Patent Law
Golf Patents 
Intellectual property issues in the golf industry. Follows new golf products and technology, monitors recently published golf-related patent applications and recently issued patents, follows what the golf industry leaders are doing related to their intellectual property portfolios, and tracks intellectual property litigation.
Post Frequency: 1.3/day Last Entry: November 21, 2009 at 01:00:00 Recent Entries: 409
By David Dawsey
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Taylor Made?s Latest Adjustability Concept
Posted on November 21, 2009Every golfer knows that ?adjustability? is a key aspect to Taylor Made?s recent marketing. There is the widely known movable weight technology (MWT) and flight control technology (FCT), as well as the lesser known adjustable grip technology (AGT) that I wrote about last month (see the post HERE)...
Will Golf Ball Covers Get Softer or Harder? Brush Up on Your Knowledge of Ionomers, Polyurethanes, and Polyureas
Posted on November 19, 2009I am sure that I am not the only golfer that assumed golf ball covers would be getting softer and softer as a result of the new groove regulations. Well, today an Acushnet patent application published revealing that the opposite may be true. The patent application published as US Pub...
Have You Ever Wondered if There is a Better Way to Connect a Shaft to a Golf Club Head? Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week
Posted on November 18, 2009Have you ever considered why a shaft connects to a hosel? Ever spend a sleepless night wondering if there was a better way? Me neither, but that is probably why I am not a golf club designer and inventor. The inventors of USPN 6514153 titled ?Golf Club Head? have definitely questioned the wisdom of the traditional shaft - to hosel - to club head body attachment strategy...
Wrap Up of the Week of Wild Putter Designs
Posted on November 14, 2009There are way too many wild putter designs to ever cover them all, but this week we have started to scratch the surface. As you have seen, most have some rational basis but take it to an often irrational extreme. In fact, at first blush many putter patents appear ridiculous, but if you really read them they make you scratch your head and wonder if there it something to it...
Yep, Hollow Rigid Spikes Are the Key to a Good Putter ? Day Four of the Week of Wild Putter Designs
Posted on November 12, 2009Increase bite, minimize skid, improve roll,? good concepts, but is this the putter to do it? The design comes from USPN 6110057 titled ?Jiro Putter,? which explains the invention as:The instant invention is a golf putter comprising a shaft with an enlarged gripping portion at one end and a novel low profile putter head precisely positioned at the other end...
Week of Wild Putter Designs, Day Three ? Finally a Putter That Allows You Ignore the Break of Greens
Posted on November 11, 2009Your dreams have been answered. No more having to worry about the pesky slope, or grain, of a putting green. This putter does it all! This putter design is found in USPN 6183379 titled ?Golf Putter,? which describes the putter as:A golf putter including a head having a face, a shaft and a grip...
Day Two of the Week of Wild Putter Designs
Posted on November 10, 2009Could this flatstick find a place in your bag? The drawings come from USPN 6520865 titled ?Golf Club Putter Head Design,? which does little to explain the benefits of this particular putter design.A golf putter is provided which has a vertical arcuate striking face wherein the height of the striking face is at least as high as the diameter of a golf ball...
Are You Ready for a Week Devoted to Wild Putter Designs?
Posted on November 09, 2009Here comes a week made in heaven for putter enthusiasts. OK, that may be a stretch, but I am committing to a week of posts directed to unconventional putters. Yes, many will be entertaining, yet ridiculous, putters that never had a chance at making to the market, but there may be some containing interesting features that should have made it to the market...
Bizarre Golf Patent of the Week
Posted on November 05, 2009Check out the beauty of a club found in USPN 5792002 titled ?Golf Club.? Think it could help your game? The patent explains:The present invention relates to an improved golf club construction which has been found to dramatically improve a golfers' swing and enable a golfer to hit a ball longer and straighter than with a conventional club...
Mizuno Granted Patent on the Fast Track Design
Posted on November 03, 2009If you read the Golf-Patents blog then you are probably familiar with Mizuno?s Fast Track adjustable weight positioning system. Today Mizuno was granted a patent on this unique weight channel system. The patent is USPN 7611424 titled ?Golf Club Head and Golf Club? and describes the invention as:A golf club head of the wood-type, including: a body defining an interior cavity and including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a ribbon extending rearwardly from the face; an elongated groove that extends along a portion of the ribbon; a weight slidably disposed in the elongated grove; and a fastener affixed to the weight capable of selectively fixing a location of the weight...
What?s Behind PING?s Craz-D Optigraphic Alignment Aid?
Posted on November 02, 2009Last week a patent application published that is directed to the PING?s Craz-D Optigraphic Alignment Aid (view HERE and HERE). I have never tried one of these putters but they look interesting, and with a fancy name like that there must be some cool science involved...
Don?t Worry About Fixing My Swing, Fit Me With a Club that Minimizes the Ugliness
Posted on October 29, 2009Isn?t that a large part of club fitting? Well, watch out club fitters because The Yokohama Rubber Co. is looking to automate this process. This week an interesting patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090270204 titled ?Method for Golf Club Selection, and Golf Club,? which describes the invention as:A method for golf club selection uses a behavior of the golf swing when a golf club is gripped and swung...
What Would You Think if a Playing Companion Pulled Out This Invention to Help Them Get Aligned to the Target?
Posted on October 27, 2009I don?t know what I would do if a playing partner pulled this invention out and started lining up shots. Well, yes I do. First, I would laugh and ridicule them a bit, and then I would probably end up trying it and asking to borrow it. This interesting alignment tool is found in a patent that issued today as USPN 7607988 titled ?Golf Alignment and Targeting System...
One of the First Golf Swing ?Exercise? Systems that Actually Looks Beneficial
Posted on October 26, 2009The following contraption is one of the few golf exercise devices that actually looks helpful. Check it out. Balanced on one foot on top of a rolling platform, come on, give me a challenge! The drawings come from the recently published patent application US Pub...
Would You Game a Plastic Driver? Author of Several Golf Club R&D Books Receives Interesting Plastic Club Head Patent
Posted on October 22, 2009You may recall a prior post that introduced you to golf inventor Dr. Frank D. Werner? He is the author of a handful of books (example 1, example 2) on golf club engineering, and was one of the early supporters of square drivers (see THIS prior post). Based upon his bio, it appears Frank is one smart guy...
Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week
Posted on October 20, 2009Ahh, finally a club that will correct for all your swing flaws. Check out this club?s design. The drawings come from USPN 6386987 titled ?Golf Club,? which describes the invention as:The present invention provides an improved golf club that incorporates a compensating member or pendulum into the head of the club...
Yet Another Level of Adjustability in Golf Club Design
Posted on October 17, 2009There is no doubt that adjustability is great for marketing hype, but I really don?t know anyone that uses it beyond the first few rounds played with their new adjustable toy. Taylor Made has led the adjustability movement with their movable weight technology (MWT) and flight control technology (FCT), and now they have another adjustability feature on the drawing board...
Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week ? Does Your Club Need More Lube?
Posted on October 14, 2009You may recall a prior post regarding a ?golf ball lubricant? that looked a lot like a tube of ChapStick. The idea was to rub it on the club face to temporarily make the face of your club slippery so that it did not impart as much spin on the golf ball...
Book Your Room in Wilmington, Delaware; Re-Trial of ProV1 Litigation Scheduled for the Weeks of March 15, 22, and 29
Posted on October 13, 2009Back in August the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) found that "irreconcilably inconsistent jury verdicts" necessitated a new trial regarding the original ProV1 patent infringement lawsuit. See this prior post for a link to the CAFC?s rational...
Who Wouldn?t Want a ?High-Precision Golf Club?
Posted on October 12, 2009The name alone sells this invention. I mean, whose game could benefit from a ?high-precision golf club?? A patent application recently published as US Pub. No. 20090253528 titled ?High-Precision Golf Club,? which explains this ?high-precision? invention as:The invention relates to a device for a golf club providing an excellent orientation of the club head in the target direction...
Bridgestone Is Determined To Maintain High-Spin Wedges
Posted on October 10, 2009Regular readers of the Golf-Patents blog know that Bridgestone has not taken the new groove regulations laying down. In the past I have posted on their face texturing designs and groove designs. Recently Bridgestone has bolstered their spin-related IP portfolio even further with the issuance of a patent directed to the orientation of face striations and had a patent application publish related to score lines...
Crazy Golf Club Patent of the Week
Posted on October 08, 2009This week?s bizarre club of the week is an oldie but goodie. Check out this awesome driver from 1927. The drawings come from USPN 1,657,473 titled ?Golf Club.? What was that inventor smoking?Dave Dawsey - Keeping an Eye on Crazy Golf InventionsPS ? click here to check out other driver and wood design posts
Do You Really Know What ?Grain Flow Forged? Means? Honestly?
Posted on October 07, 2009Golfers see the term ?grain flow forged? in Mizuno advertisements all the time, but I suspect only a small portion really understand the concept. Fortunately, a recently published Mizuno patent application educates us on the subject. The application published last week as US Pub...
E-Z-GO versus Club Car; Finally, A Golf Cart Patent Infringement Battle
Posted on October 06, 2009Golf carts just don?t get any respect. Golfers largely ignore the beauty and the complex engineering that goes into the design of these wonderful machines. However, there is no doubt the manufacturers never forget about the sweat and tears, not to mention money, that go into designing a reliable golf cart...
Now This is a Handy Little Training Device
Posted on October 05, 2009Having trouble with your grip? If so, this little device may be the answer. Check it out. Simple enough, right? The drawing comes from USPN 7,591,733 titled ?Device for Reducing Effect of Dominant Hand on Golf Swing,? which explains:It is well known that one of the most important elements and a key to a successful golf swing is the golfer's grip...
Now This is a Golf Glove!
Posted on October 01, 2009Cool golf glove inventions don?t come along every day. In fact, the last golf glove post on the Golf-Patents blog was over a year and a half ago. Well, that changes today with an Acushnet patent application that combines acupuncture and golf. The application published today as US Pub...
Nice Looking Swing Plane Trainer
Posted on September 30, 2009Check out this nice looking training device. The figures come from the recently issued patent USPN 7,585,228 titled ?Golf Swing Plane Training Device and Method,? which describes the invention as:A golf swing plane training device is disclosed that helps the user develop a correct swing plane as well as exercise the muscle groups most effective in imparting maximum power to a golf ball...
The Next Set of Titleist Irons?
Posted on September 29, 2009Probably not, but I sure don?t recognize this iron. Do you? I don?t know?. the shape and location of the product tag leads me to believe that this might be the new iron in the AP1/AP2 family. Definitely looks like an iron from the "players' club" category of irons...
What is the Next Step in Adjustability? Taylor Made is Considering Adjustable-Stiffness Shaft Tips
Posted on September 26, 2009An interesting Taylor Made patent application published this week that may give us a look at their next step in adjustability; which means a new acronym! The application published as US Pub. No. 20090239677 titled ?Golf Club Shafts Having Selectable-Stiffness Tip Regions, and Golf Clubs Comprising Same? and describes the application as:The subject golf clubs have a shaft and clubhead...
More Golf Tee Concepts from PING, This Time a "Set" of Golf Tees
Posted on September 25, 2009A few months ago I authored a post titled ?PING?s New Golf Tee Designed to Minimize a Tee?s Effect on Flight Trajectory and Spin? and expressed my surprise that a big golf club OEM would have any interest in the golf tee market. Well, apparently PING does enough testing to believe that the effect of a tee on golf ball flight is more significant than most golfers believe...
Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week
Posted on September 23, 2009Check out this club. The drawings come from USPN 5354055 titled ?Golf Club Head with Rearward Center of Gravity and Diagonal Orientation,? which describes the invention as:The subject invention relates to golf club heads of the "wood" and hollow "metalwood" types...
Sorry to Disappoint but Golf Flip Flops Have Been Patented
Posted on September 22, 2009Yes, hard to believe. I know. Check out these flip flops. The drawing comes from USPN 7584553 titled ?Flip Flop Golf Sandal,? which describes the invention as:A flip flop sandal comprising a sole portion made from a flexible, resilient and moldable material...
How Much Would One of These Golf Shafts Cost?
Posted on September 19, 2009This week a fascinating golf club shaft patent application published disclosing a smart shaft aimed at reducing shaft vibrations. The application published as US Pub. No. 20090233729 titled ?Vibration Reducing Golf Club? and describes the invention as:A vibration reducing golf club includes a club main structure and a plurality of piezoelectric materials...
There is No Doubt That This Practice Putter Will Reveal Your Putting Flaws
Posted on September 18, 2009I would love to give this practice putter a try because it looks virtually impossible. Check it out. The drawing comes from the recently issued patent USPN 7578752 titled ?Putter Training Device.? The patent explains:This novel device relates to an improvement in golfing, and more particularly to training in and improving one's short game; i...
OK, These Are The Shoes That Would Have Saved Tiger?s Knee! Maybe?
