background). The case was getting very close to trial and I was hoping to have the opportunity to report on the trial. Oh well. Unfortunately golfers are likely to never know the terms of the settlement. Heck, golfers can’t even view most of the court documents because majority of the 578 entries were filed under seal, or in redacted form. I just hope that some savvy financial analyst / golfer will watch the financial reporting of the two companies and give golfers some insight into what financial impact, if any, the settlement has on the two companies. You can read the Bridgestone press release here. (I can’t locate an official press release from Acushnet) PS – I owe a special thanks to John Paul Newport of the WSJ for tipping me off to the settlement yesterday.
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As with most swing training devices, I have no idea whether this device would be helpful or hurtful. My skeptical nature tends to make me doubt the credibility of the device, but if there was ever a swing that could use some help… it is mine.
The invention is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20070191129 titled “Golf Swing Training Aid.” The application describes the invention as….
Check out these drawings showing the device in action….
Are you interested in learning more about patent litigation? If so, my colleague Michael Gallagher is presenting an online seminar (aka webinar) tomorrow October 2nd titled “Patent Litigation for the General Litigator.”
The seminar runs from 3 PM-5:15 PM EST tomorrow and you can sign-up here. The program summary is as follows….
Check out this patent… USPN 7252596 titled “Putter Alignment Device.” These figures get the concept across…..Amazing. Would you use this invention?
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Golfers rarely think about the advancements made in golf shoe technology, but boy would we ever if we were forced play a round in the shoes that we wore 20 years ago. I would not want to walk a round in my old leather soled Dexters with metal spikes. A good example of recent golf shoe technology advancements is found in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20070199211 titled “Flexible Foot-Support Structures and Products Containing Such Support Structures.” The application describes the invention as…….
Check out the following figures from the application……
I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed intellectual property strategy. I have been a fan of Jim’s show for close to 10 years and highly recommend it. You may listen to the interview here.
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How large is the market for golf geek products? Now, don’t get me wrong… I like tech toys as much as the next golfer, but I just can’t see myself wearing this product. Check out the product disclosed in the recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20070183262 titled “Golf Watch.” The application describes the invention as “[a] golf watch, which keeps time and allows a player to keep score of a person’s golf game and records the clubs that were used during that game.” Perhaps this product meets the needs of all the golfers that just loved their calculator watches. Wearing this watch would definitely make a statement…
Read moreIs it just a matter of time before we see guys on Tour bending down to stick their nose into 8” long rough and sniff their golf balls to identify them? The inventors of the golf ball described in the recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20070219019 must think so. The application is titled “Odorant Golf Balls.” No kidding! See the PPS below for a full listing of the hundreds of various “odorants” listed in the patent application. Which scent would you choose? I think that I would go with banana nut bread, lemon pound cake, or pina colada. Check out this patent application! I smell a flop.
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A recently issued putter patent caught my attention because I scanned through the drawings and thought “it would be virtually impossible to putt with this putter.” The patent issued on September 4th as USPN 7264557 titled “Golf Putter with Concave Cylindrical or Spherical Striking Surface.” Check out a few of the drawings from this patent…..
What do you think; would this putter make the game easier or more difficult?
Additionally, what is the likelihood that the USGA would find this to be a non-conforming putter?
I would be interested in knowing the total number of double decker driving ranges in the United States. Could there be 100?
That reality did not prevent Si-Myung Kim of Seoul from filing a US patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20070178984 titled “Golf Ball Conveying Apparatus for Use on Driving Ranges.” Perhaps Si-Myung is forecasting a building boom. The patent application describes the invention as… Check out this figure of the invention… Finally, no more having to exhaust yourself by carrying those heavy baskets of balls! (kidding, or course)
In my part of the country golfers rarely buy golf shoes unless they are waterproof. I am sure that this may not be the norm with golfers in Arizona, but would they buy dickies for their golf shoes? The inventors of the device in the recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20070175064 titled “Waterproof Protective Overshoe for Golf Shoes” obviously do believe that golfers will purchase such a product. The patent application describes the invention as… Check out this drawing. Would you wear these on the course?
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Put practicality aside for a minute and think of how much fun a driving range could be if it looked like the one drawn below. The drawing comes from USPN 5439224 titled “Driving Range with Automated Scoring System.” The patent describes the invention as… Check out these additional drawings… How difficult would it be to put UPC’s on golf balls?
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Last week Acushnet was granted an interesting golf ball dimple patent. The patent is USPN 7267624 titled “Golf Ball Dimple Pattern.” Perhaps the most interesting thing about the patent is that the “claims,” the legal scope of the patent, are limited to a 344 dimple ball. As far as I can tell, Acushnet does not sell a 344 dimple golf ball either under the Titleist brand or the Pinnacle brand. Makes you wonder if a 344 dimple golf ball is on the horizon? The abstract of the patent describes the invention as… (figure)…
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Amazing! Who would ever think to put advertisements in the bottom of the cup?
Apparently the inventors of USPN 7266916 did. The following is the description of their invention, as well as a figure….(description… drawing)… What will marketers think of next?…
The Golf-Patents blog has tested your knowledge of driver and wood designs in the past (here, here, here, here, here, and here). Last week a design patent issued on a popular driver. Do you recognize this club?…(figures)… You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D550800 titled “Sole Plate for Golf Club Head,” which issued last week. PS – I like the design of this club so much that I have one in my bag.
