Here's all you ever wanted to know about provisional patent applications:

Provisional Patent Application is a part of §111 of US Patent Law. When you are not ready to have a patent attorney process your invention data into an application, but you are pressed by other factors to get some kind of legal footing, then the provisional filing is your option. A provisional application is a simple, inexpensive patent application ($110 for a small entity as of today) that will not be examined. Claim language in a provisional application is NOT required by USPTO, but it is recommended by other offices -a precautionary measure in case of an unforeseen litigation. The greatest advantage in filing a provisional is the right to claim an invention's priority date, and the status of a PATENT PENDING.

I get a shvoong for high tech spectacles

Dealing with intellectual property, and especially with aerospace technology, I am so used to exotic metal technology that I realize my life is least involved with titanium. Now I have to face the reality of having to wear glasses, and might as well have the ones made of titanium. The metal is unique for having a memory structure. The shape it was formed or stamped into a final product would always be the form it will return to, regardless of how bent. I launched a pedantic, rocket-science-like search for a pair of specs. I found several at Zenni Optical's Holiday frames. The one I picked is this one: It is a 3739 Pure Titanium Half Rim Frame, with 1.56 index lens weighing only 21 grams, which impresses me as quite durable, all for only $39.95. All that is needed is a current eyeglass prescription. The procedure has been made very simple, I would have to copy from my prescription the standard data such as OD/OS, the Sph (focal plane), Cyl and Axis data regarding astigmatism, any additional data, whether the glasses are single vision distance glasses, or single vision reading lens, the Pupillary Distance, and the Prescription and Lens Type. I see that the Holiday Frames page has tons of frames to pick from. Plastic or Acetate, Stainless Steel, Memory Titanium, Acetate or Mixed Material, Sunshade Models, Pure Titanium, Aluminum Alloy, Rimless, Variable Dimension Frames, Children's Frames, Leading Edge Designs, Women's Fashion Frames with sparkling crystals, or argyle, or stained glass pattern, Men's Classic Goggles, what have you. I think these site has started a pro-customer revolution.

Claim Language is from Mars, 1

We never say "a hot pot for placing on said magical pad". "Placing" is a very vague verb. It has become to be used as a noun, wherein the patent has no use for such a noun, i. e., a step of placing. Therefore, these formulaic norms are used: X is for disposing on/juxtaposing with Y = X for placing on Y this norm hold true for temporarily, or intermittently placing of X on Y However, when X is placed and affixed on Y permanently during manufacture, for example, then the formulaic norm is: X is disposed on Y=X is part of B

British Debt Calculator may save us from the financial crisis

Considering the latest financial crisis, the personal finances bode ill for most of the average public. I know people who are still relying on revolving their credit card debt, skimming pathetic grand or two through mortgage refinancing (lucky few), and performing incredible juggling acts with the seemingly straightforward debit cards. What I see and cannot help, since I am into patent law, is that sooner or later, the credit partying comes to an end. The debt owed gets handed over to a chain of financial companies, who start loading up the debtor's answering machine. Some of the debt gets bought by a packaged collection companies, who pretend to be the law, and demand that you start using their payment coupons, and then, through a carrot and stick tactic, manage to dangle an offer for a debtors' credit card. Soon the point of sale terminals start declining debit cards, personal checks, and the cold hard reality starts to kick in. Debt Advice sites, like cleardebt.co.uk, provides hope as well as incredible avenues of action for anyone burdened with debt in UK, and loads of interesting solutions for those in other countries, especially in USA. Many people here in US do not suspect that they can hammer out an IVA-type of agreement (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) with a collection department of any company. Letter Of Apology, Court Order, Freezing Interim Judgement they all can be studied in detail and with step by step advice, all laid out in front of you, can forestall the most uncomfortable events in one's financial life. Their Debt Repayment Calculator is sheer fun.

Avoid Lamborghini at all cost

Beware of making claim which is dependent on a component, workpiece or a system that is necessarily located outside the US (i. e. its national boundary) as it may limit infringement: it would make very easy for a US party to actually avoid using this foreign component and exploit your patent to the fullest, unpunished. Preferably claim this type from perspective of US component. Thus if you are have a patent being written on a system that uses a Lamborghini car (to test motor oil, tire endurance, or moonshine gasohol, better avoid claiming the use of this particular car, and instead, claim a car powered by an engine having at least 6 cylinders, having aerodynamic outer dimensions generally patterned after modernistic perceptions of Italian Renaissance, and capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 2 seconds.