Posted on September 17, 2009Perhaps I jumped the gun a bit with my prior post titled ?Would These Shoes Have Saved Tiger?s Knee,? because recently a patent was granted on a pair of golf shoes that would have surely prevented the injury! Maybe? OK, I doubt it!The patent is USPN 7549239 titled ?Sports Shoe Having Movable Ground Engaging Elements? and discloses the following golf shoes...
Has the Golf Ball Dimple Reached the End of its Useful Life?
Posted on September 15, 2009In the past the Golf-Patents blog has published many posts regarding the potential look of future golf balls (here, here, here, here, and here). It has gotten to the point that I am starting to believe that the day will come when I will tell young golfers that I remember playing golf with a ball that had dimples (round dimples at that) and they won?t believe me...
Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week
Posted on September 13, 2009Check out this club. The drawings come from USPN 4,850,593 titled ?Reduced Drag Club Head for a Wood Type Golf Club,? which provides a nice explanation for the unusual design:The forgoing problems and shortcomings with prior art wood type golf club heads are resolved according to the instant invention which employs a sole trough whose root runs approximately parallel to the club face, is convex in the transverse (root line) direction and is concave in a direction perpendicular to the face of the club head...
Just What Every Golf Cart Needs, a Lift Kit
Posted on September 12, 2009Having your own golf cart would be nice, but having one with a lift would be awesome! Check out this sweet looking golf cart. OK, sweet may be a stretch.The drawing comes from USPN 7,581,740 titled ?Golf Cart Front Suspension Lift System.? The patent describes the invention as:A front suspension lift system including a main frame having two sides, front and rear...
What?s Scotty Been Up To?
Posted on September 10, 2009Over the years I have only covered a couple of Scotty Cameron?s inventions; check out the posts titled ?Am I the Only Golfer That Thinks Scented Golf Grips are Unnecessary?? and ?Would You Play A Scented Golf Grip That Feels Like Jelly? Scotty Cameron Thinks So...
Finally Some Real Competition in the Golf Ball Industry
Posted on September 09, 2009The following golf ball design was granted a patent last week and I bet it is going to gobble up market share! OK, that may be a bit of a stretch but it is definitely an interesting design. I think that we have to assume that it is a practice ball. The ball is found in USPN D599,505 titled ?Indented Golf Ball...
Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week; Native American Tool or Golf Club?
Posted on September 08, 2009A fascinating golf club patent issued last week. The club appears to be part golf club, part weapon. Ahh, perhaps the origin of the hybrid. The patent is USPN D599422 titled ?Golf Club.? Check out this design. Pretty crazy, but it would be fun to try to hit a ball with it...
Your Next Gamer?
Posted on September 07, 2009Check out the driver design found in USPN D599421 simply titled ?Golf Club Head,? which issued last week. Could it find a home in your bag? I bet that if it came with a TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway, (fill in the blank), name on it that a lot of people would give it a try, despite the nontraditional look...
The Problem With Your Drives Is Your Lack of Soul (or Sole); Perhaps Acushnet?s Interchangeable Sole Driver Design Is The Solution
Posted on September 05, 2009Acushnet had two interesting patent applications publish addressing another yet another degree of adjustability; namely, the ability to switch out a driver?s sole plate to change the club head?s characteristics. The applications published as US Pub. No...
A Battle of the Spikes; Yet Another Golf Shoe Spike Patent Infringement Battle
Posted on September 03, 2009The intrigue of a good golf shoe cleat lawsuit reads like a fine mystery novel. Laughable? Not so, the latest battle FlatSpikes takes on SoftSpikes contains all sorts of interesting allegations! Many golfers would be surprised by the amount of litigation concerning patents on golf shoe spikes; just check out these prior posts (post 1, post 2, post 3)...
Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week
Posted on September 02, 2009I come across so many bizarre patents directed to golf clubs that I have decided to feature one such patent every week or two. The Golf-Patents blog is generally dedicated to current happenings in the world of golf intellectual property, but this new category allows me to cover some wonderfully interesting designs from the past...
Putting Problems? Perhaps This ?Do-Drop? Putter is the Answer
Posted on September 01, 2009This week a putter patent caught my eye just from the title alone. The patent is USPN 7048643 and the title is ?Do-Drop Golf Putter.? Where in the world did that name come from! Check out this design keeping in mind that the handle is free to rotate: The patent describes the invention as:A golf putter having a bent shaft and designed to be used with an individual facing the intended travel direction of the launched golf ball...
Do You Know the Shape of the Inside of Your Golf Shafts?
Posted on August 31, 2009Frankly, I had never even considered the shape of the inside of a golf club shaft until today. Naturally, the inside of a shaft must be round, right? Not true. This week an interesting patent application published that is directed specifically to non-circular bores of a golf shaft...
Dial-In the Perfect Putter with Acushnet?s New Rotary Dial Putter; Innovative or Gimmicky?
Posted on August 29, 2009This week Acushnet had an interesting putter patent application publish. Check out this design: The application published as US Pub. No. 20090215551 titled ?Weight Adjusting Structure Of Golf Club Head? and describes the invention as:A weight adjusting structure of a golf club head comprises a 360-degree rotatable rotary table installed in a body of a golf club head, wherein the rotary table is combined with an incomplete annular weight block at a peripheral portion on an arbitrary side thereof, so that the rotary table and the weight block form a rotary table assembly whose weight orientation can be adjusted...
Are Your Shafts Retaining Austenite? Poor Things
Posted on August 27, 2009Golf shaft technology is as interesting as any golf technology. In fact, I suspect the popularity of golf shaft technology will grow each week as major tournament broadcasts increase the number of slow motion SwingVision videos showing the gyrations of a shaft as a Tour player hacks their ball out of deep rough...
I Can?t Identify These Irons, Can You?
Posted on August 26, 2009I didn?t say ?new? irons in the title because I always assume that when I can?t recognize irons it must be because they are a junior, or ladies, set. Plus, whenever I even suggest that something might be ?new? someone will undoubtedly email me and point out that they are in fact not new, but rather that there have been at least 2 prototype sets bouncing around on tour for at least a couple of weeks! But heck, dealing with overzealous golfers is half the fun of having this blog...
Another Golf Ball Patent Hoping to Eliminate Lost Golf Balls
Posted on August 25, 2009Readers of the Golf-Patents blog know that I love inventions intended to reduce the number of lost golf balls? primarily because I can?t help asking myself the question? ?how many golf balls would this device have to prevent me from losing just to pay for itself?? Not to mention, what would it do to a billion dollar industry that lives on the fact that golfers lose a lot of golf balls...
More PING Groove Ideas
Posted on August 22, 2009There has been no shortage of interesting groove inventions lately. For instance, HERE is a post regarding Acushnet grooves, HERE is a post regarding Karsten Manufacturing (aka PING) grooves, and HERE is a post regarding Bridgestone grooves.This week another Karsten patent application published related to grooves...
Cleveland Golf Is No Stranger to Protecting Their Brand; Now They Go After Clone Maker King Sports
Posted on August 21, 2009Regular readers of the Golf-Patents blog know that Cleveland Golf is not adverse to litigation; just check out my recent posts ?Cleveland Golf?s Mystery Shopper Reveals Alleged Counterfeiters and Results in IP Infringement Lawsuit? and ?Cleveland Golf Cracks Down on Unauthorized Online Sales...
Gamesmanship, Intimidation, Golf Shoes to Throw Your Competition Off Their Game
Posted on August 18, 2009Check out the intimidating golf shoes disclosed in USPN D597733 titled ?Golf Shoe.? I am fairly confident that I would get laughed off the tee box if I showed up in these.David Dawsey ? The Golf Shoe Invention LawyerPS ? click here to check out another interesting golf shoe invention
Nike is Cranking Out New Driver Designs; Which of These Designs Would Find a Place in Your Bag
Posted on August 15, 2009The Nike Golf R&D department appears to have been busy lately. Just consider the shape shifting design that I posted about last month (click HERE to read). This week two more interesting Nike patent applications published disclosing some rather radical designs...
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: "Irreconcilably Inconsistent Jury Verdicts" Results in Remand for a New Trial Regarding the Original ProV1 Patent Infringement Lawsuit
Posted on August 14, 2009Judges make it to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) because they are legal scholars and excellent writers. Thus, I would be cheating you if I tried to chop up their Decision into sound bites. Please read and enjoy the actual Decision in PDF form HERE...
Acushnet's Appeal to CAFC Successful in ProV1 Golf Ball Patent Litigation with Callaway
Posted on August 14, 2009Check out THIS news release from the Dow Jones Newswires. More to come once I have time to research this.David Dawsey - The IP Golf Guy
Ahh, There's My Problem; My Huge Driver Does Not Look Ridiculous Enough
Posted on August 13, 2009Today a patent application published that makes me wonder whether the inventor has ever actually played golf. The application published as US Pub. No. 20090203466 titled ?Golf Club Head? and describes the invention as:The present invention discloses a golf club head, particularly a club head structure for driving a golf ball, and the golf club head includes a club head body and a striking surface, and the striking surface is substantially in a hemispherical shape or a semicircular tubular shape, such that the golf ball also has a circular contact surface for producing a reaction force during a collision with each other to produce an explosive force at a ball striking point and drive the golf ball to a farther driving distance and enhance the practicability and value of the golf club head structure...
Cleveland Golf?s Mystery Shopper Reveals Alleged Counterfeiters and Results in IP Infringement Lawsuit
Posted on August 13, 2009Cleveland Golf sure seems to do a good job monitoring online sales of their products to ensure they are real Cleveland clubs sold in an authorized manner. You may recall a previous post titled ?Cleveland Golf Cracks Down on Unauthorized Online Sales.? Yesterday Cleveland continued to demonstrate their market awareness and filed a lawsuit against the operators of the website ?CopyCatClubs? for allegedly selling a counterfeit Cleveland® HiBore® driver, Cleveland® CG14® Black Pearl wedge, Cleveland® CG10® wedge, Cleveland® CG12® wedge, and Cleveland® 588® wedge to one of Cleveland Golf?s ?mystery shoppers...
Can You Identify This Fairway Wood? I Could Not
Posted on August 11, 2009Today a design patent issued on a fairway wood that I did not recognize and I immediately thought that I had uncovered something great. Unfortunately, not so. Is your knowledge of fairway woods better than mine? Can you identify the model of this club (not just the manufacturer)? Click HERE for the answer...
The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?Competitive IP Intelligence? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program
Posted on August 10, 2009I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed competitive intelligence and steps that small business owners can take to monitor intellectual property issues in their industry...
Acushnet Weighs in on Groove Designs
Posted on August 09, 2009Recently I have posted about some interesting groove patent applications by Karsten Manufacturing (aka PING) and Bridgestone. Well, don?t count Acushnet out, as they had an interesting groove patent issue this week. The patent is USPN 7568983 titled ?Golf Club Head Groove Configuration...
Bridgestone?s Take on Grooves, and it is Similar to PING?s Take on Grooves
Posted on August 06, 2009Back in January I authored a post titled ?Grooves of the Future?? in which an interesting patent application by Karsten Manufacturing (aka PING) was examined. Check it out if you aren?t familiar with it because it provides some context to the groove designs disclosed in this post...
Ever Struggle to Get the Second Strap of Your Carry Bag Over Your Shoulder (of course you do, who doesn?t)? Well an Ogio Golf Bag Invention may be the Solution
Posted on August 05, 2009Familiar with that fish out of water feeling when trying to get your left arm through that second carry strap? (and how it typically occurs when a cute beer cart girl is driving past) Well, Ogio recently received a patent on a device that may eliminate the fish out of water feeling and the odd glances of passersby as it appears that you are practicing your swimming stroke or swinging at flies...
It Ain?t Pretty, but I Bet There is a Market for this Putter
Posted on August 04, 2009There definitely seems to be a trend toward more ?senior friendly? golf products hitting the market, just see THIS prior post. Today an interesting putter design patent issued that may warrant consideration by all those golfers with aching backs. The patent is USPN D597615 titled ?Golf Putter...
PING?s New Golf Tee Designed to Minimize a Tee?s Effect on Flight Trajectory and Spin
Posted on July 31, 2009Would you ever think one of the big golf club OEM?s would get into the golf tee market? Not me, but that is just what Karsten seems to be considering. Yesterday Karsten had an interesting patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20090181806 titled ?Golf Tee and Methods to Manufacture Golf Tees...
You Gotta Be Kidding Me! Check Out This Patent Application
Posted on July 30, 2009Today a patent application published that made me scratch my head. The application published as US Pub. No. 20090191984 titled ?Tee Dispenser? and describes the invention as:The invention regards a method providing a tee dispenser (10) on a golf course, and the tee dispenser (10) itself...
Can You Identify These Irons?