Read moreWe have all played behind one of them… the golfer that just refuses to accept that they are not going to find their golf ball. Apparently these golfers that develop an unnatural attachment to their mass-produced golf balls have been around since the advent of the game (no surprise). Let’s take a look at some of the inventions that golfers have come up with to try to prevent that dreaded “lost ball.” One of the earliest inventions directed to a hard-to-lose golf ball is found in USPN 1620290 titled “Signal Ball” was filed in 1925! This “signal ball” includes a radial spring that is wound in a viscous material that causes the spring to slowly unwind while producing a “sharp and penetrating” sound. Check out the figures from the ‘290 patent below and think how that ball would feel when struck with a full-swing. Next…. Next…. Next…. The next great advance in preventing lost-balls is disclosed in USPN 4614340 titled “Smoke Emitting Game Ball,” which I refer to as the flying smoke-bomb (seen below). Fortunately the patent discloses that “[a] wire net between 100 and 10 mesh is interposed between the outer shell and the layer of the smoke emitting material to cover at least the apertures to thereby prevent hot molten mass of the combustion product from spilling out of the apertures.” Isn’t that a relief… you won’t get covered by the hot molten mass of the combustion product…. Next… Next…. Finally, the pinnacle of overly complex golf balls is described in USPN 7207902 titled “Method and Apparatus for Locating and Recording the Position of a Golf Ball During a Golf Game.” Check out the figure below. Isn’t the price of a dozen good golf balls high enough? …. I am going to go out on a limb here and offer $500 for a single golf ball that can tell me when the ball is in the mud, dirt, wet sand, dry sand, dry grass, wet grass, and water based upon the a sensed pressure value (and it must work for at least 9 holes)! ….
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The Golf-Patents blog has profiled some bizarre clubs in the past (just look here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).
None of the previously profiled clubs have anything on the club covered by US design patent D223767 titled “Golf Club Head or the Like.” Check out these figures….(drawings)…. So, is it a driver or a putter? (I am leaning toward a driver…)
Have you ever stood on a beautiful green and wondered whether the grass was patented? I hope not. If so, you need to find other ways to relax. Plant patents are relatively rare creatures. The USPTO website explains:….. I was surprised to learn that only 14 plant patents directed to golf course grasses (meaning the patent specifically mentions golf course applications) have issued since 2001! They include USPN’s PP18005, PP16801, PP14395, PP14130, PP13652, PP13294, PP13105, PP13100, PP13059, PP12910, PP12665, PP12625, PP12084, and PP11781. I encourage you to check a few of them out… especially if you have a green thumb. My personal favorite golf related plant patent is for a plant that is more likely to be found in your backyard than the local golf course. The patent is USPN PP15329 titled “Pittosporum plant named `Golf Ball`.” Check out this photo of the patented “Golf Ball” plant…
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Don’t ever question the amount of R&D brain power that goes into bringing the latest and greatest golf clubs and golf balls to your local pro shop. Just check out recently issued USPN 7254492 titled “Method of Computing Energy Loss Generated in Viscoelastic Material and Method for Evaluating Energy Loss of Golf Ball by Using Method of Computing Energy Loss,” owned by SRI Sports Ltd (Srixon). The patent describes the invention as………. Wow… that is a mouthful (and who uses the word “momently”?). Check out these figures from the patent…
Read moreHow about a little humor to get you through the mid-week blues? The following drawing comes from USPN 6755345 titled “Golf Handicap Smart Card System.” Do you see something that is not quite right? (scroll way down in the post for hints)….(drawing)…. HINT #1….. HINT #2….. HINT #3….. Here is the enlarged view. Rather interesting!
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A golf ball patent recently issued under a title that got my attention… “Hybrid Composite Golf Ball and Method of Manufacturer.” The patent is USPN 7255655, which is assigned to Element 21. Sure, everyone wants that golf ball with the perfect feel… but, have you ever thought to yourself… “self… if only I could selectively mix flakes of varying metal alloys into the cover of my ball I would be able to tune my golf ball for just the right feel?” “Do I feel like my titanium alloys golf balls… perhaps the aluminum alloy ball would be more suited for today’s humid weather… better yet, why don’t I just use my old stand-by, the nickel based alloy golf balls.” I doubt that many people ever considered metal flakes as being the missing ingredient from the perfect golf ball……
Read moreOK, that title may be a little “alarmist.” But you never know… plus it got your attention (although my gut tells me not to worry too much about not being able to purchase a SkyCaddie after October 1st). As you may recall from this prior post, on May 11th GPS Industries and Optimal IP Holdings filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 10 defendants…….. The list of defendants reads like a Who’s Who of the golfing GPS world. The defendants include …. Defendant SkyHawke Technologies is the maker of the Natalie Gulbis endorsed SkyCaddie. It appears that the Plaintiffs have sized-up SkyHawke as the defendant with the deepest pockets, as the Plaintiffs have filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction (the Motion and the Support Brief are reproduced at the end of the post). The Plaintiffs argue that “[i]rreparable harm has resulted from the infringing conduct of Defendant to date and will continue unless Defendant is preliminarily enjoined from further distributing and marketing the Infringing Devices in the United States.”
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So, what is the point of a motion for a preliminary injunction? Generally, the real reason…. After all, there is always the risk that the court will decide to grant the injunction and tell the defendant to pull their products from the market. Now, there are a lot more politically correct reasons to attempt to obtain a preliminary injunction, many of which GPS Industries advanced in their Motion, including: “[p]reliminary injunctive relief serves the public interest by protecting Plaintiffs’ patent rights and upholding the patent laws against Defendant’s deliberate infringement.” The Court has given SkyHawke until October 1st to respond to the Motion and has granted SkyHawke permission to serve the Plaintiffs with a limited set of discovery requests. I encourage you to check out the patent, as well as the selected portions of the filings reproduced below. The filings give the outside observer a look at the nasty side of the golf industry…
As you may recall from a prior post, in early August Callaway filed two patent infringement lawsuits against TaylorMade. Callaway filed one patent infringement complaint in the “rocket docket” Eastern District of Texas alleging that TaylorMade has willfully infringed USPN 5704849 titled “Golf Club Head with Audible Vibration Attenuation.” While Callaway filed the second patent infringement suit in the Southern District of California alleging that TaylorMade has willfully infringed a couple of Callaway’s golf ball patents (USPN’s 6638185 and 7160207), and also alleging that four of TaylorMade’s patents (USPN’s 6547678, 6991558, 7197575, and 6719644) are invalid.