This is the way to get ready for the Superbowl Sunday

For someone who likes winters sports there seems to be nothing that could mar a nice weekend of outdoor fun. But it happens, a lot, here in the Midwest, with frequent power outages due to ice storms, fallen branches, an odd thunderstorm or just the old infrastructure crumbling and rusting. I visited my friend Vidal, and found that he has a high tech power management built into his house that is based around his own diesel Power Generator sitting inside an inconspicuous shed in his backyard. The power system is also coupled to a power line carrier digital system, which is better than Bluetooth and WiFi, and works when the electric company supply is down. O looked into it and realized that as far as my knowledge of things electrical, I can have a power generator installed by a qualified professional, and I can take it from there. I think I would choose one of Natural Gas Generators , since it running around the town looking for Diesel is to tally unknown for me. I would need a plentiful supply, since sometimes outages last for at least 4-6 hours, and I would go for a generator that would support all of my house appliances, including the gas-fired furnace and two fridges. I also understand power transmission well enough to appreciate and recommend strongly that a gas generator be always used with a Generator Transfer Switch , which deals with the often ignored topic of the switching process. How would the switchover happen? It should not cause a destruction of the appliances that have to be powered. Once the electrical company is working on restoring power, the generator should be isolated from the rest of the grid so as not to shock the company employees working on power lines that they assume are not live. I think my house of 2500 square feet would need at least a 150 amp switch and a 60 kW generator (www.gencentral.com) - sounds industrial, however, why not err on the safe side?

WORKING AT THE IBM VS. WORKING AT PTO

On the Kappos bit, however - granted that the past behavior is that of a quisling, could there not be a scintilla of benefit to bringing in the management style of IBM? Regardless of IBM's manipulating the (Patent) system to their own ends, IBM has had one of the most ruthless, effective and fair management styles. At least it did have, in earlier times (which was pre-PC and women executives, when it was mandatory to wear dark suits, ties and laundered shirts - professionally laundered, not in the home washer). This discipline, which surpassed the military of then (and assuredly the military of now, that permits work clothes and tiger suits off-base and battle-rank is worn openly) was the epitome of equality in the one most important aspect: The higher one rose in IBM, the tougher it got. A single grievance by client or employee resulted in immediate reallocation of your resources until a hearing was held. If you were exonerated, the employee was terminated and you were free to pick up the pieces. At the PTO, the situation is ack-basswards: The main pressure is put on the lower ranks, with the incentive to rise being exponential increases in pay and bonuses with far, far less responsibilities - not to mention the relief from escaping the production system used as a cattle-prod on examiners. A common refrain of managers is that they are "constrained" by HR and OPM (from doing their jobs). On more than one occasion, I have been told that an examiner cannot be reassigned because the person is of a protected persuasion and a) the manager/supervisor/director fears scrutiny, or b) the manager/supervisor/director is being already scrutinized or c) the employee has a civil rights appeal pending. In short, the unprotected lower class is overworked and under-supervised, the "protected" lower class is under-worked and under-supervised, the middle management is overpaid, underworked and inexperienced. While the customers - the US Citizens and the Country - are abused and neglected. So, bring in a lackey of IBM. Perhaps some of the discipline from the old school will rub off. It might sound tough, but it was a hell of a lot easier to work in a system where your supervisor was paid twice your salary - because they worked twice as hard - rather than the upside-down world of today's PTO.

Patents, The $50 Billion Fraud and Globalism

Business Week columnist Michael Mandel has an excellent article just published about how the last ten years of American and global finance was built much on lies. The article is at: "Madoff and the Global Economy: The world was told the U.S. was a low-risk, high-return investment. But like the Wall Street trader's victims, we are learning the truth." The article is at: www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/dec2008/db20081214_802212.htm Why was the U.S. not a low-risk, high return investment economy? "First, the U.S. economy was supposed to be on the cutting edge of innovation. Innovation through technological change, by nature, is a very risky activity. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't. If the investment in innovation pays off, the economy booms, as it did during the second half of the 1990s. But innovation has fallen short in recent years. Biotech and nanotech still have not come to fruition, and alternative energy is moving slowly. As a result, the U.S. economy as fallen short of expectations. The income isn't there, and the debt just piles up." Important to this is the ability for investors, domestic and foreign, to be able to recognize real innovation. While real innovation is measured much by commercial success (a reason the secondary factors of Graham should be the primary factors), one measure of real innovation is the association of the innovation with a quality patent, a vital role of the Patent Office in the national economy. The patent indicates that the inventor thinks there is enough commercial potential to more than cover the costs of patent prosecution and litigation (a useful sign to an investor). A high quality patent lessens the risk of the litigation on the side of the inventor (which is why large companies like IBM encourage the PTO to issue tons of crappy patents - it hurts IBM's competitors more than it hurts IBM). High quality patents help minimize the risk for investors in investing in recent innovation. (And to correct Michael, there wasn't much real innovation in the second half of the 1990s, if you look at those patents. The Internet bubble was driven as much by the arbitraging of personal information about consumers and their spending habits, as opposed any great advances in computing technology). But that association (innovation and quality patent) simply isn't happening. I ask, when the average patent issues, can the average investor really say that the patent is novel, unobvious and fully enabled? No, they can't. Sure many patents do have reasonable quality, but many don't - enough of a parity that without paying a lot of money for a validity opinion, the average investor has to guess which patent is high quality. PTO management's solution: reject everything, which while killing the crap, also kills patents that protect real innovation. For this reason alone, much of current PTO mismanagement has to be swept out by the next PTO Director. And that the PTO Board of Appeals has to distort engineering principles to help PTO management reject everything is reason enough for the next PTO Director to do a sweeping overhaul of the Board. Small companies with real innovation are being hurt in two big ways. First, they are running out of money in this economic climate to pay to fight idiotic rejections and other games being played with appeals. They are being forced to abandon their patent applications. Second, assume they survive an increasingly expensive examination process while doing what it takes to obtain a high quality patent (starting with good searching), their quality patent gets lost in the noise of all of the crappy patents being issued, in most cases, to big companies such as IBM that flood the PTO with uninnovative patent applications. So if all of the politicians in this country, starting with President Obama, really believe their mindless chanting about how technology and innovation is going to save the U.S. economy, they better start paying attention to the incompetence and corruption at one of the chokepoints in innovation commercialization - at the Patent Office. As one of the worst PTO Directors in recent times, Bruce Lehman (so horrible of a PTO Director that Congress passed a law requiring the PTO Director to be competent in patent and trademark law, which Lehman wasn't) once said: "Issused patents should be checks in the banks, not licenses to sue." Checks in the bank, as in the issuance of a high quality patent should lead to investment dollars for those patentees seeking such support. A high quality issued patent is an information signal to the investment markets. It should be relatively easy for investors to detect such signals. But right now, the signal/noise ratio is too high. Because of incompetent PTO management. Which betrays the investing public. This country can't afford to play politics with the appointment of the next PTO director - no legislative aides, no academics, and no one whose experience is at companies that have undermined the patent system. Also, someone suggested to me that the next PTO Director must be someone who publicly opposed the continuation rules package, and/or publicly opposed the PTO in Bilski.

