tying n.— «The court will determine whether Illinois Tool Works (Research) violated antitrust laws under the Sherman Act by forcing consumers of its patented ink jet printer to buy a certain type of printer ink for use with its printer—a...
microbuddy n.— «the Illinois inventor came up with a solution—round paper towels. This month the U.S. Patent and Trademark office accepted his application for, as he calls them, “microbuddies,” paving the way for the newest...
tumshie n.— «Och, ye muckle tumshie, hae ye nae sense avah?» —“Re: The great LP vs CD debate/war” by patent3@popmail.dircon.co.uk (Stewart Pinkerton) Usenet: rec.audio.opinion Dec. 26, 1999. (source: Double...
submarine patent n. a patent that, when issued, forces companies already using the newly patented technology to pay retroactive licensing or rights fees. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
submarine patent n.— «A man fought with the Patent Office for 15 years while lots of different laser products were being developed. Eventually, makers of laser products were forced to pay him. “We call those “submarine...
submarine patent n.— «Occasionally, patents take a decade or two to be granted because they are held up in appeals and amendments in the Patent Office. When this happens under the existing system, an inventor can obtain a 17-year monopoly...