On Tuesday TaylorMade filed their responses in the two cases (reproduced below for your reading enjoyment).
It should be no surprise that TaylorMade responded with counterclaims alleging that Callaway has indeed infringed USPN’s 6547678, 6719644, 6991558, and 7197575, and alleging the unenforceability, invalidity, and/or noninfringement of Callaway’s USPN’s 5704849, 6638185, and 7160207.
OK, we already knew that all those patents would be at issue, but TaylorMade took an additional stab at Callaway and has alleged unenforceability, invalidity, and noninfringement of two additional Callaway patents; namely USPNs 5409229 and 5605511 both titled “Golf Club Head with Audible Vibration Attenuation.”
Looks like this may turn into a huge battle…
It is hard to believe that this club maker has not been previously mentioned in a post. In the past this particular manufacturer did not seem to be big on golf club design patents, however they may be turning over a new leaf… they have had 3 club head design patents issue in the past 5 weeks. The figure below comes from a US golf club iron head design patent that issued on Tuesday to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of irons?….. A few weeks prior the same manufacturer received a design patent on this design…. Can you identify the club maker?
Read moreThe final episode began with 5 finalists… the Club Glider travel bag, the Club Caddie club stand, the ProPlay GPS portable swing video recorder and software, Z-Factor Perfect Putting Machine, and the HillShot Golf uneven lie practice platform. Last week I predicted that the winner would be either the ProPlay GPS portable swing video recorder system or the Club Glider travel bag. So let’s see if I was right…
Back to the competition… the elimination process began. The first invention eliminated was the … What a surprise, I would have bet that … The second invention eliminated was the … Come on… now I am starting to think that the voting is fixed. Is America telling us that the (A) and the (B) are better inventions than (C) and (D)? Please! The third invention eliminated was the … Now this is ridiculous… the best 3 inventions are the first 3 eliminated…What is America thinking? (maybe a joke)…
And the winner is… Absolutely amazing. Mindblowing……
I never thought I would say this, but the show would have been better off with Bill, Stina, and Fulton selecting the winner…
I was fortunate to be a guest on the Saturday September 1st episode of the Tee Time Radio program. CJ, Ryan, and I discussed some of the inventions from The Golf Channel’s “Fore Inventors Only” program. Needless to say, the Tee Time Radio interview was prior to last night’s “Fore Inventors Only” season finale, and my prediction as to which invention would win was a shank. However, I do believe that most golfers would agree that the best invention did not win. Click here to listen…
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Last week Golf-Patents features a post on loft adjustability, therefore I figured that this week a look at lie adjustability was in order. As with loft adjustability, the USPTO conveniently places all the patents directed to lie adjustability in a single class (473/248). I was surprised to find only 77 patents have been assigned to this class since 1790 (some of which I would not consider to be primarily directed to lie adjustability)! The earliest patent directed to lie adjustability is USPN 1535707, which issued in 1925. Check out these drawings from this patent…(figures)… I would not want to hit anything other than a putt with that club! Now, on the opposite end of the spectrum… the most recent patent in this class that I consider directed to lie adjustability is USPN 6857969, which issued to Acushnet on February 22, 2005. The ‘969 patent describes the invention as:…(description)… Check out this figure from the ‘969 patent:…(drawing)… It should be fun watching the “adjustability” explosion. I wonder what clubs will look like, and be capable of, in ten years?
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This week an interesting patent issued for a rather unusual golf product. The patent is USPN 7261639 titled “Golf Club Ring” and describes the invention as:…
Perhaps these drawings illustrate the invention in a more understandable manner…
Yes! That is the answer to the question “did the club manufacturers predict the recently proposed USGA rule changes years in advance?” Well, at least Acushnet and Karsten (PING) did. (see this post for background information). Just this week another PING patent issued related to adjustability. The patent is USPN 7261642 titled “Method for Tuning a Golf Club Head with a Variably Dampened Face.” This patent is related to USPN 7192363 titled “Golf Club Head with a Variably Dampened Face,” which was discussed in detail in this March posting. Frankly, when I reviewed the ‘363 patent back in March I thought it seemed very odd… now it seems virtually genius (maybe not the technology… but the strategy). I suspect that…
Read moreAs you may recall from a prior post, on June 8, 2007 Callaway filed a golf club patent infringement lawsuit alleging that Acushnet has willfully infringed 5 Callaway patents. Then, as discussed in a subsequent post, on July 12, 2007 Acushnet filed their Answer to the Complaint thereby (i) stating that Acushnet does not infringe the Callaway patents and alleging that the Callaway patents are invalid, and (ii) returning the favor by accusing Callaway of infringing two of Acushnet’s patents. Today, Callaway filed their response to Acushnet’s accusations (reproduced at the bottom of the post)… and guess what… Callaway states that they do not infringe the Acushnet patents and allege that the Acushnet patents (7041003 and 6960142) are invalid! Of course… never admit infringement and always assert that the other side’s patents are invalid. Par for the course……. I just hope this doesn’t push the price of drivers beyond the $500 mark!