Posted on July 28, 2009Do you recognize the irons disclosed in design patent USPN D597,157 titled ?Iron Type Golf Club Head? that issued today? You can click here for the answer. I like the design so much that I bought a set. Dave Dawsey - Watching Golf Iron PatentsPS ? click here to check out iron patent posts
Sun Mountain?s Golf Bag Hip Belt System
Posted on July 27, 2009An interesting golf bag patent application recently published directed to Sun Mountain?s hip belt system. The application published as US Publication No. 20090179058 titled ?Hip Belt System,? which describes the invention as:A hip belt system (10) for a golf bag (14) is provided for transferring a portion of the weight of the bag (14) during carrying to the hips of the user by way of a hip belt member (12)...
Watch Out, Nike Has Some Interesting Designs Up Their Sleeve. Can You Imagine Tiger Playing One of These?
Posted on July 23, 2009Just when you start to think that nothing will surprise you?. something always does. Today a Nike patent application caught me off guard with talk of adjustments to ?change the overall exterior shape.? Do what?The application published as US Pub. No. 20090186717 titled ?Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads with Adjustable Center of Gravity and Moment of Inertia Characteristics,? and describes the invention as:Golf clubs, club heads, and club weighting systems may include: (a) a club head body member; and (b) one or more weight members movably engaged with the club head body member so as to move between a first position and a second position to change an overall exterior shape of the club head...
I Can?t Decide, Is This Swing Training Invention a Birdie or a Bogey?
Posted on July 20, 2009An interesting swing training invention is disclosed in a patent application that published this week, but I can?t decide if this is a really good idea or just another toy to collect dust in the basement. The application published as US Pub. No. 20090181785 titled ?Golf Swing Training Apparatus? and describes the invention as:A golf swing training apparatus and method of using same that instructs a trainee in the two optimum golf swings, namely an inward swing and an outward swing...
British Open IP and Lee Westwood's Roster of Sponsors
Posted on July 19, 2009Click HERE to read a prior post about the trademark portfolio associated with the British Open. Enjoy. Also, while you are watching the tournament today try to count the number of sponsors listed on Lee Westwood's shirt and hat. More significantly, how many of them can you actually read? During yesterday's press conference I counted no less than 7 different companies, and about 5 that I could actually read...
Could One of These Designs be the Future of the ?#1 Ball in Golf??
Posted on July 17, 2009This has been a good week for interesting golf ball IP. Just yesterday an Acushnet patent application was published as US Publication No. 20090181805 titled ?Golf Ball Surface Patterns Comprising Variable Width/Depth Multiple Channels,? and it will blow your mind...
The Perfect Putter Invention for Golfers that have Bad Backs
Posted on July 15, 2009Ever heard of the Nickel Putter company? Well this week they were granted a patent on a pretty slick combination putter and ball marker. The patent is USPN 7559848 titled ?Golf Club? and describes the invention as:A golf club has a device for the alternate picking up and simultaneous placing down of a marker on the green or respectively the placing down of a golf ball through the intermediary of a mechanical pivotal mechanism, wherein both the picking up of the ball and the simultaneous placing of the marker as well as the placing of the ball and the picking up of the marker from the green is effected by the player whilst in a substantially standing position...
Bridgestone?s Latest Golf Ball Patent, I Bet You Have Never Seen a Dimple Like This
Posted on July 14, 2009Golf technology, and the associated research and development, never cease to amaze me. Today Bridgestone had a golf ball patent issue on a dimple pattern designed specifically to maximize distance under low spin conditions. The Bridgestone patent issued as USPN 7559857 titled ?Golf Ball,? which describes the invention as:An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having an improved aesthetic appearance and enhanced flying performance...
How Is a High Spin Wedge Designed Without Concern for the Grooves?
Posted on July 12, 2009Well, I have no idea?. but I will tell you how Japanese club maker K.K. Endo Seisakusho says they can do it; namely, by going against conventional thinking regarding the location of a club head's center of gravity (CG).Would you ever think that raising the center of gravity of a wedge head would result in more spin? Well, a recently published patent application indicates that increasing the CG height of the wedge above the center of the ball can increase the resulting spin on the ball...
Is Your Wedge Lacking the Appropriate Traces?
Posted on July 09, 2009What?s a trace you ask? Take a look at these figures from a Bridgestone patent application that published today and it will become clear. Starting to see a trend? There is a lot of real estate between those grooves to capitalize on. Recall my post titled ?Does Your Club Face Need Some Engineered Texturing? Taylor Made Thinks So!? The Bridgestone patent application published today as US Pub...
An Adjustable Tension Putter Face
Posted on July 07, 2009Recently a patent application published disclosing an interesting adjustable putter face. The application originates from Korea, so it is not the easiest to read but the drawings help fill the holes. The application published as US Publication No. 20090170628 titled ?Head for Golf Putter? and describes the invention as:A head for a putter of golf club provides more effective result by improving top spin of golf ball rolling into a hole cup by a putting (striking) on a putting green and thus increasing a straightness that a direction of golf ball and a distance do not change even in a mistaken putting...
Would These Shoes Have Saved Tiger?s Knee?
Posted on July 06, 2009There aren?t too many interesting golf shoe inventions, but this is one. Check out the golf shoe design disclosed in a patent application that recently published as 20090165336 titled ?Magnetic Swivel Sports Shoes.? Wow, think those spikes may do a little damage to the greens? Substitute regular golf cleats and they may have something...
PING?s Latest Vibration Dampening Iron Design
Posted on July 03, 2009Vibration dampening of golf irons has been a popular subject in golf club patents for the past decade. Recently Karsten Manufacturing, maker of PING brand clubs, had a patent application publish disclosing a club head design that they have been working on to reduce club head vibration...
Every Superintendent?s Worst Nightmare, Metal Golf Tees
Posted on July 02, 2009I don?t know what to think about this recently published patent application. It there really a need for metal golf tees? The patent application published today as US Pub. No. 20090170638 titled ?Golf Tee and Method for Making Same? and describes the invention as:An exemplary golf tee (100) includes a substrate (100a) and a coating film (100b)...
What Could Heavy Putter Have In Store for Golfers? It?s Not a Putter!
Posted on July 01, 2009Virtually all serious golfers are familiar with the putters from Heavy Putter. Heck, it seems that lately it is hard to avoid hearing about Heavy Putters, due in part to John Daly?s use of their products. Well, how does Heavy Putter plan to capitalize on their recent spike in popularity? Well, on Friday they filed a trademark application indicating their intent to use the trademark Heavy Wedge™ on ?golf clubs?; and it doesn?t take a genius to speculate that those ?golf clubs? might just be a new line of wedges! The trademark application is US Serial No...
Callaway is Still Working on the ?C-Shaped Golf Club Head?! I am Starting to Think that it has a Shot of Actually Making it into Production
Posted on June 26, 2009Regulars of the Golf-Patents.com blog may recall a post titled ?Is This Callaway Driver Radical Enough for You??, as well as the follow-up post titled ?Callaway Received a Patent on the ?C-Shaped Golf Club Head?; Will This Club Actually Make it to the Market??...
An Update: Could It Be PING?s New G15 or i15?
Posted on June 25, 2009Last week I reported on some possible designs of the next PING driver. Well, this week another design patent issued that may give us an even better idea of what the next generation of PING drivers may look like. The patent that issued this week is USPN D594919 titled ?Golf Club Head...
A Training Aid for All the Followers of the ?Stack and Tilt? Methodology
Posted on June 24, 2009I have to admit that I purposely avoid reading all the hype regarding ?stack and tilt;? after all, my game has bigger issues (like the inability to hit a decent wedge shot). However, I do know that some golfers swear by ?stack and tilt? and say that it has changed their games...
Toss Out Your GPS, Forget About Laser Range Finders, Is This the Next Big Thing in Range Finders?
Posted on June 22, 2009Technically challenged? If so, a recently published patent application describes a range finder that may be perfect for you. The patent application (US Pub. No. 20090151177) describes the invention as:Range finder for determining the distance between the user and an object of known height or width, such as a golf flagstick, structure, etc...
A PING Golf Bag That Would Sell, But Would You Want a Golfer in Your Group to Have One?
Posted on June 20, 2009I have no doubt that young golfers would buy the PING golf bag described in a patent application that published this week as US Pub. No. 20090152144 titled ?Golf Bag Having Shoulder Strap With An Electronic Device.? The application described the invention as:A golf bag having a shoulder strap with a pocket for housing an electronic device such as an MP3 player, a radio, CD player, cassette player, and like devices...
Will Callaway Move Away from Their HEX Aerodynamics Technology?
Posted on June 18, 2009Most golfers can look at a pile of unlabeled golf balls and easily identify the Callaway balls because of their unique HEX aerodynamic technology; but in the future will we be seeing more traditional circular dimples on Callaway balls? One could be led to that conclusion after reading a Callaway golf ball patent that issued this week as USPN 7547259 titled ?Aerodynamic Pattern for a Golf Ball...
Could It Be the New PING G15 or i15?
Posted on June 16, 2009Karsten Manufacturing, maker of PING brand golf clubs, had 3 design patents issue today. Interestingly, the patent applications were filed less than 5 months ago, leading me to believe that these patents may give us a peak at some new PING products in the pipeline...
Professional Golfers and Related Agents Need to Act Today to Avoid Facebook Hassles
Posted on June 12, 2009I have authored many posts regarding celebrity athletes protecting their brands via the trademark system. You may check out a few here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Well, now it is time for these celebriletes (yes, I just made that word up) to take the next step to prevent others from snatching up a new Facebook vanity URL incorporating their trademarks...
Test Your MOI Knowledge & Check Out Some Creative Acushnet Club Head Designs
Posted on June 12, 2009In the past I have profiled some rather unusual, some may say unique, golf club designs by Callaway, Taylor Made, and Bridgestone; however I have never reported on any Acushnet patent applications disclosing club head designs that lean toward the unconventional...
Hot Product or Flop Product? Now This is a True Sunday Bag!
Posted on June 11, 2009It doesn?t take a lot to explain this golf bag invention, check it out! The invention is described in a patent application that published today as US Pub. No. 20090145787 titled ?Golf Bag.? The application explains the need for the invention as follows:[0003] Transport to and from the golf sport facilities can of course be carried out in many different ways, but some ways of transportation are associated with certain problems...
Adidas, TaylorMade, Callaway, and Ecco Sued for Golf Shoe Spike Patent Infringement
Posted on June 09, 2009Many golfers would be surprised by the amount of litigation concerning patents on golf shoe spikes; just check out these prior posts (post 1, post 2). In the latest round of litigation Greenkeepers takes on Adidas, TaylorMade, Callaway, and Ecco. These defendants are in good company in that Acushnet, Softspikes, Nike, and MacNeil Engineering (maker of Champ Spikes) have all also been sued by Greenskeepers...
Is Callaway Getting into the Movable Weight Technology (MWT) Game? Is this Callaway?s new Wing Notch Weighting (WNW)?
Posted on June 05, 2009Roughly one year ago I noticed that Callaway had filed a trademark application for the WING NOTCH WEIGHTING mark. What could it be? Well, this week a Callaway patent application published that may give us a look at the Wing Notch Weighting? system that may be coming out in the new FT 11, or perhaps the FT-MACH 11, FT-JET, or FT-BLACKHAWK...
Cleveland Golf Cracks Down on Unauthorized Online Sales
Posted on June 02, 2009Since 2008 a pair of eBay sellers have sold over 10,000 Cleveland golf clubs totaling $1.7 million in sales to customers around the world. Not bad! So, why would Cleveland Golf sue them? Because the eBay sellers are ?not, and never have been, Authorized Dealers of Cleveland Golf? and are obtaining ?their clubs from Authorized Dealers who are transshipping the clubs? in breach of their distribution agreements with Cleveland Golf...
Freddie?s New Prototype Bridgestone Driver?
Posted on June 01, 2009Probably not, but what a radical club for Bridgestone! Check out the driver disclosed in a patent application that published last week as US Pub. No. 20090137338 titled ?Wood-Type Golf Club Head.? The application explains: [0002] The present invention relates to a wood-type golf club head...
Selling Billions of Dollars Worth of Golf Balls Puts a Huge Target on the Back of Acushnet
Posted on May 28, 2009Titleist?s A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp is coming under fire! As we all know, golf equipment can never have enough acronyms! The A.I.M. sidestamp is that convenient line ending with arrowheads to help golfers align their putts. Lombardi Golf Designs is alleging that the alignment sidestamps on the Titleist Pro V1, Titleist Pro V1x, Titleist NXT Tour, Titleist NXT Extreme, Titleist DT Carry, Titleist DT Roll, Pinnacle Platinum Feel, Pinnacle Platinum Distance, Pinnacle Gold FX Soft, and Pinnacle Gold FX Long, infringe Lombardi?s design patent US Design Patent No...
Would You Game This Driver?