Recommended reading (Part 2) in all fields of interest

This is part 2 of the recommended list I scanned from a book. Excellent reading, great cure for mouse potato lifestyle. THE HERBAL OR GENERAL HISTORY OF PLANTS, John Gerard. Classic descriptions of about 2,850 plants-with over 2,700 illustrations-includes Latin and English names, physical descriptions, varieties, time and place of growth, more. 2,706 illustrations. 1,678pp. DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ, L. Frank Baum. Dorothy and the Wizard visit the center of the Earth, where people are vegetables, glass houses grow and Oz characters reappear. Classic sequel to Wizard of Oz. 256pp. SONGS OF EXPERIENCE: Facsimile Reproduction with 26 Plates in Full Color, William Blake. This facsimile of Blake's original "Illuminated Book" reproduces 26 full-color plates from a rare 1826 edition. Includes "The Tyger," "London," "Holy Thursday," and other immortal poems. 26 color plates. Printed text of poems. 48pp SONGS OF INNOCENCE, William Blake. The first and most popular of Blake's famous "Illuminated Books," in a facsimile edition reproducing all 31 brightly colored plates. Additional printed text of each poem. 64pp. PRECIOUS STONES, Max Bauer. Classic, thorough study of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, garnets, etc.: physical character, occurrence, properties, use, similar topics. 20 plates, 8 in color. 94 figures. 659pp. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF VICTORIAN NEEDLEWORK, S. F. A. Caulfeild and Blanche Saward. Full, precise descriptions of stitches, techniques for dozens of needlecrafts-most exhaustive reference of its kind. Over 800 figures. Total of 679pp Two volumes. THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ, L. Frank Baum. Second Oz book, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are back with hero named Tip, Oz magic. 136 illustrations. 287pp. WILD FOWL DECOYS, Joel Barber. Basic book on the subject, by foremost authority and collector. Reveals history of decoy making and rigging, place in American culture, different kinds of decoys, how to make them, and how to use them. 140 plates. 156pp HISTORY OF LACE, Mrs. Bury Palliser. Definitive, profusely illustrated chronicle of lace from earliest times to late 19th century. Laces of Italy, Greece, England, France, Belgium, etc. Landmark of needlework scholarship. 266 illustrations. ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO SHAKER FURNITURE, Robert Meader. All furniture and appurtenances, with much on unknown local styles. 235 photos. 146pp. WHALE SHIPS AND WHALING: A Pictorial Survey, George Francis Dow. Over 200 vintage engravings, drawings, photographs of barks, brigs, cutters, other vessels. Also harpoons, lances, whaling guns, many other artifacts. Comprehensive text by foremost authority. 207 black-and-white illustrations. 288pp. THE BERTRAMS, Anthony Trollope. Powerful portrayal of blind self-will and thwarted ambition includes one of Trollope's most heartrending love stories. 497pp. ADVENTURES WITH A HAND LENS, Richard Headstrom. Clearly written guide to observing and studying flowers and grasses, fish scales, moth and insect wings, egg cases, buds, feathers, seeds, leaf scars, moss, molds, ferns, common crystals, etc.-all with an ordinary, inexpensive magnifying glass. 209 exact line drawings aid in your discoveries. 220pp. RODIN ON ART AND ARTISTS, Auguste Rodin. Great sculptor's candid, wide-ranging comments on meaning of art; great artists; relation of sculpture to poetry, painting, music; philosophy of life, more. 76 superb black-and-white illustrations of Rodin's sculpture, drawings and prints. 119pp. FIFTY CLASSIC FRENCH FILMS, 1912-1982: A Pictorial Record, Anthony Slide. Memorable stills from Grand Illusion, Beauty and the Beast, Hiroshima, Mon Amour, many more. Credits, plot synopses, reviews, etc. 160pp. THE PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY, William James. Famous long course complete, unabridged. Stream of thought, time perception, memory, experimental methods; great work decades ahead of its time. 94 figures. 1,391pp. BODIES IN A BOOKSHOP, R. T. Campbell. Challenging mystery of blackmail and murder with ingenious plot and superbly drawn characters. In the best tradition of British suspense fiction. 192pp. CALLAS: PORTRAIT OF A PRIMA DONNA, George Jellinek. Renowned commentator on the musical scene chronicles incredible career and life of the most controversial, fascinating, influential operatic personality of our time. 64 black and-white photographs. 416pp. GEOMETRY, RELATIVITY AND THE FOURTH DIMENSION, Rudolph Rucker. Exposition of fourth dimension, concepts of relativity as Flatland characters continue adventures. Popular, easily followed yet accurate, profound. 141 illustrations. 