Is That a Flashlight in Your Pocket...?

To prove that we are not all about seriousness and gravitas here at Patentology, we are amused to learn that Interactive Life Forms, LLC ("ILF") has brought suit in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas against more than 20 companies it accuses of infringing two patents that cover a sex toy for men that resembles a flashlight, known as the "Fleshlight".

Obviously, this is a very serious matter for ILF, which is just as entitled to protection for its innovative products as companies in any other industry.  But the schoolboy in us cannot help sniggering just a little behind our hand over this one, as we wonder whether this case is going to get on a "rocket docket"!

Some of the more entertainingly-named respondents include Honey's Place Inc, Liberator Inc, Satistec LLC, Polydigitech Inc, Sawhorse Enterprises Inc, and (of course) Gigglesworld Corporation.

Who knew that the market for male sex toys disguised as everyday household items was so competitive?!

You can, if you feel so inclined, read the full complaint, and the two related patents US 5,782,818 and US 5,807,360.

We will keep you posted and/or enlighten you, if we hear of any further developments in this case!

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Before You Go…

Thank you for reading this article to the end – I hope you enjoyed it, and found it useful.  Almost every article I post here takes a few hours of my time to research and write, and I have never felt the need to ask for anything in return.

But now – for the first, and perhaps only, time – I am asking for a favour.  If you are a patent attorney, examiner, or other professional who is experienced in reading and interpreting patent claims, I could really use your help with my PhD research.  My project involves applying artificial intelligence to analyse patent claim scope systematically, with the goal of better understanding how different legal and regulatory choices influence the boundaries of patent protection.  But I need data to train my models, and that is where you can potentially assist me.  If every qualified person who reads this request could spare just a couple of hours over the next few weeks, I could gather all the data I need.

The task itself is straightforward and web-based – I am asking participants to compare pairs of patent claims and evaluate their relative scope, using an online application that I have designed and implemented over the past few months.  No special knowledge is required beyond the ability to read and understand patent claims in technical fields with which you are familiar.  You might even find it to be fun!

There is more information on the project website, at claimscopeproject.net.  In particular, you can read:

1. a detailed description of the study, its goals and benefits; and
2. instructions for the use of the online claim comparison application.

Thank you for considering this request!

Mark Summerfield

Tags: Humour, US