Read moreA patent on a method of holding a golf club… amazing! Mind blowing, isn’t it? No, not really… there are several patents on methods of holding and swinging golf clubs (usually
putters). For example, this week USPN 7261652 titled “Method of Holding a Putter and Putting a Golf Ball” issued. Check out
these figures from the patent…(figures)…
So how do you describe it in words… easy (kidding), just check out this claim from the patent:…(claim)… To check out other patented methods of swinging a golf club click here, here, here, here, or here, for just a few examples. With these patents in mind… go out in your backyard and make a few of these patented swings and then you will be able to tell your kids how “back in the day” you were a rebel, perhaps even an outlaw, with the way you blatantly infringed patents! (just kidding, I would never encourage or endorse patent infringement) I bet you would never have guessed that you would need a “freedom-to-practice” opinion from a patent lawyer just to try out a new putting stroke! See the PPS for my challenge to the professionals in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings…
The show begins with the following 10 finalists (out of over 1000 inventions):…(list)… Last week the president of GolfSmith was allowed to select one of the inventions for immunity. He selected the Club Glider travel bag to get his pass into the final five. The panel and the inventors then headed back to the studio to select the other 4 inventions that will advance to the next round. The panel, and Jim (the GolfSmith president), quickly ran through the remaining inventions in the following order…(list)… Guess what… Jim loved all of the inventions (in a very politically correct manner). All of the inventors were then brought back into the studio for another elimination. The field of 9 was then narrowed to the following 4 (plus the Club Glider)…(secret list)… What! How on earth did (xxxxxx) make it to the final five? It is… Next, Annika Sorenstam made a celebrity appearance and checked out the final five inventions. She was very polite and told each of the inventors how much she loved their products. Personally, I would have rather watched Charles Barkley try out the inventions… now that would be entertaining… Which invention do I think America will choose to win… either the…
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This week yet another swing training device invention was granted a patent. I can’t tell if it would be helpful, hurtful, or neither. The patent is USPN 7261653 titled “Golf Swing Training Apparatus” and describes the invention as:… Check out this drawing of the device… I bet the great instructors like Harmon and Leadbetter secretly have a few of these in their garage(s)…
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Did you catch this week’s Golf Digest article regarding rumors that the USGA and R&A will be officially adopting a previously proposed rule that would allow for greater club head adjustability? If not, check it out. The article got me thinking about the early innovators of
adjustable golf club heads. There are so many degrees of club head adjustability (loft, lie, shaft length, and on, and on, and on)
that I must limit this post to just one… loft. The USPTO conveniently places all the patents directed to loft
adjustability in a single class (473/245). I was surprised to find only 65 patents have been assigned to this class since 1790! The earliest patent directed to loft adjustability is USPN 569438, which issued in 1896. Check out these drawings from this patent…
Ask most golfers about aerodynamics and they will immediately
start spouting off buzz words pertaining to golf balls… dimples,
drag, lift, etc…
Well, have you ever thought about the aerodynamics of your golf clubs? Fortunately there have been many inventors over the years that have been fixated on the aerodynamics of the golf club head. I would love to interview a golf club design engineer regarding the
significance, or lack thereof, of a golf club head’s aerodynamics.
I suspect that at Tiger’s swing speed it may have minor
significance, but virtually no significance for most golfers… but
that is just a hunch. While the idea makes some sense, if it were a truly great idea then one of the major manufacturers would have been all over it a long time ago. Part 1 of this series focuses on a handful of patents that disclose clubs which aim to channel airflow through the club head in a particular manner. Part 2 of the series will honor those inventors that think… “the only think missing from a golf club head is fins!”… Check out these clubs…
If you love golf history (and have a little extra money) then you may want to drop by NYC on September 27-28 for a huge auction. I refuse to promote the auction house because they make you buy
the auction catalogue just to see what is even up for auction (what kind of business plan is that… who knows, I might have bid on
something if I could actually see what is being auctioned). I will however promote the collection, it is that of Jeff Ellis,
the author of “The Clubmaker’s Art” (the best golf club book
set ever compiled). The collection includes more than 800 items and could easily be the type of collection that only changes hands once every 100 years, so get your checkbooks ready. The announcement in GolfWeek says that the auction will be preceded by an exhibition on September 20-26. That is one exhibition that I would love to attend…
This beauty of a golf club is disclosed in USPN D501,903 titled “Golf Club Head.”…(drawings)… Frankly, I was hoping to find a utility application listing the same inventor so that I could learn what was behind the accordion look. Perhaps, each layer has slightly different material properties for optimum deformation at impact with the ball? Maybe the design creates regions of engineered deformation? Perhaps both… Needless to say, I could not locate a related utility application (or patent), so we will never know the origins of the accordion design…
Read moreThe show is down to the following 10 finalists (out of over 1000
inventions):…(list)… Someone at The Golf Channel decided that watching the inventors refine their sales pitches would make interesting television. WRONG! …
I actually almost fell asleep. No kidding. This segment made me wish I were listening to judge Bill Harmon drone on about how great he is… Next, the finalists made a trip to the Orlando GolfSmith store… OK, at least it is starting to get interesting again… Now the real excitement… narrowing the 10 inventions down to 5! The twist… the president of GolfSmith was allowed to select one of the inventions for immunity. In other words, he got to select one invention to automatically make it into the final 5. So which one did he select… (the answer)…, which I am pretty sure would have made it to the next round anyway (but it is interesting to see which one the GolfSmith president really likes). If I had to choose the 4 additional inventions that would join the (secret) to move on to the final 5 (from the perspective of a GolfSmith salesman)… I would keep…
The “odd club of the week” award goes to the club found in USPN D539,861 titled “Golf Club Head.”…(figures)… While it may look ridiculous, I doubt that I would hit it any worse (or better) than my normal wedge.