Posted on May 26, 2009I bet you have never seen a driver like this. Check out the driver design found in design patent USPN D592720 titled ?Golf Club Head,? which issued last week to Jack Hamm (the creator of some unconventional drivers). Would you game it?Dave Dawsey - Golf?s Intellectual Property LawyerPS ? click here to check out other driver design posts
Interesting Golf Club Grip Invention, But It Is Hard To Believe It Hasn?t Been Done Before
Posted on May 25, 2009Ever wish you could easily turn your trusted loyal old putter into a face balanced putter? The invention that is disclosed in recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20090131194 titled ?Weighted Golf Club Grips and Shafts? offers one way to achieve the goal...
Can You Identify This Callaway Driver? I Can?t; Perhaps it is a New Driver (or One that Just Didn?t Make the Cut)
Posted on May 21, 2009A design patent issued yesterday to Callaway that is directed to a driver that I have never seen before. The following drawings come from USPN D592721 titled ?Golf Club Head.? So, what do you think?. something new, something old, or something that never made it out of R&D?Dave Dawsey - The IP Golf AttorneyPS ? click here to check out other driver design posts
GolfTech and Edens Technologies Agree on a Patent Infringement Damages Amount, Guess How Much
Posted on May 20, 2009Following up on my recent post titled ?GolfTech Wins & the Dancin? Dogg Loses?, can you guess the damages associated with Dancin?Dogg personal golf simulator?s infringement of GolfTech?s USPN 6821211 titled ?Sport Swing Analysis System??I would never have guessed, but the parties consented to $743,246! Who knew that these things must sell pretty well...
Golf Balls are Big Business!
Posted on May 19, 2009One need only look at the list of golf ball patent applications that published last week to get a feel for the competitiveness of the golf ball industry. Last week alone Acushnet had 15 golf ball patent applications publish, SRI Sports (aka Srixon) had 5 golf ball patent applications publish, and Bridgestone had 4 golf ball patent applications publish...
An Interesting Article on PING?s Struggles with the USPTO to Register a Trademark on the CRAZ-E Putter Design
Posted on May 18, 2009The TTABlog® is a pretty popular blog among IP attorneys. Recently it had a great POST regarding Karsten?s attempt to register the shape of the CRAZ-E putter as a trademark. Check it out.David Dawsey ? The Golf Trademark AttorneyPS - Why federally register a club head design as a trademark? A registered trademark can last forever, while design and utility patents have fixed terms...
How Efficient is Your Golf Swing? A New Club from Acushnet May Tell You Via a Display Right on the Club
Posted on May 16, 2009An interesting Acushnet patent application published this week as US Pub. No. 20090120197 titled ?Golf Club Head Comprising a Piezoelectric Sensor.? The application describes the invention as:An apparatus and method for determining the kinematic characteristics of a golf club head are disclosed...
Is it Just a Matter of Time Before Everyone is Wearing This Invention on Their Golf Shoes?
Posted on May 15, 2009Probably not, but check out this invention! Wow, check out that hosel wrap! When was the last time you had a club that looked like that? The drawings come from a patent application that published yesterday as US Pub. No. 20090119857 titled ?Golf Clubhead Cleaning Device...
Have You Seen the New Rife Drivers?
Posted on May 14, 2009Well, neither have I.... but a recently published patent application may indicate that Rife Putters is looking to branch out. Today Mr. Rife had a patent application publish that may give us an idea of what he has been thinking about; namely, the soles of metal woods...
An Update on the Latest Golf Ball Patent Infringement Lawsuits
Posted on May 08, 2009Recall my POST back in March about the ongoing litigation-fest between Callaway and Acushnet regarding golf ball patent infringement? If not, Callaway Golf and Acushnet (aka Titleist) have been keeping golf patent litigation lawyers well fed and nicely clothed for years...
Round 2: Inventions Directed to Controlling the Lower Body During a Golf Swing
Posted on May 07, 2009Yesterday I posted about an invention designed to keep a golfer?s leading leg under control. Today let?s take a look a recently patented invention designed to keep the trailing leg under control. The invention is found in USPN 7517287 titled ?Golf Swing Improvement Device...
Round 1: Inventions Directed to Controlling the Lower Body During a Golf Swing
Posted on May 06, 2009What is more important during a golf swing, controlling the movement of your leading leg or your trailing leg? Beats me. Heck, if I knew then I would be a much better golfer.The reason I ask is that the USPTO records reveal two recently disclosed golf training inventions that take different approaches to controlling a golfer?s lower body...
If Priced Under $15, Sign Me Up!
Posted on May 05, 2009Every now and then I come across a golf training invention disclosed in a patent application that makes me say ?I would buy that (assuming it is priced right).? It happened last week when I came across the invention found in US Pub. No. 20090105004 titled ?Inertially Responsive Golf Club Head Mounted Device for Instructing Correct Club Face Direction & Swing Speed...
Sir Charles, This Invention is for You!
Posted on May 01, 2009Have you been watching The Haney Project: Charles Barkley show on TGC? If so, you have probably seen Charles hit some decent shots when Hank is standing over him holding his head; and you have probably also seen Charles hit some less than perfect shots as soon as Hank steps away...
Oh No, Has ?The Donald? Given Up On His Dreams of ?The Donald J. Trump World Open??
Posted on April 29, 2009It is hard to believe that it has been a year and a half since reporting on Donald?s intent to host ?The Donald J. Trump World Open.? Well, it appears that he may have given up on that dream. After 30 months to submit proof of his use of the THE DONALD J...
Callaway Received a Patent on the ?C-Shaped Golf Club Head?; Will This Club Actually Make it to the Market?
Posted on April 28, 2009Recall last year?s post titled ?Is This Callaway Driver Radical Enough for You?? Well, last week Callaway was granted a patent on the ?c-shaped golf club head.? Amazing design! The fact that Callaway paid the fees necessary to get the patent issued makes me think that they may actually produce this club! Heck, I would give it a try...
Comparing Golf Patents to Those of Other Sports
Posted on April 27, 2009The 12:01 Tuesday blog recently had a great post entitled ?The Sport of the Patent?. The name of the blog (12:01 Tuesday) originates from the fact that every Tuesday after midnight the United States Patent and Trademark Office issues its weekly dose of about 3,500 patents, indicating the vesting of exclusive rights to their inventors or assignees...
Familiar with Golf?s Magic Lines?
Posted on April 23, 2009The inventor listed on a recently published patent application wants to educate golfers on ?golf?s magic lines.? The application published as US Pub. No. 20090098953 titled ?Method for Teaching a Golf Swing Using Simple Thought Imagery and Very Limited Body Awareness...
Don?t Mess With the USGA; USGA Sues ISaAC Scoring Systems for Trademark Infringement
Posted on April 21, 2009On Friday the USGA filed a Complaint accusing ISaAC Scoring Systems of false advertising, service mark infringement, false designation of origin, common law unfair competition, unfair competition under New Jersey Fair Trade Act, misappropriation, and tortuous interference with business relationships...
What?s Next for PING? You Can Probably Guess
Posted on April 20, 2009Following up on my recent POST regarding a few interesting Callaway trademark applications, what does PING have in store for their future product lines? Not surprisingly, PING is keeping the ?G? and ?i? product lines alive. Earlier this month they filed trademark applications seeking protection for the G15 mark and the i15 mark...
What?s Next for Callaway?
Posted on April 18, 2009It has been over 1.5 years since I last reported on Callaway?s trademark filings. Well, an update may provide some insight on future Callaway clubs.USPTO records indicate that Callaway intends to use EN FUEGO and JAWS GROOVES as trademarks associated with golf clubs...
Want to Reduce the Scatter of Your Tee Shots? Author of Several Golf Club R&D Books Receives Interesting Elastic Club Head Patent That May Help Out
Posted on April 16, 2009Are you familiar with Dr. Frank D. Werner? He is the author of a handful of books (example 1, 2) on golf club engineering, and was one of the early supporters of square drivers (see THIS prior post). Based upon his bio, I would bet that Frank is one smart guy...
Do Your Shafts Have Enough Fullerene? Perhaps Insulting Senior Golfers Is a Good IP Strategy
Posted on April 15, 2009Can you identify this molecular structure? Luckily, the golf shaft designers at SRI Sports know the molecular structure of fullerene. Yesterday, SRI was granted an interesting golf shaft patent; namely, USPN 7517288 titled ?Golf Club Shaft.? The patent describes the invention as:A golf club shaft composed of a laminate of prepregs each containing a matrix resin and reinforcing fibers impregnated with the matrix resin...
The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?Selecting Product and Service Names that Can be Protected? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program
Posted on April 14, 2009I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed trademarks and some easy concepts that will help you select names for products and services that are protectable...
Do You Love Golf Enough To Try This Swing Training Aide?
Posted on April 13, 2009While I do love golf, I am not sure I would be willing to publicly use the device disclosed in the recently issued patent USPN 7513834 titled ?Golf Swing Training Device.? Check it out. Now the explanation:A golfer may practice his golf swing for many hours by hitting large numbers of golf balls and judging the effect on the ball to assess the proficiency of the swing...
Forget About Dual Durometer Grips; How About Variable Durometer Grips!
Posted on April 10, 2009An interesting golf grip patent recently issued. The patent is USPN 7510483 titled ?Golf Club Grip,? and describes the invention as:A pre-molded or moldable shaft grip includes a pre-configured or moldable section disposed within a substantially circular outer grip layer...
One More Reason to Admire Augusta National ? The Trademark Portfolio
Posted on April 09, 2009Click HERE to read a post that I authored a couple years ago regarding Augusta's trademark portfolio. Enjoy.David Dawsey - The Golf Trademark Lawyer
Perhaps I Should Re-Post My 2007 Masters Post and Give Lefty the Credit He Deserves
Posted on April 08, 2009This week?s GolfWorld magazine had an interesting article titled ?Masters of Design ? A Pair of Green Jacket Winners Also Had a Game in the Area of Club Invention.? I was impressed because I know how tedious it was to do the research necessary for me to write a short post back prior to the 2007 Masters titled ?Which Two Masters Champions Have Been Issued Utility Patents since 1976?? In fact, since my original post I discovered that another Masters champion had been unintentionally left off of my list (and GolfWorld's article); namely Lefty (aka Philip A...
What?s Your Vector Victor? Check Out SRI Sports? Swing Diagnosis System
Posted on April 07, 2009Recently SRI Sports (the parent company of Srixon and Cleveland Golf) was granted an interesting golf swing diagnosis system patent. The patent is USPN 7502491, which describes the invention as:A computer (15) captures the colored moving image of the golfer (11) who swings by gripping a golf club (12) having colored marks (M1 through M3) attached to a shaft (12a) thereof...
Watch Out Hank Haney! Are Driving Range Kiosks the Future of Golf Lessons?
Posted on April 05, 2009I doubt it, but driving range kiosks are an interesting idea. Recently a patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090069105 titled ?System and Method for Improving Golf Skills? and explains:Systems and methods for improving golf skills and related features are provided...
Grab Your Tape Measure, Patent Issues on the Proper Way to Determine the Ideal Shaft Length
Posted on April 01, 2009OK, you start by measuring: (i) the length from the floor to the ankle joint (while wearing shoes of similar heel size to that of a golf shoe), (ii) the length from the ankle joint to the knee joint, (iii) the length from the knee joint to the hip joint, (iv) the length from the hip joint of the shoulder joint, (v) the length from the shoulder joint to the knuckle of the middle finger of the right hand, (vi) you do the Hokey-Pokey, and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about! But seriously, according to the German inventor listed on USPN 7510490 titled ?Method for Determining Length of the Shaft of an Individually Adapted Golf Club? those are the measurements you need to properly determine a golf club shaft length...
Can You Identify This Driver?
Posted on March 31, 2009It has been a while since I have tested your golf club knowledge, so here we go. This club should be easy to identify given the huge quantity of advertisements and commercials. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued yesterday...
Several uPlay Technologies? (now Callaway) Patent Applications Publish, What Is The Next Step in Golf GPS Devices?
Posted on March 30, 2009Earlier this year Callaway Golf acquired uPlay Technologies and launched the new Callaway uPro website. In the past couple of weeks two uPlay patent applications published giving us the first look at uPlay?s intellectual property.The applications include US Pub...
Everyone Wants a Piece of the Golf GPS Market (Including Qualcomm)
Posted on March 29, 2009Qualcomm had an interesting patent application publish this week. The application published this week as US Pub. No. 20090082139 titled ?Methods and Apparatus for Determining Distances to Selected Targets on a Golf Course Using a Wireless Communications Device,? which describes the invention as:Devices, apparatus, systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for determining distances to targets, such as targets on a golf course using a wireless communication device...
It is Just a Matter of Time before We See Rory or Anthony Kim Wearing the ?All-In-One Golf Belt? on Tour
Posted on March 26, 2009Ahh, a patent application directed to incorporating Velcro or magnets into a belt to secure your golf glove, ball marker, repair tool, or ball pouch. I wonder if this application will ever grow into a patent. Regardless, it is entertaining.Check out these drawings...
If You Record Your Swing at the Course or on the Range, I Bet You Would Buy This Product!