133pp. HOUSEHOLD STORIES BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM, with pictures by Walter Crane. 53 classic stories-Rumpelstiltskin, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, the Fisherman and his Wife, Snow White, Tom Thumb, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and so much more-lavishly illustrated with original 19th century drawings. 114 illustrations. 269pp. SUNDIALS, Albert Waugh. Far and away the best, most thorough coverage of ideas, mathematics concerned, types, construction, adjusting anywhere. Over 100 illustrations. 230pp. PICTURE HISTORY OF THE NORMANDIE: With 190 Illustrations, Frank O. Braynard. Full story of legendary French ocean liner: Art Deco interiors, design innovations, furnishings, celebrities, maiden voyage, tragic fire, much more. Extensive text. 144pp. THE FIRST AMERICAN COOKBOOK: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796, Amelia Simmons. Facsimile of the first American-written cookbook published in the United States contains authentic recipes for colonial favorites pumpkin pudding, winter squash pudding, spruce beer, Indian slapjacks, and more. Introductory Essay and Glossary of colonial cooking terms. 80pp. 101 PUZZLES IN THOUGHT AND LOGIC, C. R. Wylie, Jr. Solve murders and robberies, find out which fishermen are liars, how a blind man could possibly identify a color-purely by your own reasoning 107pp. THE BOOK OF WORLD-FAMOUS MUSIC-CLASSICAL, POPULAR AND FOLK, James J. Fuld. Revised and enlarged republication of landmark work in musico-bibliography. Full information about nearly 1,000 songs and compositions including first lines of music and lyrics. New supplement. Index. 800pp. ANTHROPOLOGY AND MODERN LIFE, Franz Boas. Great anthropologist's classic treatise on race and culture. Introduction by Ruth Bunzel. Only inexpensive paperback edition. 255pp. THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT, Beatrix Potter. The inimitable Peter's terrifying adventure in Mr. McGregor's garden, with all 27 wonderful, full-color Potter illustrations. 55pp. THREE PROPHETIC SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS, H. G. Wells. When the Sleeper Wakes, A Story of the Days to Come and The Time Machine (full version). 335pp. APICIUS COOKERY AND DINING IN IMPERIAL ROME, edited and translated by Joseph Dommers Vehling. Oldest known cookbook in existence offers readers a clear picture of what foods Romans ate, how they prepared them, etc. 49 illustrations. 301pp. SHAKESPEARE LEXICON AND QUOTATION DICTIONARY, Alexander Schmidt. Full definitions, locations, shades of meaning of every word in plays and poems. More than 50,000 exact quotations. 1,485pp. THE WORLD'S GREAT SPEECHES, edited by Lewis Copeland and Lawrence W. Lamm. Vast collection of 278 speeches from Greeks to 1970. Powerful and effective models; unique look at history. 842pp. THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK, Andrew Lang. The first, most famous collection, with many familiar tales: Little Red Riding Hood, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin; 37 in all. 138 illustrations. 390pp. THE STORY OF THE CHAMPIONS OF THE ROUND TABLE, Howard Pyle. Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram and Sir Percival in spirited adventures of love and triumph retold in Pyle's inimitable style. 50 drawings, 31 full-page. xviii + 329pp. AUDUBON AND HIS JOURNALS, Maria Audubon. Unmatched two-volume portrait of the great artist, naturalist and author contains his journals, an excellent biography by his granddaughter, expert annotations by the noted ornithologist, Dr. Elliott Coues, and 37 superb illustrations. Total of 1,200pp. GREAT DINOSAUR HUNTERS AND THEIR DISCOVERIES, Edwin H. Colbert. Fascinating, lavishly illustrated chronicle of dinosaur research, 1820's to 1960. Achievements of Cope, Marsh, Brown, Buckland, Mantell, Huxley, many others. 384pp. THE TASTEMAKERS, Russell Lynes. Informal, illustrated social history of American taste 1850's-1950's. First popularized categories Highbrow, Lowbrow, Middlebrow. 129 illustrations. New (1979) afterword. 384pp. DOUBLE CROSS PURPOSES, Ronald A. Knox. A treasure hunt in the Scottish Highlands, an old map, unidentified corpse, surprise discoveries keep reader guessing in this cleverly intricate tale of financial skullduggery. 2 black-and-white maps. 320pp. AUTHENTIC VICTORIAN DECORATION AND ORNAMENTATION IN FULL COLOR: 46 Plates from "Studies in Design," Christopher Dresser. Superb full-color lithographs reproduced from rare original portfolio of a major Victorian designer. 48pp. PRIMITIVE ART, Franz Boas. Remains the best text ever prepared on subject, thoroughly discussing Indian, African, Asian, Australian, and, especially, Northern American primitive art. Over 950 illustrations show ceramics, masks, totem poles, weapons, textiles, paintings, much more. 376pp.