Read moreAs you may recall from the post back in April… At that time, the Fifth Circuit reversed a district court’s grant of summary judgment that was originally in favor of Nike, Impact Golf Technologies, and Tom Stites. It looked like they might be in some hot water. The Fifth Circuit remanded the case back to the district court of the Northern District of Texas for further proceedings. Well, last week the district court judge dismissed all the claims, hopefully putting an end to this case. I have reproduced the 75+ page “Final Judgment” and the “Memorandum
Opinion and Order” below (with the good stuff in bold). Basically, the questionable actions and testimony of the Plaintiff Triple Tee Golf cost them a case that could have been worth many many millions of dollars. The Opinion and Order is fascinating reading, primarily because the judge ruthlessly picks apart the actions of the plaintiff. I encourage you to scan this entire post and definitely read the portions that I have bolded. After all, not very many Opinions contain sections titled “Inconsistencies and Implausibilities.”…
Ordinarily I try not to merely link to another website’s
articles, but this is worth it. The London Times recently published
this hysterical list of the world’s oddest laws. Check it out (especially if you are considering driving blindfolded in Alabama, own a fish in Ohio, are an unmarried woman that likes to parachute in Florida, own a concealed weapon that is longer than six feet in Kentucky, or have false teeth and live in Vermont). Enjoy…
The Golf-Patents blog has frequently tested your knowledge of
driver and wood designs in the past (here, here, here, and here). Well, here is another test… Recently a design patent issued on a fairly popular metal wood, however I suspect very few people will be able to identify the manufacturer of this club in light of the patenting strategy that was used. Do you recognize this club?
Can you identify this club? …(figure)… The figure above comes from a design patent that issued at the end of July to a major producer of clubs. While you might be able to
identify the brand… I encourage you to go the manufacturer’s website and try to identify the specific product…
A prior post took a look at shaft related patents that issued in 2006. Needless to say it was a short post (very few shaft patents issued last year). This year is not shaping up to be much more active, but there has been some activity in the past month… Additionally, this week True Temper received its first patent in over 10 months. The True Temper patent that issued Tuesday is USPN 7255652 titled “Lightweight, Durable Golf Club
Shafts.” The patent describes the invention as… OK, that is nice… but it doesn’t really tell you anything about the legal scope of the invention. A quick review of the claims reveals that the patent is directed to…
38 inventions have advanced to the field testing stage… 18 are
field tested in this episode… 8 advance to an odd intermediary
stage… finally, 5 of the 18 are selected to go forward. The end
result… the 10 finalists. First, let’s look at a rundown of the 18
products that were field tested in this episode… After the “field testing,” the panel narrowed this episode’s field to the following 8 inventions… I can’t believe that “…” and the “…” didn’t at least make it to this stage. Next, the panel made a second cut to 5 inventions… I would only purchase one product out of these five…
The Golf-Patents blog has tested your knowledge of iron club
head design in the past. Today, let’s see if you can identify another set of irons. For frequent readers of this blog, I rate the level of difficulty of this one as easy. Good luck….. The figure below comes from a US golf club iron head design patent that recently issued to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of irons?
Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putter designs. If you can identify this one then you are a genius. I did not even know that they had a line of putters. The assignee does not even list any putters on their website and I could not locate this putter design anywhere online. The figure below comes from a US putter design patent that issued last week to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of putter?
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Not a week goes by in which I don’t receive a call from an
inventor that believes that filing a patent application is similar
to completing a driver’s license application (i.e. just a matter of
completing some forms). Such inventors are often disgusted and mad
that preparing a patent application is a lot of work, and therefore
not inexpensive. I frequently direct them to self-help legal books
on patent application drafting and tell them that if they read it
from cover-to-cover at least twice, and follow the directions
step-by-step, then they should be able to draft their own patent
application. This week a patent application published under the title “The Perfect Golf Tee.” The title alone peaked my interest. Unfortunately, the inventor decided to prepare the application himself and it will not result in a patent issuing (in other words he probably would have received more pleasure by flushing the $500 filing fee in cash down the toilet). Experienced inventors know…
You may recall a post from last month regarding Aldila’s first patent in 25 years. Since that post Aldila has had two patent applications publish. It looks like they may be getting more aggressive with their patenting strategy. The first published
application is US Pub. No. 20070173345 titled “Golf Club Shaft and Method of
Producing the Same.” Check out the following figure and description
from this published application……… The second published patent application is US Pub. No. 20070184914 titled “Method for Producing Golf Shafts of Like Flex.” Check out the following figure and description from this published application…
Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putter designs. How good are you at identifying a particular brand of putter when
all the logos and trademarks are stripped off the club head? The
figure below comes from a US putter design patent that issued this
week to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of putter?
Last week a patent issued that just make me scratch my head and mumble… “A what? A golf ball lubricant… not sure that I like the sounds of that.” The patent is USPN 7250009, fittingly titled “Golf Ball Lubricant.” The patent describes the invention as…….
Read moreReaders of the Golf-Patents blog know that Callaway is not afraid of a knockdown drag-out patent infringement lawsuit. In the past few days they have once again demonstrated this… and appear to be making the statement “don’t mess with Callaway… no matter who you are!” First, on Saturday Callaway filed a patent infringement complaint in the “rocket docket” Eastern District of Texas alleging that Taylor Made has willfully infringed USPN 5704849 titled “Golf Club Head with Audible Vibration Attenuation.” Then, on Monday Callaway filed a patent infringement complaint in the Southern District of California alleging that Taylor Made has willfully …
Read moreWhat does 18 PGA Tour victories and over $20 million in PGA earnings get you? The comfort or knowing that even lawyers on the other side of the table can’t legitimately assert that you stink at golf. Congratulations. As I profiled several months ago (see post), on March 7, 2005 Bridgestone Sports Co Ltd sued Acushnet for golf ball patent infringement (1:05-cv-00132-JJF)…….. So what does all this have to do with Nick Price? Apparently Nick is starting yet another career… one as an expert witness for Bridgestone. Guess what… Acushnet is not happy about it, and understandably so… does Nick Price really understand the intricacies of golf ball construction, manufacturing, and patents? Acushnet does not think so. Below I have reproduced an Acushnet filing from the case in which Acushnet is trying to convince the court to exclude the testimony of Nick. I have underlined a few of the entertaining statements (enjoy). This is proof that you must have thick skin if you want to be an expert witness…
Read moreOK, not really. More like a gift that you would receive from your in-laws. Check out this golf invention…(figure)… This figure comes from USPN D525836 titled “Golf Ball Dimple Head and Club Grip Spatula.” Boy, golfers are nuts.