Posted on March 25, 2009Are you one of those golf nuts that records their swings and analyzes every last aspect of it? If so, you will love this little product. The drawings from a patent application that published this week do a better job of describing the invention and I can do with words...
Can You Guess How Much Force is Applied to a Golf Ball as the Cover is Cast Around the Core?
Posted on March 21, 2009Well, it is far less than I would have guessed. For Acushnet, the answer is approximately 384 pounds of force. The answer comes from a patent application that published this week; namely, US Pub. No. 20090072437 titled ?High Speed Casting of a Golf Ball Layer...
Need a Few More Thoughts in Your Head as You Address the Ball? Try Wondering About Whether Your Ball has a Dimple Pattern Based on a Hexagonal Dipyramid Polyhedron!
Posted on March 20, 2009Welcome to my world. It is a miracle that I can swing a golf club with all the fascinating (some may say ?useless?) golf information floating around in my head!Several of the more interesting golf patents that issued this week concerned golf ball dimples...
Cool Bridgestone Golf Ball Dimple Patent Issued This Week, Could It Be The Key To Gaining Those Few Extra Yards?
Posted on March 18, 2009I love patents directed to golf ball aerodynamics and fortunately an interesting one issued this week. Yesterday Bridgestone was granted USPN 7503857 titled ?Golf Ball.? The patent describes the invention as:The invention provides a golf ball having a surface on which are formed a plurality of dimples having a circular outer edge that defines the dimple contour...
DeLaCruz Golf Designs Granted Putter Design Patent Today
Posted on March 17, 2009Familiar with the DeLaCruz SweetSlot line of putters? If not, check them out because they deserve a look.Well, today DeLaCruz Golf Designs was granted a design patent on some form of the SweetSlot putter. I say "some form" because the alignment features on the putter in the patent do not seem to match those of any of the putters on their website...
The New Plop Golf Centered Shafted Hosel Technology?. Breakthrough or Fluff?
Posted on March 14, 2009Recently Plop Golf has reemerged on the golf scene touting a new Center Shafted Hosel (CSH) technology. As with anything new, some have questioned whether the CSH technology is marketing hype or truly a technology improvement based upon sound engineering...
Am I the Only Golfer That Thinks Scented Golf Grips are Unnecessary?
Posted on March 13, 2009Back in December I wrote a post about a scented grip designed by Scotty Cameron. That was a little hard to believe, but then yesterday another patent application published directed to adding scent to a golf grip. Why? Why I ask? Can?t golfers just enjoy the clean fresh natural scent of a golf course!The patent application published as US Pub...
Next Hot Putter Grip or Broken Finger in the Making?
Posted on March 12, 2009An interesting putter grip patent application published today. Check out the putter grip disclosed in US Pub. No. 20090069106 titled ?Grip Arrangement for Golf Club.? The application explains:An improved grip arrangement for a golf club. The grip arrangement comprises a grip extension that extends substantially orthogonally from the shaft of the club and oriented to be substantially parallel to the club face...
If One Shaft is Good Then Two Shafts Must Be Better?. Right? The Wedge and Putter Edition
Posted on March 10, 2009Back in December I wrote a POST about a dual shafted driver. Never did I think that I would be writing a post about a two shafted putter and wedge just a few months later.I recently discovered USPN 5547196 titled ?Two-Shafted Golf Wedge Club and Method for Using Same...
What Has This Inventor Been Smoking?
Posted on March 08, 2009What would be your reaction if a member of your foursome started using their putter as a pipe (probably not to smoke tobacco)?Recently I came across USPN 6454661 titled ?Golf Club with Smoking Pipe Attachment.? The patent describes the invention as:It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a golf club which incorporates a smoking means and, in particular, a smoking pipe...
Do You Really Understand the Technology in Your Golf Shaft? Harrison Sports Granted Interesting Golf Shaft Patent
Posted on March 05, 2009The Love Continues: Callaway Sues Acushnet Regarding the Converted 2007 Pro V1?s and the New 2009 Pro V1x Golf Balls; Acushnet Sues Callaway Regarding the Tour i and Tour ix Golf Balls
Posted on March 03, 2009All Golfers Are Familiar With The ?Best Ball? Format, But What About The Patent Pending ?Worst Ball? Format?
Posted on February 28, 2009Great IP Video Library Dedicated to all of You that Just Can?t Learn Enough about Intellectual Property
Posted on February 27, 2009Finally, Logos Within the Dimples of a Golf Ball!
Posted on February 26, 2009Callaway had an interesting golf ball patent application publish today as US Pub. No. 20090054177 titled ?Dimples Composed of Letters or Symbols Inset into Cover,? which describes the invention as:The present invention relates to dimples and dimple patterns for golf balls (20), preferably dimple patterns composed of letters, symbols, logos and combinations thereof, inset into the cover of the golf ball (20)...
A Patent on a Method for Correcting a Golf Swing Using the Internet
Posted on February 25, 2009Really, a patent issued today directed to a method of correcting your golf swing over the internet. I know, hard to believe...
Hippo Golf on the Receiving End of Another Trademark Infringement Lawsuit, This Time Over Alleged Imitation ?Mitsubishi Rayon? Golf Shafts
Posted on February 21, 2009You may recall my prior posts (here and here) regarding a trademark dispute between John Daly and Hippo Holdings and Hippo Golf. Well, Hippo Golf is on the receiving end of another trademark infringement lawsuit; this time from MRC Golf Inc., aka Mitsubishi Rayon Company Golf...
Is Golden Tee at Risk? A Golf Game That Can Serve Double Duty and Help You Pick the Ideal Clubs for You
Posted on February 18, 2009Recently a patent application published that combines the best of a virtual reality golf game and the technical data of a launch monitor. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090036237 titled ?Golf Gaming Systems and Methods? and explains:[0005] The game of golf is enjoyed world-wide by both men and women from a variety of diverse cultures...
If You Can Putt With This Putting Practice Device Then You Should Be On Tour
Posted on February 16, 2009Ever practiced putting with an egg? Check out design patent USPN D586419 titled ?Golf Putting Practice Device,? which issued last week. Interesting concept!Dave Dawsey - Keeping an Eye on Golf Tee PatentsPS ? check out more putting related posts here
How Can You Go Wrong With An Elephant Hazard On A Golf Course
Posted on February 11, 2009This week a patent issued with the title ?Golf Ball Passing Elephant Miniature Golf Course Hazard,? so I had to check it out. The patent issued as USPN 7488260 and describes the invention as:A miniature golf course device that is in the shape of an elephant...
Is It The Next ZeroFriction Tee?
Posted on February 10, 2009Today an interesting golf tee design patent issued to Excel Golf Products, owners of the ZeroFriction line of tees, and Tocare line of grips. Check out this design: Looks like it would require delicate placement of the ball!The golf tee patent that issued today is USPN D586411 titled ?Golf Tee...
Hot Product or Flop Product? The Golf Bag with a Built-In Pull Cart
Posted on February 06, 2009An interesting patent application published with week covering a golf bag invention. Would you buy a golf bag that has a pull cart built into it? Check it out. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090033050 titled ?Integrated Golf Bag and Cart? and describes the invention as:An integrated golf bag and cart mainly combines the golf bag, internal container and cart into an integral body, which comprises an internal container, a bag body, a pull rod assembly and a wheel assembly, wherein, said internal container is disposed inside of the bag body for accommodating various golf clubs; the pull rod assembly and the wheel assembly are connected to the internal container and can be contained inside or protrudes outside of the bag body respectively; Besides, the internal container can also be used in association with the pull rod assembly and the wheel assembly to achieve the quick and convenient effect in carrying transportation or packing storage of golf clubs...
The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?Trade Secret Issues Common in Small Businesses? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program
Posted on February 06, 2009I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed trade secrets and how they relate to small businesses. I have been a fan of Jim?s show for close to 10 years and highly recommend it...
A Triple Threat; Head Cover, Swing Training Device, and Wind Sock!
Posted on February 03, 2009The idea of incorporating some type of drag chute into a training aide seems to be a pretty popular idea; just check out THIS previous post. Recently a patent issued on a more discreet variation; you know one that doesn?t scream ?hey look at me and my fancy training aide!? In fact, USPN 7479068 titled ?Golf Swing Training Device? nicely incorporates the ?drag chute? concept into a head cover...
This Club May Be A Tough Sell, Even for Callaway (but I would give it a try... for sure)
Posted on January 30, 2009While reviewing the golf club patents that issued this week I came across a Callaway patent titled ?Golf Club Head with Alignment Line.? I immediately assumed it was yet another putter alignment system patent. Since putter alignment systems are generally pretty innovative I immediately clicked on it to learn more...
Looking to Get a Little Extra Distance Out of Your Drives? Perhaps You Need an ?Assistive Energy Type Golf Club?
Posted on January 29, 2009An interesting patent application published today under the title of ?Method and Apparatus for an Assistive Energy Type Golf Club? (US Pub. No. 20090029793). The application explains that getting extra distance is simply a matter of timing; or more precisely the timing of an explosive charge, the release of a compressed spring or compressed gas, or other ?assistive energy? means...
A Bridgestone Golf Ball Fitting Patent Application Publishes! Should Contain All Sorts of Cool Ball Fitting Information, Right?
Posted on January 27, 2009Wrong! I wanted to read about all the cool stuff going on behind the computer screen. You know, relationships among launch angles, spin rates, ball speed, swing speed, ball hardness, influences of multi-piece ball construction, etc. Nope, none of that interesting information in this patent application; it is more like a softball marketing piece...
How is Your Knowledge of Triboluminescent Materials? Probably Not Good, but Would You Buy a Reversible Color-Changing Golf Ball? Taylor Made Hopes So
Posted on January 24, 2009If you are like me, and 99.99% of golfers, then you have no idea what triboluminescence is. Fortunately, a recently published Taylor Made golf ball patent application explains:[0054] Triboluminescence is an optical phenomenon in which light is generated or emitted by a material when that material is subjected to a force, stress or strain...
Want to Read Greens Like Camilo Villegas but Don?t Have the Back for It, or Is the Belly Getting in the Way?
Posted on January 22, 2009Having trouble reading the greens? If so, an invention disclosed in a recently published patent application may be just what you need. The application published as US Pub. No. 20090017943 titled ?Golf Green Reader? and included these drawings: The application describes the invention as:A Golf Green Reader is disclosed...
Proof That No Business Can Ignore Patents; Greg Norman Interactive Named in Patent Infringement Lawsuit Regarding a ?Size Adjustable Hat!?
Posted on January 20, 2009Watch out, if you wear a Greg Norman straw hat style GNS8AC20; you may be a patent infringer! Last week the Bollman Hat Company filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Greg Norman Interactive, LLC regarding the sale of the Greg Norman straw hat. You may read the Complaint HERE...
Bridgestone Wants Some Information Redacted from the ProV1 Litigation Court Order, But Why?
Posted on January 18, 2009Back in November the District Court issued several rulings regarding the ProV1 litigation (click HERE to refresh your memory). Well since then Acushnet has appealed several rulings to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), and as you know the CAFC let the injunction stand...
Golf Balls With Grooves; Truth or Fiction?
Posted on January 15, 2009Truth! Just consider the disclosure in an Acushnet patent application that published today. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090017941 titled ?Golf Ball Surface Patterns Comprising Multiple Channels? and contained the following drawings...
Really, Is a Heated Club Head Cover Necessary?
Posted on January 14, 2009I don?t know if a heated head cover is really "necessary," but some inventor must think that there is a market for heated head covers because they have filed a patent application directed to one such device. The patent application published as US Pub...
GolfTech Wins & the Dancin? Dogg Loses
Posted on January 13, 2009A little over one year ago I wrote about a patent infringement lawsuit that GolfTech filed against Edens Technologies LLC regarding their Dancin?Dogg personal golf simulator. The plaintiff is not the golfTEC teaching franchise, but rather the owner of USPN 6821211 titled ?Sport Swing Analysis System? and licensor of the technology for the P3ProSwing golf simulator and swing analyzer...
Talk About Alternative Energy! Why Not Generate Electrical Power From The Impact Of A Golf Club And Golf Ball?
Posted on January 10, 2009Generally it is easy to dismiss golf ball locating systems as impractical or technically impossible. Recently I was about to dismiss yet another such patent application simply from the abstract and title, but upon scratching the surface I realized that there was an awful lot of technical disclosure in the application...
Grooves of the Future?
Posted on January 08, 2009Grooves, grooves, grooves?. they have definitely been a hot topic for the past year at the USGA, which by default means they have been a topic for the club makers! Therefore, it should be no surprise that we are starting to see some interesting groove related inventions...
How Is Your Knowledge of Electromagnetic Field Theory, Soddy Circles, and Circle Packing Theory? Fortunately Acushnet?s Golf Ball Engineers Know a Little About These Subjects
Posted on January 07, 2009An interesting golf ball patent issued yesterday to Acushnet. The patent is USPN 7473194 titled ?Dimpled Golf Ball and Dimple Distributing Method? and describes the invention as:A golf ball having a plurality of dimples on its surface, the dimples as a whole are distributed on at least a portion of the golf ball based on Soddy circles...
