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[Jaebihn]

Mike,

I'm with you. It was your idea and you have the right to protect it. It would be different if someone else came up with VV and you got the patent. That would be different indeed.

To all others,

Because Mike has the patent it will encourage others out there to come up with something else. Some new invention because they don't want to pay royalties etc. Patents were inevitable, even in this growing community. Atleast the little guy got the patent (not saying you're little mike) but its not RJR or Phillip Morris (the ones we worked so hard to get away from.)

How ironic would it be if we worked so hard to get away from the big tobacco companies only to be back in their pockets if they had been granted patents.

By the way mike. I'm working on a patent on an invention my dad and I made. It has nothing to do with ecigs, but do you think its worth paying a lawyer 10k or so or just doing it ourselves? We have 1 year to get this patent done and I don't think we can muster 10k.

 

[BuzzKill]

Mike,

I'm with you. It was your idea and you have the right to protect it. It would be different if someone else came up with VV and you got the patent. That would be different indeed.

To all others,

Because Mike has the patent it will encourage others out there to come up with something else. Some new invention because they don't want to pay royalties etc. Patents were inevitable, even in this growing community. Atleast the little guy got the patent (not saying you're little mike) but its not RJR or Phillip Morris (the ones we worked so hard to get away from.)

How ironic would it be if we worked so hard to get away from the big tobacco companies only to be back in their pockets if they had been granted patents.

By the way mike. I'm working on a patent on an invention my dad and I made. It has nothing to do with ecigs, but do you think its worth paying a lawyer 10k or so or just doing it ourselves? We have 1 year to get this patent done and I don't think we can muster 10k.

Thanks Jaebihn , I appreciate the support , as far as doing your own patent do not do it , in 95% of cases it will get kicked back by the USPTO because of technical stuff ( they like them a certain way ! ) 10K is STEEP ( depends on the product or design ) I would talk to some other patent attorneys .

 

[5cardstud]

Really 10K is pretty steep unless your patenting a replacement for the Shuttle. LOL JK

 

[GMoney]

Thanks Jaebihn , I appreciate the support , as far as doing your own patent do not do it , in 95% of cases it will get kicked back by the USPTO because of technical stuff ( they like them a certain way ! ) 10K is STEEP ( depends on the product or design ) I would talk to some other patent attorneys .

Exactly right, although 10k is pretty normal to file and prosecute a patent for something reasonably simple at a firm in a major city like Boston, for instance. Although, you need someone that knows what they are doing, you can sometimes find someone who has retired from a bigger firm and works outside of a major city that can charge more reasonable rates. It would at least be worth a sit down with a patent attorney who can give you some numbers and some advice(even some very basic info about patentability and your ability to maintain and protect your rights). Although, it is certainly worth trying to find as much relevant prior art yourself before hand.

 

[BuzzKill]

Oh one more thing " DO a PATENT search FIRST !" and have a PRO do it ! you can waste a ton of $$ not doing it and if the lawyer says there is no need RUN ! fast !

 

[5cardstud]

Exactly right, although 10k is pretty normal to file and prosecute a patent for something reasonably simple at a firm in a major city like Boston, for instance. Although, you need someone that knows what they are doing, you can sometimes find someone who has retired from a bigger firm and works outside of a major city that can charge more reasonable rates. It would at least be worth a sit down with a patent attorney who can give you some numbers and some advice(even some very basic info about patentability and your ability to maintain and protect your rights). Although, it is certainly worth trying to find as much relevant prior art yourself before hand.

Of coarse I forgot it was 30 yr. ago I got my patent and I guess prices have changed there too. My bad.

 

[Jaebihn]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the advice. After talking to my dad we are not going to patent it ourselves. We will do some searching and find a good lawyer. Yeah a patent search is a must. I bought a book on how to patent so I could learn a few things about the system but I haven't had a chance to read any of it yet. My wife and I just had our 3rd boy (3 boys total) and there have been many sleepless nights. The good news is Mike's soon-to-be-patented devices help me cope.

BTW mike. The buzz pro is amazing. I got my black #055 yesterday in the mail. I want to get my wife one but she wants to wait until VVPV is released. I sold my old original buzz to my mother-in-law for a steak dinner. I should have held out for the woody buzz... I just saw them on the site : (. Maybe next time. Keep up the great work.

Javan

 

[uzzaperez]

Nothing is going to get pulled. Projects are not going to get dumped. The only thing that will change is PVs that this apply to will be required to pay a small royalty fee and/or have permission to manufacture the device. As in almost every other case of patent on the market design changes will happen to get around that in one way or the other.

The dream of a free ecig market was just that....a dream. Ultimately this is a market that will become VERY competitive now that we are on the way to legal and regulated products. Big tobacco will be along shortly sucking up every patent there is because noone else has. You can BET that they will enforce them with a army of lawyers and push everyone out.

Everyone needs to realize Mike is not trying to corner the ecig market or put anyone out of business. He is playing it smart and locking his place in the market. I can promise you that other vendors will follow suit very soon. If they dont, when the big corporations move in, they will.

