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View Full Version : Laser Engraving Cigar Patents



Daniel Markovich
09-12-2012, 12:36 AM
So we cant engrave cigars or plant matter?
How is this legal?
http://www.google.com/patents/US6180914?dq=laser+cigar&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SQxQUOnTMYX48wSX_oCoBQ&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA

Tim Bateson
09-12-2012, 7:02 AM
Legal system is a mess. Oh BTW I'm filing a patent to turn our lasers Off and On, so get ready to pay those royalties to me. :p:p :cool: The Patent for Opening and Closing the lid is probably already taken.

Daniel Markovich
09-12-2012, 11:29 AM
I just spoke with the owner of my laser machine company and a patent attorney. Even though this patent was passed it will NEVER hold up in court. People are trying to patent anything and everything. Same reason Levi Jeans couldn't patent laser engraving on denim. This makes me way happier! :D

Ron Natalie
09-12-2012, 12:06 PM
Frankly, I'm not sure what non-obvious claim he makes over the prior art (now in the public domain):

http://www.google.com/patents?id=ZYEcAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false

Essentially, that patent covers engraving any plant material. Just subdividing a patent into smaller subsets doesn't make a new valid claim.

John Noell
09-12-2012, 3:06 PM
Hey no worries! That patent only covers galvos. Somene should quickly patent using a flat-bed laser, with or without rotary!!

Martin Boekers
09-12-2012, 4:36 PM
One thing with patents, you can also patent and improvement on a product/method ;)

Frank Corker
09-12-2012, 4:40 PM
What a load of rubbish! Patent on the laser machine yes, but what it can engrave, not a chance!

Walt Langhans
09-12-2012, 5:07 PM
Wow that is crazy. Makes me wonder if I should see about getting a patent on getting patents :)

Chuck Stone
09-12-2012, 8:43 PM
Wow that is crazy. Makes me wonder if I should see about getting a patent on getting patents :)

You should do that!

Oh, but don't do it in writing. I already patented that

George Carlson
09-13-2012, 10:38 AM
The truth is that patents are not worth anything until upheld by a court. The patent service tries to make sure that patents are novel, but they don't always succeed. If you spend much time looking through the patent files you will find that many of the patent are "vanity patents" patents that were filed only because someone wanted a patent in their name. They would never attempt to defend them in court.

Martin Boekers
09-13-2012, 10:55 AM
By the time I am done with it the evidence will have "gone up in smoke!" \*L*/

Ross Moshinsky
09-13-2012, 12:29 PM
Like lasering bricks, the patents are based on not the actual act but the entire process. They are typically filed by people who are bored or have a lawyer buddy/relative. From there they either use it to show off or try to bully people out of taking a part of their market share.

If you're going to engrave cigars and advertise it online, make sure you change your engraving process. If they do bother you, I would either ignore them or I would make them spend as much money as humanly possible on lawyers. Any reasonable judge would laugh if someone tried to suggest you can't use a machine designed for marking items to mark an item.