Old Laser Product Patents are expiring, grab yours today.

[andyf97]

I have seen lately that a lot of US patents for devices we have been using for years are expiring lately, as far as I know it is not possible to re-register them exactly. But with some design modifications/additions it seams to be possible. General scanning who invented Laser show scanning had loads of Patents for the technology which are likely now free for the taking.

Anyone know anything about patents and where we can find ones which are expiring so we can snatch them up as our own and then reproduce the products.


https://www.stopfakes.gov/article?id=How-Long-Does-Patent-Trademark-or-Copyright-Protection-Last

 

[andyf97]

Lately I have noticed that a lot of the old patents for devices we have used for years have been expiring, General Scanning Inc. for example invented the Laser show scanner and there patent has now expired leaving it free for anyone to copy.

As far as I know, It is not possible to re-register exactly the same patent but with some modification/addition to the original design you can do it.

I wonder if anyone here knows about this subject and if anyone knows where it is possible to find expiring patents.

 

[ARG]

Merged duplicate thread

 

[Encap]

Not a very practical idea. If you want to make 1 of anything for your own use, nobody is going to stop you patented or not--if you are not making money with it there are no damages that can be collected.

I can't imagine why anyone would want a 20 year old patent and to copy the product protected by same unless you want antique technology that was patented and are going to set up manufacturing a "me too" product of whatever it is.
If you are an industrial giant and a patent expires on something everyone still needs and buys and you want to make a knockoff or a patent for a drug you want to make a generic of an expired patent might be useful---still it will be a new business for you and having something to sell is only 10% of a business.

The real value of a patent is that someone else can't come along and tell you, you can not use what you invented if it becomes an economic success---keep in mind the minimum cost of a patent infringement law suit is $150,000--can run millions

For all Patents expired or not you can search US Patent and Trademark Office -- United States Patent and Trademark Office

Have a look at : Search Expired or Abandoned Patents instead of re-inventing the wheel