Just wanted to quote this because, while I'm all for competition, and the patent system indisputably has a lot of problems and is overly protectionist and frequently abused, Ruppy speaks the truth - the patents are going to happen and impersonal corporations are going to gobble them up. I don't understand anyone who doesn't think the original innovators deserve the financial rewards for their efforts and creativity.

Even if the idea of the patent leaves a bad taste in your mouth, there's a reality out there to consider and notcigs is doing what they've gotta do.

 

[5cardstud]

I think the only people that have a bad taste in their moths are the ones who want something for nothing. If you research, plan, design, manufacture, and retail a product you should have it be yours. I know if I come out with a Corvette tomorrow GM as well as the people that love Corvettes are going to be all over my behind. It's copycats and piraters that make patents necessary.

 

[Rosco]

Just wanted to quote this because, while I'm all for competition, and the patent system indisputably has a lot of problems and is overly protectionist and frequently abused, Ruppy speaks the truth - the patents are going to happen and impersonal corporations are going to gobble them up. I don't understand anyone who doesn't think the original innovators deserve the financial rewards for their efforts and creativity.

Even if the idea of the patent leaves a bad taste in your mouth, there's a reality out there to consider and notcigs is doing what they've gotta do.

What leaves a bad taste in my mouth are those snivelling little crybabies who want something for nothing, which means you're probably outnumbered - cuz there's always more of them.

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

I think the only people that have a bad taste in their moths are the ones who want something for nothing. If you research, plan, design, manufacture, and retail a product you should have it be yours. I know if I come out with a Corvette tomorrow GM as well as the people that love Corvettes are going to be all over my behind. It's copycats and piraters that make patents necessary.

Right. But it varies with the circumstances.

In a cottage e-cigarette industry, the lightbulb that shines in Mike's mind is intellectual property, worthy of protection.

On the other hand, my eyes shed no tears for obscene profits lost by big pharma when their drugs--sold at prices so obscenely high their users can't afford health--are copied by generic manufacturers.

 

[Paddrino]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with protecting your interests. I would be perfectly content if some goof ball made a knock off piece of junk and said they were selling a legit buzz were to be served a cease and desist letter.

If you use your rights to sue every manufacture of PVs then I would be a little upset.

If you start suing people who modify your mod I would be upset unless they were reselling it for profit.

If you start charging 1,000.00 for your PV I wouldn't buy your mod and not be upset at all

 

[BuzzKill]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with protecting your interests. I would be perfectly content if some goof ball made a knock off piece of junk and said they were selling a legit buzz were to be served a cease and desist letter.

If you use your rights to sue every manufacture of PVs then I would be a little upset.

If you start suing people who modify your mod I would be upset unless they were reselling it for profit.

If you start charging 1,000.00 for your PV I wouldn't buy your mod and not be upset at all

We have NO intention of stopping modders , in fact I will help them IF they do it for themself ! . Modifiying MY mod istotally different as long as they are not reselling it for profit.

NO way I would charge that much , In fact we have ALWAYS been one of the lowest priced VV pv's out there ! and will continue that trend.

 

[uzzaperez]

Right. But it varies with the circumstances.

In a cottage e-cigarette industry, the lightbulb that shines in Mike's mind is intellectual property, worthy of protection.

On the other hand, my eyes shed no tears for obscene profits lost by big pharma when their drugs--sold at prices so obscenely high their users can't afford health--are copied by generic manufacturers.

Yeah, pharma is one of the big abusers that gets people all upset with the patent system. Take generic albuterol inhalers for example - the albuterol inhaler patent was set to expire a couple years ago but when CFC's were phased out the propellant changed - the drug didn't change, the new propellant wasn't anything new, but new patents were filed and granted and now no generics are expected for another 5+ years or whatever.

Anyway, patents are necessary and important but their ever-extending durations are getting excessive to the point where there is often a detrimental impact on progress that comes right along with the encouragement and advancement of progress that is afforded by limited protection.

 

[kellie]

Congratz Mike!!!!!! You should protect your designs.

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

I notice there's a Chinese invasion, a VV (sort of) eGo: GotVapes eGo 650mah Variable Voltage 3 Stage 510 Battery Kit [gv-egoVariableBATTERY-510KIT] - $64.95 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more

Not continuously variable—more like selectable fixed voltages (3.2, 3.7 & 4.2V) a la the FistPack, that you select by an interminable series of fire-button pressings, a la the ProVari

Does this count? If so, what could be done, insofar as the infringers are on the other side of the Pacific?

 

[BuzzKill]

I notice there's a Chinese invasion, a VV (sort of) eGo: GotVapes eGo 650mah Variable Voltage 3 Stage 510 Battery Kit [gv-egoVariableBATTERY-510KIT] - $64.95 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more

Not continuously variable—more like selectable fixed voltages (3.2, 3.7 & 4.2V) a la the FistPack, that you select by an interminable series of fire-button pressings, a la the ProVari

Does this count? If so, what could be done, insofar as the infringers are on the other side of the Pacific?

Not a damn thing can be done in that case PI , they will send them over no matter what.

 

[5cardstud]

I've never bought a product from Gotvapes that was any good so I made a pact to never buy anything from them again.

 

[Ravenscroft]

Sounds wise 5 Card.

RC