Read today (although it was published April 22nd) news of the UK Patent Office's forthcoming 'transformation' designed to project it into a digital age. I've been among its principal customers for over four decades, during which I've filed literally hundreds of specifications. These have been like spermatozoa, with only occasional issue.
Here's a half-dozen I can remember filing along the way, in some cases years before they would see the light of day, although sadly at the hands of others. Recall an advert for Arthur Andersen (since ironically sunk by scandal) saying if you do nothing about it, then someone else will):
(1) dual-clutch gear-box (anticipated in France, 1939)
(2) networked door-bell (billion-dollar Ring, anyone?)
(3) wearable aeroplane (Jetman, but before the jet)
(4) photos on TV instead of paper (Kodak, as maybe)
(5) leaning tricycle scooter (Piaggio, or BMW?)
(6) 4-way propulsion for dirigible (Piasecki, sans helis)
Regards aeroplane and leanable scooter, the cognoscenti declared "the geometry is all wrong" but turns out it wasn't. By and large, patent any idea and you'll be met with (i) it won't work, else (ii) there's no market or especially (iii) complete indifference. After all most of us get up wondering how we'll pay the bills and not how we'll get to Mars.
But I was one of less than half-a-dozen who participated in the UK IPO's recent push to reform itself, conducted by one of the 'big six' consultancies and they might ~ just might ~ have been acting upon one of my suggestions that they consolidate all of an individuals IP in the one place. Could be my best invention yet? Besides, they paid me £40 in supermarket vouchers for my trouble, which is more than my patents have ever produced.
I still file specifications in an age when even 'unicorns' don't feel a need to, and that's because they date back four hundred years and I don't date back much less myself.
More on how I plan to license what I've learned of eVTOL tomorrow, and henceforth.