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Crazy… absolutely, but I like it better than the spatula. Check out this golf invention…(figure)… Interesting stuff (and a good illustration of inventors’ fascination with the toilet).
Read moreRemember the beautiful simplicity of a Bulls Eye putter? Now looking at modern mallet putters, do you ever wonder if it is all necessary? How did we ever manage to putt with a Bulls Eye putter… (kidding, of course) Well, two recent putter design patents made me cringe. Looking at them you have to wonder if golfers are such idiots that we really need so much help figuring out where to hit the ball on the face and how to get the face aligned to the hole. Check out these putters….
Read more38 inventions have advanced to the field testing stage… 20 are field tested in this episode… 8 advance to an odd intermediary stage… finally, 5 of the 20 are selected to go forward. Next week the remaining 18 will be field tested. Three former Big Break contestants performed the field tests (and frankly, I liked their evaluations of the inventions better than those of the panel of judges). First, let’s look at a rundown of the 20 products that were field tested in this episode……..
Read moreClub head adjustability is almost as hot as MOI. Has Acushnet seen the future? Well, last week they had a pretty innovative patent issue. Just imagine having the ability to adjust the coefficient of restitution of your club face! Perhaps you really loosen up the face during your practice rounds to gain a few extra yards and carry those fairway bunkers, then turn around the next day and bring it back into USGA conformance for the club championship. It doesn’t sound too realistic, but then again… ten years ago a square driver might not have seemed very realistic. The same …
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There are tons of online resources that do a good job of explaining the concept of golf club swing weights, so I won’t reproduce that information here. One of the best explanations can be reviewed here. Now, taking a look at the patent history of swing weight… back in 1934 R.W. Adams received a patent for the first swing weight scale (which looks remarkably similar to modern swing weight scales). The patent is USPN 1953916 titled “Apparatus for Measuring Moments of Golf Clubs and the Like,” which is an interesting piece of club fitting history. Check out this figure from the patent…(drawing)… All golfers owe R.W. Adams a big “thank you.”
Read moreOK, I had never heard of T-Golf either. Nonetheless, the company appears to have grand aspirations as they have filed a trademark application for “Golf’s Fifth Major.” Check out this list of products and services that the trademark application lists……… Good luck, I hope that we do get an official fifth major, preferably in the middle of winter.
Read moreI was fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss some of the inventions from The Golf Channel’s “Fore Inventors Only” program with the great team at the Tee Time Radio program. Tee Time Radio is hosted by CJ McDaniel, the CEO of Crenshaw Golf and the PGA’s first Director of Marketing, Lisa DePaulo, a member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division and former LPGA Tour pro, and Dan Potter, Texas’ most-listened-to Radio news anchor. Click here to listen…
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The Golf-Patents blog has tested your knowledge of iron club head design many times in the past (here, here, here, here, and here). Today, let’s see if you can identify another set of irons. I rate the level of difficulty of this one as moderate. Good luck. The figure below comes from a US golf club iron head design patent that issued this week to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of irons?…(drawing)… Click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D547409 titled “Iron Golf Club Cavity,” which issued this week…
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Callaway (owner of Odyssey Putters) was recently granted a design patent on a putter grip incorporating the Odyssey logo. The patent is USPN D547406 titled “Golf Club Grip.” Check out this design…(figures)… As you may recall, a few weeks ago Karsten (Ping) received a putter grip design patent for a Ping putter grip design (see this post)… Which grip do you like better?…
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Cheap shot, I know. Sergio is obviously a much better putter (and golfer) than I am. He was just the easy target. Last month a pretty unique putter patent application published as US Pub. No. 20070149306 titled “Golf Clubs.” This figure says it all…(drawing)… I have to admit, I have never seen anything like it and would love to give it a try…
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Recently an interesting patent application published directed to a device that virtually every golfer has touched in the pro shop, yet would never consider purchasing. What could it be? The application published as US Pub. No. 20070158283 titled “…(secret(…” You should recognize the device from this figure..
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Last week a fascinating putter utility patent issued. The design will definitely make you think. The patent is USPN 7244190 titled “Golf Putter,” and the following figures say it all…(figures)… The patent describes the invention as…
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Four months ago I posted a comment on an interesting golf ball design patent. Well, leave it to a golfer to take it to the next level and obtain a design patent on a particular dimple design. This week a Mr. Niwa of Japan was granted USPN D546910 titled “Dimple for a Golf Ball.” Oddly, the patent is not listed to be owned by a golf ball manufacturer. Perhaps this is some hopeful speculation on the part of Mr. Niwa, which might not be a bad idea. Check out these figures from …
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I must admit that I am not a big fan of plastic tees, but a recent design patent illustrates an innovative new way to package and sell them. The patent is USPN D546197 titled “Assembly of Golf Tees with Hanging Hook.” The design looks like a molded assembly that allows the user to break off a tee when needed. Check out this figure…(image)… Not a bad idea…
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Readers of this blog know that I am amazed by the lack of golf shaft related patents, especially in light of the technology that goes into the design and manufacturing of shafts (see this post). This week Aldila was granted their first patent in over 25 years! This is hard to imagine… an industry leading innovative publicly traded company that only has 2 patents. Amazing! They must know how to keep trade secrets. The patent that was granted this week is USPN 7243531 titled “Method and Apparatus for Dynamically Locating Neutral Shaft Plane.” The patent describes the invention as…
Read moreSince Sergio is currently leading the British Open I decided to check out what, if any, US trademarks he owns. During my research I came upon an interesting trademark application. I was not surprised to find a pending trademark application for the mark SERGIO GARCIA directed to golf products and clothing. But something in the application caught my eye… it was filed by Sergio Garcia himself. Odd I thought… would the “real” Sergio Garcia really file his own trademark application? No, of course not. A little further investigation yielded the address of the applicant in Highland, Indiana. While I have no idea where the PGA’s Sergio Garcia resides, I would bet that it is not in Highland, Indiana. I suspect that some guy named Sergio Garcia living in Indiana is thinking he is going to cash-in when the PGA Sergio decides to start a clothing line or introduce his own line of golf products. The agent of the PGA’s Sergio should have insisted that Sergio protect his name years ago! (So, PGA Sergio… if you are looking for a new agent, I would be willing to give it a try)… this is not the first time that someone has tried to obtain rights to the “Sergio Garcia” mark.
