Do the major players in the golf industry value their intellectual property? You bet! Just take a look at Bridgestone Sports (who doesn’t own a large portion of the market in the US).

Last week Bridgestone had one golf ball patent issue, one golf ball patent application publish, and eight golf club patent applications publish! That is a major investment in their US patent portfolio, which includes approximately 567 US patents that have issued in the past 20 years. It is hard to imagine a company would continue expanding its US patent portfolio at this pace if it was not a smart strategic business decision.

Check out the patent and published applications:

1) USPN 7226367 titled “Golf Ball”

2) US Pub. No. 20070129174 titled “Solid Golf Ball”

3) US Pub. No. 20070129160 titled “Golf Club Head”

4) US Pub. No. 20070129161 titled “Golf Club Head”

5) US Pub. No. 20070129164 titled “Golf Club Head”

6) US Pub. No. 20070129165 titled “Golf Club Head”

7) US Pub. No. 20070129166 titled “Golf Club Head”

8) US Pub. No. 20070129167 titled “Golf Club Head”

9) US Pub. No. 20070129168 titled “Golf Club Head”

10) US Pub. No. 20070129169 titled “Golf Club Head”

The golf club head applications include designs directed to methods to mount weights internally in the club head, vibration damping viscoelastic bodies, and specific crown and sole construction features. Some pretty interesting stuff. Congratulations Bridgestone.

David Dawsey - Keeping an Eye on the Intellectual Property of the Golf Industry