Beyond Angry Snails

I have been thinking of supercharging my 1992 Chevy Caprice, which is in mint condition and sitting in my parents' garage. I remember that I always wanted a pair of angry snails turbo-whining under the hood of a car that really deserved them. But now I am still harboring dreams from the days when as a part of a Ford customer program, I have test driven Thunderbird SC, a supercharged sport coupe, and was relatively free of worries and the necessary science that turbocharger requires. I think my Chevy can be souped up with a Buick or Pontiac supercharger. The car really asks for it. In addition to a Dural straight flow radiator, I have installed oil and trans fluid coolers with thermostats which have semi auto option, for those oil-frying traffic jams during Midwest summers.They are working fine. I have also installed peroxide injection, which sometimes I use with methanol, or mixtures of t-Butanol and Butyl ethers. These chemicals, however, need a better compression management though. I have also installed a tuned dual exhaust which was really designed for super high output engines. Hence, the most logical solution is to supercharge. I know of an online supercharger outlet that has professionals, high quality parts and also a learning center. Their prices, I keep finding out, are very reasonable. It looks like somebody can even get a Mercedes supercharger there. All of their parts come with a full 1 Year Warranty unless an even longer warranty is noted. This is a good place to get a supercharger.

Is there a trivial patent, especially if filed in October 2002, and citing no non-patent prior art?

Which, amateur, naive, pro-se patent applicant would seek such a patent? Automated docketing system U.S. Patent 7,369,701 (Issued May 2008, CON from Oct 2002) Inventor: Patent Lawyer Steven Lundberg Abstract: The present invention includes a method for docketing an action or event, such as an action or event defined in a form received from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The method includes scanning the form having written information thereon, the written information comprising a date and indicia defining a docket event, to obtain a scanned image. The indicia on the form defining a docketing event includes a title such as, "Office Action", "Notice of Allowance", "Notice of Missing Parts" and so forth. The date on the form includes, in many embodiments, "Date Mailed". The method also includes processing the scanned image with character recognition logic and identifying the indicia defining the docket event or action and the date on the image.

NO NON-PATENT PRIOR ART IS CITED. So let me be blunt - any named-partner patent lawyer who submits a patent application of his own and allows it to issue with no non-patent prior art citations should be disbarred by the PTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline. It is a contempt for the system, and deceit on the Patent Office, to think that such inventions have no non-patent prior art of relevance. To do so is just plain unethical. And it makes you wonder if his firm advises their clients to play the same pathetic prior art submission games. But he does have gravitas, so I suppose that excuses his behavior.