Can You Identify These New Irons?
Posted on January 06, 2009How familiar are you with the new lines of ?players? irons? Do these look familiar? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D584370 titled ?Iron Golf Club Head,? which issued today. Nice looking sticks, but my game is not good enough for them...
Is Foam the Future of PING? Probably Not, But Check Out This Interesting Karsten Manufacturing Patent Application!
Posted on January 02, 2009In the past I have posted about some pretty unusual Callaway designs (here) as well as some rather unique Taylor Made designs (here). This week Karsten Manufacturing (aka PING) steps up to the plate with a surprising design.Last Thursday a patent application published as US Pub...
Is It A New Nike Putter? (Update - Apparently Not)
Posted on December 29, 2008**UPDATE 12/29 - I have received several emails from putter fanatics to inform me that this putter is actually an old Nike OZ Mallet, not a new product. Thank you to all those that emailed me!**I will be the first to admit that it is hard to keep up with all the different putter models that are launched every year...
More Entertaining Golf Patent Drawings
Posted on December 28, 2008How many oddities can you spot in this drawing from a patent directed to a golf club for shots within sixty yards of the green? The drawing comes from USPN 6605006 titled ?Golf Club? which describes the invention as:A golf club for effecting shots within sixty yards of play to the "green"...
A Couple of Christmas Related Golf Inventions
Posted on December 26, 2008Merry Christmas! I thought I would find some interesting inventions that combine golf and the Christmas spirit. Should be easy, right? Nope, but here are two inventions that have at least some link to Christmas and golf.Would you use a Christmas tree shaped golf club carrier? The inventors of USPN 6032999 titled ?Golf Club and Accessory Carrier? hope that you will...
Hotter Than The ProV1 Litigation? Ever Heard Of The Swingless® Golf Club?
Posted on December 21, 2008Lately the golf patent litigation scene has been a little slow. Perhaps that has changed with an exciting case filed this week concerning golf clubs that I did not know existed. OK, exciting may be a bit of a stretch, but did you know that there is a market for golf clubs that you don?t swing?Check out THIS website to learn about the Swingless® golf club...
Who Knows Branding? Boo Knows Branding
Posted on December 21, 2008There is no doubt that Boo Weekley is a likeable character. Therefore it is good to see that someone is advising him on building and protecting the BOO brand. Check out Boo?s trademark portfolio!I) Boo Weekley: Serial No. 77584994 IC 025. US 022 039...
Do You Sell Used Golf Clubs Online? If So, This Patent Application Should Be Of Interest To You
Posted on December 19, 2008Ever heard of Global Value Commerce, Inc.? Me neither, but a quick Google search reveals that it is the company that owns and operates the popular GlobalGolf® website.Well, this week GVC had an interesting patent application publish giving us an inside look at some intellectual property that GVC would love to own outright...
Another Interesting Putting Training Device; The Magic of Magnets!
Posted on December 17, 2008A pretty cool putting training aide was granted a patent this week. The patent is USPN 7465237 titled ?Magnetic Golf Putting Training Device.? The invention is described as:A magnetic golf putting training device (1) having an attachment device (10) with two arms (3a and 3b), a clamp (25) for removably attaching the attachment device (10) to a putter (2), magnets (11a and 11b) located on the arms (3a and 3b) and guiding magnets (12a and 12b)...
A Practice Putter That Looks Pretty Good
Posted on December 14, 2008An interesting patent application published this week directed to a training putter. At first I thought it looked crazy, but the more I read about it the more I started to think that it might be a pretty good idea. The application published as US Pub...
Would You Play A Scented Golf Grip That Feels Like Jelly? Scotty Cameron Thinks So!
Posted on December 14, 2008Some people are of the belief that one should stick with what they are good at; while others think that one should try as many different things as possible and expand their horizons. You be the judge?. Should Mr. Cameron stick with designing putters or does he have a potential hit on his hands with this golf grip concept?Scotty had a grip related patent application publish this week as US Pub...
Everyone Has Seen Deep Face Drivers, But How About a Deep Face Putter?
Posted on December 09, 2008An interesting putter patent issued today related to a deep face putter. The patent is USPN 7462111 titled ?Confidence Putter? and describes the invention as: A putter with a ball striking surface sufficiently large enough to inspire confidence that the ball will be struck within the sweet spot that is weighted to facilitate a pendulum putting stroke...
New Golf Courses.... Take More Care in Selecting Your Names; It Will Save A Ton of Money in the Long Run!
Posted on December 09, 2008Golf course developers, please?. please?. take a lesson from almost every other industry in existence. Don?t select a name for a golf course unless you are sure that it can be protected (i.e. obtain federal trademark registration) and enforced to prevent others from using the name...
What is More Embarrassing, Carrying a Ball Retriever or Having a Soaking Wet Putter Grip?
Posted on December 09, 2008Check out the ball retriever found in a design patent that issued this week. This retriever design is found in USPN D582496 titled ?Golf Ball Retriever.? I suppose it would work without getting your grip wet if your ball was in a shallow puddle.David Dawsey - Monitoring Golf Product Inventions
Northern Golfers, How Do You Satisfy Your Craving for Winter Golf?
Posted on December 06, 2008Perhaps a golf board game is the answer to the winter blues. Interestingly, a patent recently issued on one such game. The patent is USPN 7448628 titled ?Golf Board Game? and describes the game as:To accomplish this, the present golf board game consists of a game board, a token representing a golf ball, a list card, scorecards, and a die...
The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?Common Copyright Issues and Myths? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program
Posted on December 04, 2008I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed some common copyright issues experienced by small business owners and attempted to debunk some common copyright myths...
Cool Golf Grip Patents Don?t Come Along Everyday, So Check This Out!
Posted on December 04, 2008This week Eaton Corp., parent company of Golf Pride, was issued a rather interesting golf grip patent. The patent is USPN 7458902 titled ?Changeable Golf Grip.? I know?. I also said ?what is a CHANGEABLE golf grip??Before we dive into the invention, a bit of background is in order: Originally, golf club grips consisted primarily of a leather wrap around a handle...
If One Shaft is Good Then Two Shafts Must Be Better..... Right?
Posted on December 01, 2008Why hasn?t this club made it to the market? Oh well, I can always dream. Check out that grip!The club pictured above is found in USPN 5556345 titled ?Golf Club With Improved Shafts.? The patent describes the invention as: A golf club adapted to reduce club head rotation during the downswing and when contacting a golf ball, includes a club head, a hand grip portion, and two shafts interconnecting the club head and the hand grip portion...
Truly Revolutionary Driver Design? Probably Not
Posted on November 30, 2008An interesting driver design appeared in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20080280697 titled ?Golf Club Head and Shaft Assembly.? While I would like to swing an actual production driver constructed per this design, my gut tells me that I have seen this concept disclosed several times in the past...
Will We Be Playing Foam-Core Golf Balls Soon? How Well Do You Know What Makes Your Golf Ball Perform?
Posted on November 30, 2008An interesting golf ball patent issued this month to Acushnet. The patent is USPN 7452291 titled ?Foam-Core Golf Balls? and describes the invention as:The present invention is directed to a golf ball with a controlled moment of inertia and controlled spin rate...
Golf Club Shaft Technology, The Least Understood Golf Technology
Posted on November 30, 2008How well do you understand the technology behind golf club shafts? If you are like most golfers, then you might know a few buzz words like kick point, torque, and flex, but probably don?t understand the impact that various construction techniques have on a shaft's properties...
Another Interesting Patent Pending Putting Stroke; Doesn?t Every Putter Grip Need a Ball at the End?
Posted on November 22, 2008Patent applications directed to unique methods of putting always grab my attention. Perhaps it is because no matter how bad I am putting I would never think that I should just try unconventional methods of holding and swinging the putter until my putting improves (probably a result of close my minded engineering education rather than a creative artistic education)...
True to Their Words, Acushnet Appeals
Posted on November 20, 2008Yesterday Acushnet did what it promised and filed an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) in the Titleist ProV1 patent dispute. The case was destined for an appeal; it was just a matter of when it would occur. After all, since there has been over $1...
Just Like Justin Timberlake, I Will Only Be Playing Callaway Golf Balls for the Next 12 Months
Posted on November 20, 2008Well, it is long overdue?. the time has come for me to eat my words!While reviewing my posts regarding the ProV1 litigation in an effort to refresh my memory regarding the case I stumbled upon a prediction that I made in a prior post. I gave my prediction regarding the likelihood of an injunction and stated:I have to admit that prior to reading this ?reply? my gut feeling was that there was a 10 percent chance, at best, that some form of an injunction would be granted...
Callaway and Acushnet Settle!
Posted on November 16, 2008OK, the title may be a little misleading. Callaway and Acushnet did settle a patent infringement lawsuit, just not the lawsuit that has garnered so much recent publicity.Regular readers of the Golf-Patents blog will recall that Callaway and Acushnet (parent company of Titleist and Cobra) have been fighting it out over more than just the ProV1?s...
The ProV1 Litigation Update: Get Them While You Can.... Permanent Injunction Granted and No ProV1's Beyond 2008!
Posted on November 11, 2008Delaware District Court Judge The Honorable Sue L. Robinson has been busy. Yesterday the Court issued several Orders that may influence your golf ball purchases over the next few weeks!Unfortunately I am tied up with prior commitments today and cannot summarize the documents for you (and no, my prior commitments do not involve purchasing every ProV1 that I can find in hopes of selling them for a nice premium, although that might not be a bad idea)...
If You Practice Putting a Lot, or are a Tour Caddy, This Invention May Reduce Your Back Pain
Posted on November 09, 2008An interesting patent application published this week as US Pub. No. 20080274838 titled ?Golf Ball Positioning Dispenser for Putting Practice.? The application describes the invention as:The golf ball positioning dispenser for putting practice comprises a hollow tube for holding golf balls...
Does Your Club Face Need Some Engineered Texturing? Taylor Made Thinks So!
Posted on November 06, 2008An interesting patent issued this week to Taylor Made. The patent is USPN 7445561 titled ?Golf Club Striking Face,? which describes the invention as:A golf club head in accordance with the invention includes a front wall defining a forward striking face having an engineered texture thereon...
Can You Identify These Irons?
Posted on November 05, 2008How familiar are you with the new lines of irons? Do these look familiar? If not, get your priorities in order!You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D579996 titled ?Golf Club Head.? Dave Dawsey - Watching Golf Iron PatentsPS ? click here to check out iron patent posts
The Next Hot Putter on Tour? Get a Grip!
Posted on November 03, 2008One of the things that makes golfers so interesting is that we are always looking for that one easy fix to gain 5 more yards, hit one more fairway, save one putt per round, and on, and on, ?. I am guilty of it. It is the same mentality of many investors that always believe there is one hot stock tip out there that will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams...
Can You Identify the Pro that Invented this Putter?
Posted on October 29, 2008Check out this putter design. Can you identify the pro that is named as one of the inventors?Here is a hint?. The pro has over 70 professional victories including 10 major championships and has career earnings of over $22 million!The putter is covered by USPN D407445 titled ?Golf Putter Head with Recessed and Curved and Fluted Rear Side...
You Will Have to See the Latest Published Acushnet Golf Ball Patent Application to Believe It!
Posted on October 28, 2008Check out these golf ball dimple variations:The drawings come from an Acushnet patent application that published last week as US Pub. No. 20080261725 titled ?Golf Ball Dimples with Spiral Depressions.? The patent application describes the invention as:A golf ball includes a spherical outer surface and a plurality of dimples formed thereon...
Interesting Driver Designed to Prevent Hooks and Slices? Think It Will Make It To The Market?
Posted on October 27, 2008Check out this driver?.These drawings are from a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20080171610 titled ?Golf Club for Preventing Hook and Slice? and describes the invention as:Disclosed therein is a golf club for preventing a hook and a slice, which can allow a golfer to easily control the golf club while swinging the golf club since a sole progression having a side width extending backwardly from a club head face and a sole plate having a bottom area are formed small by cutting a part of the rear side of a club head, thereby preventing the hook and slice due to a light weight of the club head and minimization of a frictional area between the ground and the club head...
Have Enough Fiber in Your Diet? How About in Your Golf Ball?
Posted on October 24, 2008Is it the next ProV? I doubt it, but Acushnet did have an interesting golf ball patent application publish this week. The application published as US Pub. No. 20080254913 titled ?Golf Ball With A Translucent Layer Comprising Composite Material,? which includes the following description:A golf ball having at least a core and a composite layer comprising a fibrous material and a matrix material is disclosed...
GPS Litigation Update: What Do the Phrases ?Locating the Position of the Cup? and ?Storing the Position of the Cup? Mean?
