In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.Subject: Re: Patents (was
Date: Jan 09, 5:04 pm
Poster: Richard HullOn Jan 09, 5:04 pm, Richard Hull wrote:
>>>Richard Hull writes:
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>If for some bizarre reason a private person does hit on a gem. The big boys will hang into the litigation until theybleed you dry and box the patent in with other related devices thus forcing you to sell at their price or your work won't ever make it to market in a useful way. It is all quite legal. The man with the up front money will win most every time.
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>Gee, where have we heard THAT story before? How 'bout 'The Farnsworth Chronicles, Chapter 1: Television".
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>--PS
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>..............................
That's right! Thus, to avoid such hassles and remain free of the big boys, never ever patent anything for any reason. Especially if it has immediate and marketable value. (like Television)
Patents are for keeping products and processes safe within giant corporate concerns and not for any small firm or individual. Never were, never will be.
If the device is strange, bizarre, and has no immediate or obvious value, then you can safely patent it.
Farnsworth nor ITT never had a moments trouble protecting their patents on the fusor. Why? What good was it?! Was marketing the system simple, straight forward, and was their an immediate market need. NO! It was a nuclear THING which was of dubious value and operated at very low power. It threatened no pre-existing industry in an immediate manner. Thus, it was a novelty item and not worthy of even a second look by most firms. Certainly the AEC would not even fund Bob Hirsch's effort to continue fusor work after 1968.
To be fair and honest to ITT they really fostered Hirsch's effort to hit up the AEC for funding. After all is the thing hit big after government funding and a bit more reserach, ITT owned the patents. It was worth their while to see that Hirsch had every introduction to AEC government people in an effort to make something of all their early expenses, but now at taxpayer expense.
The AEC was at the core of nuclear research. The old "ATOMS FOR PEACE PROGRAM" was still alive! The AEC was already deep into funding old hot fusion, but still they laughed at the rather proven fusor. Alas, the ITT/farnsworth patents were of little value. The bottom line was ITT was glad to be out of the nuclear business.
The story given me By Hirsch himself was that the AEC was indeed willing to through some tiny amount at fusor research, but Hirsch felt that it was too small based on what would be required to really advance the fusor research much farther beyond the point where the Farnsworth team had arrived at only months before! He was told by one official that.. "even if the thing worked, we have all our funds in this area committed to classic well published fusion efforts".
Richard Hull