Recommended reading in all fields of interest

I found and scanned this list in the back of a Dover book from 1980's or 70's. Slowly, I am reading my way through it, finding the books to be priceless and enjoyable. DRAWINGS OF REMBRANDT, edited by Seymour Slive. Updated Lippmann, Hofstede de Groot edition, with definitive scholarly apparatus. All portraits, biblical sketches, landscapes, nudes. Oriental figures, classical studies, together with selection of work by followers. 550 illustrations. Total of 630ppTwo-vol. set GHOST AND HORROR STORIES OF AMBROSE BIERCE, Ambrose Bierce. 24 tales vividly imagined, strangely prophetic, and decades ahead of their time in technical skill: "The Damned Thing," "An Inhabitant of Carcosa," "The Eyes of the Panther," "Moxon's Master," and 20 more. 199pp ETHICAL WRITINGS OF MAIMONIDES, Maimonides. Most significant ethical works of great medieval sage, newly translated for utmost precision, readability. Laws Concerning Character Traits, Eight Chapters, more. 192pp. THE EXPLORATION OF THE COLORADO RIVER AND ITS CANYONS, J. W. Powell. Full text of Powell's I,000-mile expedition down the fabled Colorado in 1869. Superb account of terrain, geology, vegetation, Indians, famine, mutiny, treacherous rapids, mighty canyons, during exploration of last unknown part of continental U.S. 400pp. HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, Julian Marfas. Clearest one-volume history on the market. Every major philosopher and dozens of others, to Existentialism and later. 505pp. ALL ABOUT LIGHTNING, Martin A. Uman. Highly readable non-technical survey of nature and causes of lightning, thunderstorms, ball lightning, St. Elmo's Fire, much more. Illustrated. 192pp. SAILING ALONE AROUND THE WORLD, Captain Joshua Slocum. First man to sail around the world, alone, in small boat. One of great feats of seamanship told in delightful manner. 67 illustrations. 294pp. LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, George Catlin. Classic account of life among Plains Indians: ceremonies, hunt, warfare, etc. 312 plates. 572pp. of text. ALASKA: The Harriman Expedition, 1899, John Burroughs, John Muir, et al. Informative, engrossing accounts of two-month, 9,000-mile expedition. Native peoples, wildlife, forests, geography, salmon industry, glaciers, more. Profusely illustrated. 240 black-and-white line drawings. 124 black-and-white photographs. 3 maps. Index. 576pp. THE BOOK OF BEASTS: Being a Translation from a Latin Bestiary of the Twelfth Century, T. H. White. Wonderful catalog real and fanciful beasts: manticore, griffin, phoenix, amphivius, jaculus, many more. White's witty erudite commentary on scientific, historical aspects. Fascinating glimpse of medieval mind. Illustrated. 296pp. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT: ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE With 160 Illustrations, Donald Hoffmann. Profusely illustrated study of influence of nature-especially prairie-on Wright's designs for Fallingwater, Robie House, Guggenheim Museum, other masterpieces. 96pp. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S FALLINGWATER, Donald Hoffmann. Wright's famous waterfall house: planning and construction of organic idea. History of site, owners, Wright's personal involvement. Photographs of various stages of building. Preface by Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. 100 illustrations. 112pp. 9' YEARS WITH FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT: Apprentice to Genius, Edgar Tafel. Insightful memoir by a former apprentice presents a revealing portrait of Wright the man, the inspired teacher, the greatest American architect. 372 black-and-white illustrations. Preface. Index. vi + 228pp THE STORY OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS, Howard Pyle. Enchanting version of King Arthur fable has delighted generations with imaginative narratives of exciting adventures and unforgettable illustrations by the author. 41 illustrations. xviii + 313pp. THE GODS OF THE EGYPTIANS, E. A. Wallis Budge. Thorough coverage of numerous gods of ancient Egypt by foremost Egyptologist. Information on evolution of cults, rites and gods; the cult of Osiris; the Book of the Dead and its rites; the sacred animals and birds; Heaven and Hell; and more. 956pp. A THEOLOGICO-POLITICAL TREATISE, Benedict Spinoza. Also contains unfinished Political Treatise. Great classic on religious liberty, theory of government on common consent. R. Elwes translation. Total of 421pp. INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN CENTRAL AMERICA, CHIAPAS, AND YUCATAN, John L. Stephens. Almost single-handed discovery of Maya culture; exploration of ruined cities, monuments, temples; customs of Indians. 115 drawings. 892pp. LOS CAPRICHOS, Francisco Goya. 80 plates of wild, grotesque monsters and caricatures. Prado manuscript included. 183pp. AUTOBIOGRAPHY: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Mohandas K. Gandhi. Not hagiography, but Gandhi in his own words. Boyhood, legal studies, purification, the growth of the Satyagraha (nonviolent protest) movement. Critical, inspiring work of the man who freed India. 480pp. ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE, edited by Cyril M. Harris. Extraordinary compendium of clear, concise definitions for over 5,000 important architectural terms complemented by over 2,000 line drawings. Covers full spectrum of architecture from ancient ruins to 20th-century Modernism. Preface. 592pp. THE LESSON OF JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE: 165 Photographs, Jiro Harada. Memorable gallery of 165 photographs taken in the 1930's of exquisite Japanese homes of the well-to-do and historic buildings. 13 line diagrams. 192pp. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES DARWIN AND SELECTED LETTERS, edited by Francis Darwin. The fascinating life of eccentric genius composed of an intimate memoir by Darwin (intended for his children); commentary by his son, Francis; hundreds of fragments from notebooks, journals, papers; and letters to and from Lyell, Hooker, Huxley, Wallace and Henslow. xi + 365pp WONDERS OF THE SKY: Observing Rainbows, Comets, Eclipses, the Stars and Other Phenomena, Fred Schaaf. Charming, easy-to-read poetic guide to all manner of celestial events visible to the naked eye. Mock suns, glories, Belt of Venus, more. Illustrated. 299pp. BURNHAM'S CELESTIAL HANDBOOK, Robert Burnham, Jr. Thorough guide to the stars beyond our solar system. Exhaustive treatment. Alphabetical by constellation: Andromeda to Getus in Vol. 1; Chamaeleon to Orion in Vol. 2; and Pavo to Vulpecula in Vol. 3. Hundreds of illustrations. Index in Vol. 3. 2,OOO pp. STAR NAMES: Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen. Fascinating history of names various cultures have given to constellations and literary and folkloristic uses that have been made of stars. Indexes to subjects. Arabic and Greek names. Biblical references. Bibliography. 563pp. THIRTY YEARS THAT SHOOK PHYSICS: The Story of Quantum Theory. George Gamow. Lucid, accessible introduction to influential theory of energy and matter. Careful explanations of Dirac's anti-particles, Bohr's model of the atom, much more. 12 plates. Numerous drawings. 240pp. CHINESE DOMESTIC FURNITURE IN PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEASURED DRAWINGS, Gustav Ecke. A rare volume, now affordably priced for antique collectors, furniture buffs and art historians. Detailed review of styles ranging from early Shang to late Ming. Unabridged republication. 161 black-and-white drawings, photos. Total of 224pp. VINCENT VAN GOGH: A Biography, Julius Meier-Graefe. Dynamic, penetrating study of artist's life, relationship with brother, Theo, painting techniques. travels, more. Readable, engrossing. 160pp. HOW TO WRITE, Gertrude Stein. Gertrude Stein claimed anyone could understand her unconventional writing-here are clues to help. Fascinating improvisations, language experiments, explanations illuminate Stein's craft and the art of writing. Total of 414pp. ADVENTURES AT SEA IN THE GREAT AGE OF SAIL: Five Firsthand Narratives, edited by Elliot Snow. Rare true accounts of exploration, whaling, shipwreck, fierce natives, trade, shipboard life, more. 33 illustrations. Introduction. 353pp. can you recommend a good book?