Posted on October 22, 2008Simple...... it depends. After all, what is a ?cup?? Kidding, of course, the ?cup? is that little hole in the green that my ball tends to avoid.In order to get you in the GPS patent frame of mind, a short history of the case is necessary. Almost a year and a half ago I reported that GPS Industries and Optimal IP Holdings filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 10 defendants (3:07CV0831-K, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division) that I characterized as reading like a Who?s Who of the golfing GPS world...
Ultra-Compact Collapsible Golf Pull Cart
Posted on October 18, 2008A pretty cool compact collapsible golf pull cart was disclosed in a recently published patent application. It looks like a genius design that achieves a very compact storage arrangement; but my initial reaction is that the transformation to and from the storage position may be a little cumbersome and time consuming...
Are You More Likely to See This Invention in the Bedroom or the Golf Bag?
Posted on October 16, 2008A rather interesting golf related patent issued last week as USPN 7431199 titled ?Golf Flog.? Yes, I know?. a what! A golf flog (yes, golf spelled backwards)!What would your reaction be if you met up with some strangers on the first tee and one of them pulled this flog out of their bag?The patent explains:Golf has traditionally been considered a very challenging sport...
An Unusual Putter Design That I Would Like to Try
Posted on October 14, 2008Check out this putter design found in the recently issued utility patent USPN 7407446 titled ?Putter with Aligned Front and Back Weights and a Forwardly Angled Shaft.?The patent describes the invention as:A putter constructed for an improved golf swing with the desired straight back-and-forth stroke...
ProV1 Litigation Update ? Acushnet Updates the Court Regarding the USPTO?s Views of the Callaway Patents
Posted on October 10, 2008As you should know by now, the Callaway v. Titleist (Acushnet) golf ball battle has been pending for a couple of years, so a quick refresher is in order. Back in December a jury found that 8 of the 9 claims in the 4 patents-in-suit were VALID, and therefore infringed by Acushnet (click HERE to read the post on the verdict)...
Driver of the Future? Probably Not
Posted on October 09, 2008I have heard that some golfers cannot hit the ball on the club head sweet spot. Hard to believe, I know. Well if you are one of those unfortunate golfers then the club disclosed in USPN 7070514 titled ?Golf Club Head Having Internal Impact Assembly? may be just what you need...
Vokey Wedges Are All The Rage; So Let?s Look At Bob Vokey?s Inventions
Posted on October 08, 2008Who is Bob Vokey? Well, if you don?t know the answer to that question then you need to reconsider your commitment to the game! (Click HERE to brush up on your knowledge of Mr. Vokey). Let?s learn a little more about this golf legend by checking out Bob Vokey?s inventions...
Hitting Your Tee Shots Too High?
Posted on October 04, 2008A recent design patent discloses an interesting driver that may raise some eyebrows. The first thing you will notice is the unique shape, but then take a look at the loft!The driver is found in USPN D574044 titled ?Golf Club Head.?Interesting design, but I am not sure a zero degree driver will gain widespread acceptance...
What Organization Do You Associate With The Phrase ?Share Your Passion??
Posted on October 04, 2008An interesting golf trademark infringement lawsuit was filed back in August. The case involves The Florida Golf School, Inc. d/b/a The United States Golf Teacher?s Association and The PGA of America.Which organization do you associate with the phrase SHARE YOUR PASSION? Well, if you are like me?...
Have Trouble Controlling the Length of Your Backswing?
Posted on October 01, 2008I am not quite sure what to make of this invention. Part of me likes it; but the realist in me says "come on Dave, you would never actually use that." It is interesting nonetheless. The invention that I am referring to is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub...
Can You Identify These New Irons?
Posted on September 30, 2008How familiar are you with the new lines of irons? Do these look familiar? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D577783 titled ?Golf Club Head.? Dave Dawsey - Watching Golf Iron Patents PS ? click here to check out iron patent posts
Everyone is Looking for a Magic Way to Reduce Golf Ball Spin Produced with a Driver; Is This the Answer?
Posted on September 28, 2008Last year I wrote about a patent directed to a golf ball lubricant (click HERE). Hard to believe? I know.Well, this week a patent application published that may give the ?golf ball lubricant? invention a run for its money.The patent application published as US Pub...
Wow, This Could Be The Next Hot Training Aid!
Posted on September 27, 2008OK, imagine this?. You can improve your game by practicing hitting a ball toward a hole. Who knew? Recently a patent application published that made me scratch my head. The application published as US Pub. No. 20080227559 titled ?Apparatus and Method for Improving a Golf Shot? and describes the invention as: A golf practice apparatus a generally circular disc, said disc having a centrally located opening, said central located opening forming a golf hole and a method of improving one's golf swing by aiming at the apparatus...
Think You Know A Little About Golf Shafts? This Patent May Change Your Mind, Unless You Really Know Your Flexural Rigidity
Posted on September 25, 2008SRI Sports was granted an interesting golf shaft patent this week that is a little on the technical side. Would you ever have guessed that this much engineering goes into designing a golf shaft?The patent is USPN 7427240 titled ?Shaft for Golf Clubs and Golf Club? and describes the invention as: Each point obtained by plotting flexural rigidity EI measured at ten sites on a shaft is defined as from T(1) to T(10) in this order from the head side, and the formula representing a line K that passes the T(1) and the T(10) is [Y=aX+b1]...
The Hybrid Recognition Test of the Day?.. Can You Identify This Hybrid?
Posted on September 23, 2008Hybrids, iron-woods, rescue clubs, utility clubs, ..? whatever you call them, it seems as though their popularity is growing every year. The following figures come from a design patent directed to a hybrid. Can you identify the manufacturer? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D576695 titled ?Golf Club Head...
Professional Golfer Natalie Gulbis The Brand
Posted on September 23, 2008How much is a pretty face and a good golf game worth? A lot! Just ask 25 year old multimillionaire Natalie Gulbis.The products that she endorses get a lot of mileage from her name and face. In fact, in an unusual twist in the golf market.....Check out the rest of my guest post over at the celebrity branding blog Cele-Branding HERE...
Toss Out Your Cleveland and Vokey Wedges?. Here Is The Next Big Thing!
Posted on September 20, 2008Wedges are interesting clubs. It is hard to define what makes a good wedge, but you know it when you feel it.One California inventor thinks they have developed the next big breakthrough in high-spin wedge design. Do you agree?The drawings above come from a patent application that published as US Pub...
How Well Do You Know Forged ?Player?s? Irons?
Posted on September 20, 2008Can you identify these forged cavity back irons? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D577088 titled ?Golf Club Head.? Dave Dawsey - Watching Golf Iron PatentsPS ? click here to check out iron patent posts
Can You Identify This Driver?
Posted on September 17, 2008Marketing types always say? it is all about brand recognition. I suppose ?brand recognition? is slightly different than ?design patent drawing recognition,? (ok, more than slightly) but they are not entirely unrelated. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued yesterday...
What Does Callaway Have In-Line For the FT Line of Drivers?
Posted on September 16, 2008The USPTO records provide us with a glimpse of what may be the future of Callaway?s popular FT line of drivers. Most golfers are familiar with the FT-3, FT-5, and the FT-i; and we are getting a behind the scenes glimpse of the new FT-9 and FT-iQ; but what is next?Well, the USPTO records indicate that Callaway has filed a trademark application for the mark FT-iZ...
Now Here Is A Driver That Will Put A ?Smile? On Any Golfer's Face
Posted on September 15, 2008The following club head design comes from a ?creative? South African inventor. The inventor was granted USPN 5944620 titled ?Golf Club? in 1999. Check out this club!And now you know where the ?smile? reference comes from. I suppose this club may work for those of us that have a tendency to occasionally hit the ball toward the toe or heel of the face...
Attention Cold Weather Golfers, This Club May Be Just What You Need
Posted on September 14, 2008We all know that feeling to hitting that first ball on a cold day. The sting that starts at your fingers and travels down to your toes. A pair of inventors decided to take a stab at eliminating the feeling that you just struck a rock at 100 mph. Their invention is disclosed in USPN 5899818 titled ?Temperature Compensated Golf Club Head,? which describes the invention as:A golf club head is provided with an impact surface formed of a shape memory alloy...
Is This The New Callaway FT-i Driver?
Posted on September 13, 2008Most golfers can easily recognize the overall shape and boxy face of the popular Callaway FT-i driver. Does this design patent reveal a new variation of the FT-i?Of course this is not the new Callaway driver, but would you ever expect to see such a similar design from over 25 years ago! Boy was this inventor ahead of his time...
Big John Don?t Get No Respect & Has to Sue Hippo Golf Again
Posted on September 10, 2008Remember my post back in April regarding John Daly?s battle with Hippo Holdings in an effort to collect a $2.7 judgment that he secured? If not click HERE to refresh your memory.Last week John launched his third lawsuit in the past couple years regarding his relationship with Hippo Golf...
Now Here Is a Training Device That Could Improve Anyone?s Game!
Posted on September 08, 2008OK, that title may be a stretch, but check out this training aid.....Of course, a steerable fin on the top of a club head. Perfect!The drawings come from a 1974 patent titled ?Golf Swing Training Device.? (USPN 3829102) The patent describes the invention as:This is an improvement on training attachments on the head of a golf club...
What Golfer Wouldn?t Want a ?Straight Shot Golf Club?? Well, I Would Have to Pass on This One
Posted on September 06, 2008Could the inventor of this golf club actually be a golfer? The club on the left is listed as a 12 degree club and the one on the right is a 0 degree club. Nice photos! The golf club is disclosed in the patent application that published as US Pub No 20060211513 titled ?Straight Shot Golf Club Head,? and describes the invention as: The straight shot golf club helps golfers eliminate many hours of their golf time, trying to locate a golf ball that they sliced when hit by their golf club that landed in the woods...
Golf Club Head of the Future? Probably Not, But Interesting Nonetheless
Posted on September 05, 2008Did you ever see the photo of an alligator that died trying to swallow another alligator? The problem was that they were both about the same size. Well, recently I came across a patent application disclosing a club head that reminded me of the alligator photo...
A Training Ball That I Would Have to See to Believe
Posted on September 03, 2008An interesting golf ball patent issued last week that I would have to see to believe that it works. The patent is USPN 7416493 titled ?Golf Training Apparatus? and describes the invention as: A training golf ball apparatus designed to imitate the realistic feel, weight, acoustic and flight characteristic of a real (regulation standard) golf ball, to allow a golfer to practice the sport in a realistic way safely at home, includes mechanized flights concealed within a cavity of the golf ball; a lightweight ball component and a magnetized tee...
Badminton Shuttlecock or Golf Tee?
Posted on September 02, 2008An interesting design patent issued today. Check out these drawings:The patent is USPN D576236 titled ?Golf Tee.?Interesting design! Would these tees find their way into your golf bag?Dave Dawsey - Keeping an Eye on Golf Tee PatentsPS ? check out other golf tee related posts here
How Well Can You Judge the Grain of a Green? Perhaps This Ball Marker Invention Will Help
Posted on September 01, 2008I have enough trouble reading the break of greens, let alone factoring in the grain. However, if you are one of the golfers that is good enough to actually take the grain of a green into account then this ball marker may have some appeal to you. The invention is disclosed in a patent application that published last week as US Pub...
An Inflatable Air Bladder for Under Your Golf Grips?. Necessary?
Posted on August 31, 2008I was just starting to think that there were enough golf grip variations to make everyone happy. Apparently David Cera does not agree. He is the inventor listed on a recently issued golf grip related patent; namely USPN 7407444 titled ?Method for Cushioning the Grip of a Golf Club, and Apparatus for Practicing the Method...
A New Twist on an Old Training Technique
Posted on August 28, 2008It seems like every golfer has fought the chicken wing in their golf swing at some point in their life; and there is no shortage of training aides directed at solving the problem. Interestingly, many golfers end up reverting back to the golf towel or head cover tucked in the armpit...
Do You Care if Your Tee is Perfectly Level?
Posted on August 28, 2008I don?t. In fact I always heard that you should tilt the tee forward or backward to influence the backspin imparted on the ball. However, since I could not find any decent information on the subject, I suspect that it may be an old wives tale.Having a perfectly level tee is important enough to one inventor that he filed a patent application on his tee design...
Bet You Have Never Seen a Putter Like This!
Posted on August 26, 2008Have you ever felt that you needed a free standing putter? Me neither, but fortunately the inventors associated with the patent application that published as US Pub. No. 20080171614 are not bound by such conventional thinking.The patent application describes the putter as:A free standing golf putter is provided and configured to contact a golf ball at a point above the center of the golf ball...
It Pays to Know the USGA Equipment Rules
Posted on August 26, 2008Familiar with the USGA Rules on Clubs & Balls? Well, if you intend to invent and market a golf product then you should familiarize yourself with the Rules.One of the Rules is often simply referred to as the ?plain in shape? rule and reads as follows:4...
Good Swing Training Invention OR Merely a Wedgie Creator?