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I was surprised to learn that the USGA owns the OPEN trademark in the US for “educational and entertainment services; namely, conducting a golf tournament.” Interestingly there are only 4 distinct live US trademarks associated with the British Open. There are 2 word marks, namely BRITISH OPEN GOLF, and BRITISH OPEN; and two trophy logo US trademarks, seen below… Looks like they need to play catch up! Compare this to the US Open trademark portfolio and the Masters’ trademark portfolio… So why does The Golf Channel keep calling it The Open Championship?
Read moreI can feel the anticipation building… I am fortunate to be a frequent guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show. It is a great program dedicated to helping small businesses succeed. Tomorrow morning at 7:30 EST I will be discussing what I consider to be “The Single Biggest Intellectual Property Mistake of Small Businesses.” You can listen live here (click the “live” button), or you can listen at your convenience here.
Read moreIt looks like “The Donald” has his sights set on a major golf tournament of his own. I recently stumbled upon his trademark application for THE DONALD J. TRUMP WORLD OPEN. Interestingly, he did of course try to register just THE WORLD OPEN, but the application has been abandoned. Interesting stuff… Can you guess how many US trademark applications “The Donald” has filed?…
Read moreGolfers are crazy, inventors are even crazier, and I don’t know what to say about Fulton and Bill! This week’s episode had everything from “real” inventions to ridiculous novelty products, as well as a fair number of questionable decisions on the part of the judges. Now, my breakdown of the inventions…(list)… So what was my favorite invention? Drum roll please… A tie between the…
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The USPTO database contains millions of amazing inventions. One recent example is USPN 7238115 titled “Roadway-Transportable Artificial Golf Practice Green Apparatus.” The patent describes the invention as… Would you buy one of these?
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This week UpLink was granted USPN 7239965 titled “Method and System for Golf Cart Control.” The ‘965 patent is incredibly broad and will undoubtedly be a valuable contribution to the UpLink patent portfolio. The patent describes the invention as… Easy to describe in words, but I am sure it took some computer geniuses to efficiently implement. Check out these figures from the patent… I was amazed the first time that I played a course that implemented this technology. Congratulations UpLink!
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This week a simple collapsible alignment device was granted USPN 7241228 titled “Golf Swing Alignment Device.” The patent describes the invention as… The invention is so simple and convenient that I could see this selling. It would be convenient for the range, as well as for illustrating my poor alignment on those dreaded angled tee boxes.
Read moreAs you may recall from a prior post, on June 8, 2007 Callaway filed a golf club patent infringement lawsuit alleging that Acushnet has willfully infringed 5 Callaway patents. On July 12, 2007 Acushnet filed their Answer to the Complaint. Of course the Answer alleges that Acushnet is not infringing the Callaway patents and alleges that the Callaway patents are invalid, BUT interestingly Acushnet returned the favor and accused Callaway of infringing two of Acushnet’s patents. As you may recall, the Complaint alleges that King Cobra 454 Comp, King Cobra F Speed, King Cobra HS9 F Speed, King Cobra HS9 M Speed, King Cobra LD F Speed, Titleist 905R, Titleist 905S, and Titleist 905T clubs infringe one, or more, of the Callaway patents. The Answer alleges that the Callaway FT-i, FT-5, X-460, X-460 Tour, Big Bertha Fusion FT-3, and Big Bertha 460 clubs infringe one, or more, of the Acushnet patents….. Think there is a fair amount of money at risk in this lawsuit?
