Re: Ball Lightning (and patent violations)

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Mddeming-at-aol-dot-com>

Hi All, 

This applies to the BL devices discussed and also to certain "enhancements" to
Tesla Coils, so it's still OT. 

Snip - - - - 
In a message dated 10/10/01 10:49:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
writes: 


>
>    For anyone interested in BL generation, the apparatus Koloc uses to 
> generate ball lightning is not too 
> sophisticated for the talented amateur, and probably can be reproduced, but 
> his methods are heavily 
> protected by patents.  Any efforts to reproduce his experiments using his 
> methods may be under the 
> jurisdiction of patent law and/or his approval.  He is highly concerned 
> about safety issues 
> (understandably) and is unwilling to grant patent licenses to amateurs. 


Snip - - - - 

I spoke to an attorney friend of mine about this. 
The existence of a patent DOES NOT restrict anyone from copying a design or
method per se. It only prevents you from copying it for profit or using it to
create something from which you profit. 

Example: Widget35 is patented by Joe Schmoe. 
1. If you build a Widget35 for your own fun, No problem. 
2. If you try to build and sell Widget35s, BIG problem! 
3. If you build a Widget35 and use it to make Thing12s which you sell, Big
Problem! 
4. If you win a science fair for building a Widget35, Big fraud problem! 
5. If, using your home-built Widget35, you discover something with it that wins
you a Nobel prize, you may get the honor, but J. Schmoe and his attorneys sue
you for the cash part of the prize ($900K +). 
6. You publish the results of your research with your Widget35 and the book
becomes a best seller, J. Schmoe and his attorneys sue you for the royalties. 
7. You build a Widget35 to the specifications of the patent and it does NOT
work. You are paid for the publishing of your negative results - Your attorney
and his attorney duel with each other until you both go broke, then they
retire. ;-)) 

Hope this helps some, 

Matt D. 
G3-1085