The explanation for the ridiculous patents

Check out the Excrement Patents tag. There are lots more such patent applications. I guess it is extra money for the PTO to waste. Now, you are thinking, what is the harm that people file such silliness, such silliness will never issue?" Oh, you poor, naive fools: GENERAL CONCEPT: scan incoming documents into a relational database, identifying relevant fields AS TRIVIAL A CONCEPT AS IT GETS SLIGHTLY MORE SPECIFIC CONCEPT: scan incoming documents with printed dates and form identifications, and load date/form data into appropriate fields of relational database AS TRIVIAL A CONCEPT AS IT GETS SLIGHTLY MORE SPECIFIC CONCEPT: scan incoming PTO Office Actions with dates and document types ("notice of allowance", "missing documents") and load into the relational database inside a docketing system.

To patent submarine patenting:

I have critiqued silly and ridiculous patents in the previous and other posts, but here is the attempt to patent submarine patents, filed by someone who knows nothing about jurisdiction (out of pity, the PTO should return his application fee): Submarine patents U.S. Patent Application 20080221912 David James Harris, of Great Britain 1. A method of seeking patent protection for an invention, comprising: a) filing a first European Patent Application for the invention at a first date; b) filing a second European Patent Application for the invention at a second date not more than one month later; characterised in that the second European Patent Application is a divisional European Patent Application claiming the filing date of the first European patent application.

David, my boy, a patent issued in the United States is completely useless for a method performed completely outside the United States. Now, I can understand a pro se inventor filing such wackiness, but I am shocked that a US law firm is helping a foreign inventor file such excrement:

Computer system for distributing a validation instruction message U.S. Patent Application 20080201334 Justin Ryan Simpson (Legal Rep: Brooks Kushman) Claim 1: 1. A computer system for distributing a validation instruction message, the computer system being adapted to communicate with an interface, a specification database and a plurality of European agent computers, the interface including: a European patent identifier receiver adapted to receive a European patent identifier; and a country selection receiver adapted to receive a country selection, and the specification database being adapted to store a plurality of European patent specifications, wherein, when the computer system receives a European patent identifier and a country selection, the computer system is adapted to: (a) obtain, from the specification database, a European patent specification corresponding to the European patent identifier; and (b) provide the European patent specification and the validation instruction message to a European agent computer corresponding to the country selection.

Justin, more than likely, someone is going to implement this computer system outside the United States, making your U.S. patent (if it issues) completely useless. Such as implementing this system in Europe, where sadly because the EPO and courts love to betray science, engineering, semantics and law with their silly "technical effect" drooling, the European sibling of this patent application will never issue.

Application For The Method of Patenting Paralegal Process:

This is the classic attempt at dealing with the European fetish for the pompousness of using the characterized by vs. the good old American said: System for facilitating the preparation of a patent application with an automatically variable omnibus form paragraph U.S. Patent Application 20080256428 Milton; Harold W. DICKINSON WRIGHT PLLC Claim 1: A method of preparing a patent application including DESCRIPTION and CLAIMS sections by using a computer program comprising the steps of: presenting an omnibus form paragraph preceding the CLAIMS section, drafting a claim in the CLAIMS section including at least one key, storing a key explanation describing the use the key, characterized by scanning the claims for the key, automatically inserting the key explanation in the omnibus form paragraph in response to the presence of the key in the claim. 3. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including storing "characterized by" as the key. 5. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including storing "said" as the key.

Patent claims don't have to be easy and readable

If you are second-guessing n examiner or a prospective buyer, or a competitor, don't act on the naive urge to write out and describe claim components in an impressive language. Claiming, according to the US Patent Law, has NO enablement requirement OR readability requirement. A claim might read like this: 2. The cryopump as in claim 1, wherein said fluid conduit is fluidly connected to said group of manifolds and operatively communicating with said variably-opening orifices. None of the components are described in a technical, enabling manner, but the description is maximally encompassing the scope of the invention regarding the component of the device claimed in claim 1. Thus, do not limit a claim in order to make it more readable to an average person. The claims are for attorneys and other people who enjoy reading contract documents. Only enhance readability if it will not unnecessarily limit the claim.