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Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putter designs. Well here is a relatively easy one… How good are you at identifying a particular brand of putter when all the logos and trademarks are stripped off the club head? The figure below comes from a US putter design patent that issued this week to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand?…
Read moreThe Golf-Patents blog has tested your knowledge of iron club head design several times in the past. Today, let’s see if you can identify another set of irons. I rate the level of difficulty of this one as moderate. Good luck… The figure below comes from a US golf club iron head design patent that issued Tuesday to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of irons?…
Read moreThe first episode of “Fore Inventors Only” was a success. The show is at least as good as the American Inventor show, and frankly I like it better. OK, so now my review of the inventions… (in the order that they appeared on the show)…So what was my favorite invention? Drum roll please… The invention that I thought was the best was actually not evaluated by the panel; it was in a commercial for the Adidas Power Band shoes. Congratulations Adidas. But seriously, as for the best invention evaluated by the panel… there is no question, it was the… IF the invention is protectable then the inventor could make millions off of it. Now, regarding the panelists… Bill Harmon comes off as an elitist know-it-all and I predict that he will be replaced if the show makes it to a second season. Otherwise, Stina Sternberg and Fulton Allem are great…
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Karsten Manufacturing was recently awarded USPN D545388 titled “Golf Putter Grip,” which is the first golf grip design patent to issue in over 3 months. Check it out…
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Recently Tour Edge has been receiving some pretty positive press on their Exotics line of clubs. Well now they have a design patent on the sole of their Exotics driver to go along with all the hype. Recently Tour Edge was granted USPN D545389 titled “Golf Club Head.”..(figure).. It appears that Tour Edge now has 7 patents. Keep it up!… PS – You have to respect their money back guarantee that purchasers will hit the ball further …
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Wilson was recently granted USPN D545504 titled “Finger Stalls of a Golf Glove.” As you can see from the figures below, the patent protects the star shaped design aimed at ensuring a nice flex of the glove’s finger over the hand’s finger joint. Congratulations Wilson, interesting design patent…
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Last week an interesting utility patent issued on a pretty popular putter design. The patent was USPN 7235021 titled “Golf Putter Head with a Visual Alignment Aid and an Increased Moment of Inertia.” Do you recognize the putter brand?… If you don’t recognize it, order more golf magazines (and click here). This patent is a good illustration of a putter utility patent (as most are putters are protected by design patents, see this post)…
Read moreLast week a patent issued for a golf club rest that left me thinking… are golfers crazy! Check out this invention… The design does let the device nicely hook on a bag and hang, but I don’t see myself purchasing one (and I will buy almost any golf product).
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Will golf shoes and spikes become more expensive? On June 14, 2007 Greenkeepers sued Acushnet and Softspikes for patent infringement of USPN 6530162 titled “Sports Shoe Cleats.” What is this lawsuit all about? Well, basically an angled arrangement of flexible teeth extending from the base of the cleat to enhance lateral stability. Perhaps these figures will help…. This is not the first patent litigation action regarding the ‘162 patent. In fact, Greenkeepers sued Nike and MacNeill Engineering (maker of Champ spikes) back in August of 2004… I suspect that there is a fair amount of money at stake in these cases!…
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Yet another swing plane training device patent issued this week, namely USPN 7238116 titled “Golf Swing Training Apparatus and Method of Using the Same.” A quick look at the patent made me think… this can’t be the first patent for this type of device. In fact, USPN 1567530 titled “Golf Swing Device” was filed in 1924 for a remarkably similar device. Just compare these figures from the two patents and you will recognize that the ‘166 patent is fairly narrow (i.e. limited, or specific)(even without having to review the claims). Can you identify which of these designs is from 1924?…
Read moreOnce again I was honored to be a guest on the Tee Time Radio program, and may be joining them in the future to discuss The Golf Channel’s For Inventors Only show that premiers Tuesday at 10:00 EST. This great golf radio program is hosted by CJ McDaniel, the CEO of Crenshaw Golf and the PGA’s first Director of Marketing, Lisa DePaulo, a member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division and former LPGA Tour pro, and Ryan Terry (filling in for Dan Potter, Texas’ most-listened-to Radio news anchor). Click here to listen.
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We have all seen them. It seems to be the first commercially successful non-conventional green repair tool in decades. Now, not only does GreenFix have a cool product, but they also have a utility patent to back it up. This week a patent issued directed to the unique GreenFix ballmark elimination system. The patent is USPN 7238126 titled “Golf Green Repair Device, Method, and Apparatus.” Check out these figures… A little more innovative than the traditional tool (seen below)…
Read moreRemember the good old days when one bad shot would put a big smile across the cover of your golf ball? A true penalty for a bad swing. Did you know that Acushnet has two patents directed to “healing agents” built into the cover of the ball?… The inventions relate to golf ball materials including at least one polymer and at least one microencapsulated healing agent to improve impact durability. The patent provides a nice explanation of the problem solved by the inventions…
Read moreIf you follow the Golf-Patents blog then you probably realize that I was fascinated by a recent Callaway ball patent. The Callaway invention is directed to internal structures in the ball that divert liquid as the ball spins to control the spin of the ball. The Callaway patent inspired some research into the origins of liquid filled golf balls (and there have been many!). The earliest US disclosure of a liquid filled golf ball is found in USPN 715295 titled “Playing Ball,” which was filed in 1902…
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Isn’t the game hard enough? Well, the inventors of USPN 6691887 titled “Underground Rake Storage Apparatus and Method” must not think so. The ‘877 patent discloses a unique underground storage system and keeps rakes out of the way and nicely presents them when needed. Check out this device… The device looks a little complex (i.e. costly). Interesting idea nonetheless, and I could see the USGA using these devices at big tournaments.
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Very few inventors appreciate how important it is to closely review a patent application before it is filed. After all, an inventor should not want to notice errors for the first time when they are attempting to enforce it against a competitor. The attorney that drafted this patent application tried to educate his clients on the importance of a thorough application review prior to filing, yet something slipped through the cracks. Check out this claim that remained in the application when it was filed. Funny!…
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My wedge struggles have led me to looking at a lot of wedge patents lately. One patent in particular really caught my attention. I have no doubt that the club disclosed in USPN 6224496 titled “Golf Club Head with Removable Head Insert” would produce some incredible spin, but it looks like it would absolutely tear up golf balls. Check out this club!… This patent is assigned to The Spin Doctor Ltd. and it appears that a version of this club is actually available for purchase!…
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Inventors have been trying to develop shank resistant wedges for years. I am sure that everyone has seen the advertisements for F2 Golf’s face forward wedges. Let’s look a few of the early innovators in shank resistant clubs, as well as one design that would seem to promote hosel rockets…
Read moreOver at the Technology and Marketing Law Blog there is an excellent post regarding a lawsuit filed by Vulcan Golf LLC against Google. Eric Goldman does a great job explaining the lawsuit, so I won’t attempt to summarize it myself… It looks like Vulcan Golf is not afraid of a fight!
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