Rangefinder Season

You know that I love high tech serving people in more ways than just showing them cute pictures on their mobile phones. I really love high tech optics, when they help me bird watch or hunt. I stumbled on great Nikon Hunting Christmas Promotion deals for Nikon Sport Optics at NikonProGear.com, NikonHunting.com all offering a rare opportunity holiday promotion that comes with a unique show from Lee& Tiffany Lakosky. The first thing I found is my favorite, a rangefinder. It is a ProStaff 550 Rangefinder that comes with its own DVD manual discussing hints and techniques for using the Nikon BDC reticle, which I am not yet familiar with. The rangefinder is a part of the Nikon’s Ultimate Hunter’s Package that is put together for increasing one's long-range shooting skills. The package also contains a ProStaff rifle scope. I found that this deal for this holiday season offers great prices on various, hi-tech Nikon riflescopes, such as ProStaff Riflescopes, Nikon Monarch Rifle Scopes, Buckmasters and Omega Riflescopes. The promotion also has what many of my friends might be looking for - high-quality, rugged binoculars, and Nikon, as I see in their information, has got great prices on all the ATB Binoculars and a surprise gift. A Nikon Pro Gear Gift Card that is worth $25 and $50 value, by the way, comes free with the purchase of Nikon Monarch Binoculars, Trailblazer Binoculars, Nikon Action 10x50 Binoculars and ANY Nikon ATB Binoculars. I think it might be more fun buying the gear and keeping it in a pristine condition in my library till I get the chance to use it next hunting season.

On Festo and "Means"

In patenting, Festo is a doctrine of equivalence: if a patent claims a, b, c - this can sometimes also include c (broad claiming). But since the actual Festo, if one starts off broad and narrow, then one cannot claim broader (doctrine of equivalence) again.

Means + Function is no-no in patent claims. The combination refers to a too general component expressed functionally (which begs for a method claim language: a module for cooling), as opposed to structurally (what it is, i.e., a cooling module, and not only what it does). See the Patent Writing:Claims tag for similar topics.

Wind Turbines, Oil Rigs and Curious George

Now that Dubya is packing up and about to be moving out of the White House, the media and the web are awash with negative gloating and mindless euphoria. The US economy has grown in all directions possible, major fiscal indicators have been on a roller coaster ride, the real estate market is pathetic, nobody has health insurance, and the layoffs seem to be the talk of every neighborhood bar. In tough times like these it makes sense to browse for some viral videos. The Good Bye Curious George is probably the best anti bush video that captures the spirit of the nation, of our mood and that of the outgoing neopresident. The video is simple, yet a cut above amateur animation. The unexpected zoom-in on the card mix up involving the bank rescue plan (why should the taxpayer rescue banks, the bastion of capitalism, when the essence of capitalism is the survival of the fittest? Let the weakling bank disappear), the Lincoln's name mixup which is so typical of the Bush presidency steeped in bumbling and word-mincing. It reminds us of George W. Bush's the "Mission Accomplished" bravado speech aboard an aircraft carrier after the Iraq invasion ring so fresh and simplistically premature. The nuclear option scenario is also credibly hilarious, because the nuclear solution has been contemplated regarding Iran. It goes hand in hand with the paradigm we know since childhood: The Curious George wants to know, what would happen if the Red Nuclear Button is pushed? The video does not deal with a nuke scare, rather, the video keeps on portraying the bumbling petrodollar utilitarianism of Dubya's business dreams. No matter the wreck he causes us, there is always the petrodollar lining to it for him, but desolation and smoke for us. Give an Oscar to the cartoon's creator(s) for being the most unique funny video addressing such a character in US history, the rigmarole he is leaving behind and the snafus he has not (lucky you and me) have the chance to execute. The video has a tastefully light finish, wherein Dubya the Curious George Cowboy rides into the sunset, which seems to be after the nuclear war-like destruction with the oil rigs in the background, while wind turbines telescope out of the ground and start spinning while the sky turns jubilant with an Obama-esque rainbow. Therapeutically pleasing. I think lame duck is an understatement. The video offers us comedy relief while reliving the last eight years of the mess.

Halliburton applies for the method of troll patenting

It was UC Berkley, among others. Then, Microsoft. President Obama better sign a decree that makes it a criminal offense for anyone in the patent world to use the word troll. It is a meaningless term that becomes more and more pointless each day, due in part to the following absurd wackiness applied (and breezed through by the US Patent law) for by Halliburton Energy Services:

Patent acquisition and assertion by a (non-inventor) first party against a second party U.S. Patent Application 20080270152 Claim 1: A method for a non-inventor first party to acquire and assert a patent property against a second party, the method including the first party performing the following acts: obtaining an equity interest in the patent property; writing a claim within the scope of the patent property, the claim being written to cover a product of the second party, where the product includes a secret aspect, the secret aspect including an unobservable aspect, where writing the claim includes performing research using a computer to convert the unobservable aspect to an observable aspect; filing the claim with a patent office; offering a license of the patent property to the second party after the patent property issues as a patent with the claim; and attempting to obtain a monetary settlement from the second party based on the assertion of infringement of the claim. Patent property - both novel and vague term. Aspect is already used in the claim within a different aspect. I guess Dick Cheney needs novel and non-obvious ways to make business off government contracts.