Posted on August 23, 2008You make the call; worthwhile swing trainer or merely a wedgie creator?The invention was granted patent protection last month via USPN 7399232 titled ?Golf Club Swing Training Device and Method.? The patent describes the invention as:A device for training the muscles used during a golf club swinging motion...
It Pays to Know the USGA Equipment Rules
Posted on August 23, 2008Familiar with the USGA Rules on Clubs & Balls? Well, if you intend to invent and market a golf product then you should familiarize yourself with the Rules.One of the Rules is often simply referred to as the ?plain in shape? rule and reads as follows:4...
Would You Play Better Golf If Your Spikes Could Rotate?
Posted on August 21, 2008I don?t know the answer to that question, but a patent issued this week that makes me think that having spikes that independently rotate couldn?t hurt my game.This week Callaway was granted USPN 7412784 titled ?Shoe Traction System? that describes the invention as: A shoe traction system may have an attachment element to allow the orientation of a traction device, such as a golf spike or cleat, to change relative to a sole...
The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?Common Patent Myths? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program
Posted on August 19, 2008I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I debunk some common patent myths. I have been a fan of Jim?s show for close to 10 years and highly recommend it.Click below to listen to the interview...
Golfers and Their Cigars
Posted on August 19, 2008While I am not a cigar smoker, I do have to admit that this invention looks like a pretty handy device and an easy sell. The invention was granted a design patent today; namely USPN D575449 titled ?Support for Cigars and the Like on a Golf Cart.? Check it out...
My Tour of the USGA Research and Test Center
Posted on August 19, 2008Last week I was very fortunate to a get tour of the USGA Research and Test Center in Far Hills, NJ. The Senior Technical Director Dick Rugge led the tour and provided a great explanation of the role of the Center, as well as a breakdown of the testing and research performed at the Center...
My Tour of the USGA Research and Test Center
Posted on August 16, 2008Last week I was very fortunate to a get tour of the USGA Research and Test Center in Far Hills, NJ. The Senior Technical Director Dick Rugge led the tour and provided a great explanation of the role of the Center, as well as a breakdown of the testing and research performed at the Center...
Wow, Now That Is A Great Idea! Not To Mention It Would Actually Speed Up The Pace of Play
Posted on August 15, 2008Yesterday I was reviewing the latest patent applications that published related to golfing inventions and I actually found myself thinking ?great idea!? That does not happen very often.The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080190795 with the title ?Golf Club Holder for Golf Carts...
Another Adjustable Club, This Time a Putter With Lie Adjustability ? But Don?t Think It Is a New Concept
Posted on August 15, 2008An interesting adjustable putter patent issued this week, just check out this design.The invention comes from USPN 7410423 titled ?Golf Club Having An Adjustable Shaft Angle? and describes the invention as:A golf cub comprising a head, a shaft assembly and a shaft attachment assembly...
Would You Allow This Putter Into Your Bag?
Posted on August 13, 2008Check out this putter design that recently issued as a utility patent. Would you be willing to give it a try?How is that for a little offset!The patent is USPN 7371185 titled ?Putterhead with Center Line Forward Offset Hosel? and describes the invention as:A golf putterhead having a neck or hosel connecting said putterhead to a shaft...
Perhaps a Hard Lesson Learned for Bubba Watson?. Steve & Barry?s® Files for Bankruptcy
Posted on August 10, 2008Remember a post I did for the Cele-Branding blog back in November regarding Bubba Watson?s deal with Steve & Barry?s®? No worries, let me recap...... The following comes from the original post:Bubba has teamed up with 200+ store national chain Steve & Barry?s® to introduce a BubbaGolf? collection of high-quality, low-priced golf and casual apparel...
Putter Alignment Features Are Getting More and More Creative
Posted on August 04, 2008It seems like the latest hot trend in putter designs is unique alignment features, but not necessary features that help you align the putter with the ball and the hole. Rather, the trend seems to be directed to features that provide feedback to the user regarding their stance and stroke...
What Are The Odds of Two Golf Cleat Patent Infringement Lawsuits on the Same Day? This Time Softspikes Takes on the Makers of Champ Spikes
Posted on July 31, 2008Amazing, I just got done posting about Trisport, Ltd. suing Greenkeepers concerning USPN 6810608 titled ?Shoe Cleats.? Now, it turns out that Softspikes sued MacNeill Engineering (a.k.a. Champ Spikes) on the same day in the same court, also for golf cleat patent infringement! What are the odds?On Tuesday Softspikes sued the makers of Champ Spikes for infringement of USPN 6052923 titled ?Golf Cleat? and USPN 6167641 titled ?Athletic Shoe Cleat...
Golf Shoe Spike Patent Infringement ? This Time Greenkeepers is on the Receiving End
Posted on July 30, 2008One year ago I wrote about a golf spike patent infringement lawsuit in which Greenkeepers sued Acushnet (FootJoy) and Softspikes for alleged patent infringement of USPN 6530162 titled ?Sports Shoe Cleats.? Click HERE to review the post. Interestingly, this was not the first lawsuit centered on the ?162 patent...
The First Bounty From The Golf-Patents.com Bounty Hunter Program; A Chance to Earn $750 for Your Knowledge of Golf Clubs
Posted on July 28, 2008Since you are probably not familiar with the Golf-Patents.com Bounty Hunter Program please read this POST first (after all, it contains the rules of the Bounty Hunter Program). I am pleased to offer the first Bounty from the Golf-Patents.com Bounty Hunter Program and hope that it is claimed...
Get Paid for Your Knowledge of Golf Products; Introducing the Golf-Patents.com Bounty Hunter Program
Posted on July 28, 2008Readers of the Golf-Patents blog know that there is a fair share of patent litigation in the golf industry. Further, the validity of the patent-in-suit is always brought into question, primarily by one of the parties producing prior art that was not considered by the US Patent and Trademark Office when it issued the patent...
Another Golf Hat Training Aid?. Would You Wear This Hat At The Course?
Posted on July 26, 2008Check out the invention described in published patent application US Pub. No. 20080146363 titled ?No-Head-Turn Putting and Swing Teaching Aid.? The application describes the invention as: [0011] As can be seen, above, there is a need in the art for readily and conveniently deployed devices that indicate to a golfer whether or not the golfer's head is moving during the golf swing...
Lamkin Grips is Now in the Crosshairs of Grip Master (another golf grip patent infringement case)
Posted on July 24, 2008Back in December I reported (click here) on a patent and trademark infringement lawsuit brought by The Grip Master Co. Pty Ltd. of Australia against TheGripMasterUSA. The patent at the center of the dispute is USPN 6449803 titled ?Grip for a Handle or Shaft...
Possibly the New Srixon Driver and Irons?
Posted on July 22, 2008Two interesting design patents issued today to SRI Sports that may give us a look at some new Srixon clubs.The first patent is USPN D573678 titled ?Head for Golf Club? and is directed to a driver design. How do you like this driver design?The second patent is USPN D573677, also titled ?Head for Golf Club,? is directed to an iron design...
The Wealthiest Golfers Recognize the Importance of Building and Protecting Their Brand ? Take a Look at The Shark?s Trademark Portfolio
Posted on July 21, 2008Becoming a golf superstar comes with its fair share of responsibilities, including building and protecting your personal brand. The most financially successful golf celebrities know how to capitalize on their brands via trademark protection and licensing, and there is no doubt that Greg Norman is one of the best at it...
A 3rd Golf GPS Patent Infringement Lawsuit in 15 Months! This Time ABC National Television Sales is Also Thrown in the Mix
Posted on July 19, 2008About one year ago I reported that GPS Industries and Optimal IP Holdings filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 10 defendants (3:07CV0831-K, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division) that I characterized as reading like a Who?s Who of the golfing GPS world...
The Strike N Swipe Patent Application Publishes
Posted on July 16, 2008Remember the Strike N Swipe reusable impact tape from The Golf Channel?s ?Fore Inventors Only? show? If not, check out the impressive Strike N Swipe website, complete with David Leadbetter endorsement. In my prior posts (here, and here) I affectionately referred to the product as the million dollar reusable impact tape because on the show the inventor explained that he had almost one million dollars invested in the product (which blew me away)...
Bridgestone Hosel Bling! What Are They Thinking
Posted on July 15, 2008Have you ever thought to yourself?.. my ?hosel does not have any gorgeousness or sumptuousness?? Gorgeousness.?. Sumptuousness?.. What! (apparently some words don?t translate well, who knew) A few weeks ago a Bridgestone patent application published as US Pub...
How?s Your Golf Posture? This Invention May Help You Improve It
Posted on July 13, 2008Yet another interesting golf training device patent application. Boy, they are a dime a dozen; and I, like most golfers, would try almost anything to improve my game. The invention disclosed in the application that published as US Pub. No. 20080146364 titled ?Device for Correcting Golf Swing Posture? is unlike most training aids in that it is directed to the lower body...
Five Odyssey Putters Come Under Fire in an IP Infringement Lawsuit
Posted on July 12, 2008Ever heard of EZ Line Putters? Me neither, although I have to admit?. they look pretty nice. Plus, EZ Line Putter owns USPN 4962927 titled ?Putter Head.?So, which Odyssey putters have come under fire? Well, the Odyssey White Hot XG #7 putter, the Odyssey White Hot XG #7 Long putter, the Odyssey Black Series I #7 putter, and the Odyssey White Hot Sabertooth putter have been accused of infringing the ?927 patent...
A Mizuno Golf Ball Design Patent Issues?. Do They Even Sell Golf Balls?
Posted on July 11, 2008As I have mentioned in the past, design patents directed to golf balls are not very common, and design patents directed to a particular dimple design are even more rare.Well, last week Mizuno had an interesting golf ball design patent issue; namely USPN D572322 titled ?Golf Ball...
Can You Identify These Callaway Irons?
Posted on July 09, 2008I bet that at least 77% of golfers will not recognize the following iron. Heck, I will even tell you that it is a Callaway club. Do you recognize the product line?You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D572781 titled ?Iron Golf Club Head,? which issued yesterday...
Club Face Adjustability, Is It The Next Big Thing?
Posted on July 08, 2008Almost a year ago I published a post on what may be the next step in club head adjustability; namely, coefficient of restitution (COR) adjustability, or the ability to adjust the stiffness of club?s face. Interested? The prior post posed the following hypothetical:Perhaps you really loosen up the face during your practice rounds to gain a few extra yards and carry those fairway bunkers, then turn around the next day and bring it back into USGA conformance for the club championship...
Another Putter Design Patent?.. Can You Identify This Putter? A Tough One
Posted on July 05, 2008How good are you at identifying a particular brand of putter when all the logos and trademarks are stripped off the club head? I was starting to think that I was pretty good at it until coming across USPN D571878 titled ?Golf Putter Head.? The figures below come from the ?878 patent that issued recently to a major producer of clubs...
The Swiss Army Knife of Golf Inventions
Posted on July 05, 2008How many possible uses for a ?portable golf caddy? can you think of? Perhaps two or three? Well, a recently published patent application discloses a ?portable golf caddy? invention that has at least 10 different uses. While I can?t imagine ever purchasing the device, it is the type of gift that you may receive from the non-golfer in your life (so there may be a market for it)...
Don?t Use the Ryder Cup® Trademark Without Approval of the PGA of America; They Will Sue!
Posted on July 02, 2008An interesting golf trademark infringement lawsuit was filed this week. The Professional Golfers? Association of America (The PGA of America) sued Scottish Golf Holidays for the unauthorized use of the RYDER CUP registered trademark. In fact, this is the second time The PGA of America has sued Scottish Golf Holidays in one year!Click HERE to review the actual Complaint...
ProV1 Litigation Update ? Callaway Responds With Their Own Letter to the Court
Posted on July 02, 2008As I reported earlier this week (read post HERE), a recent letter from Acushnet?s attorney to the Court provided a nice status report regarding the reexamination progress. Well, Callaway did not let any grass grow under their feet before filing their own letter to the Court providing a different view of the situation...
ProV1 Patent Litigation Update ? Will Any of the Patents-in-Suit Survive Reexamination?
Posted on July 01, 2008The Callaway v. Titleist (Acushnet) golf ball battle has been pending for a couple of years now, so a quick refresher is in order. Back in December a jury found that 8 of the 9 claims in the 4 patents-in-suit were valid, and therefore infringed by Acushnet (click HERE to read the post on the verdict)...
Remember the Golf Ball Gun from ?Fore Inventors Only? Fame?
Posted on July 01, 2008Ahh, the good old days?. Remember that crazy golf ball gun from the ?Fore Inventors Only? show that looked as if Stina broke her hand when she fired it? Here is my review from my prior post.12) Golf Ball LauncherPanel: packin?The IP Golf Guy?s Evaluation: Marketability: double bogeyProtectability: double bogeyNotes: The inventor mentioned that the device is ?patent pending,? so I thought I would check it out...
The Future of Golf Grips? Survey Says, Not Likely
Posted on June 29, 2008An interesting golf grip patent application recently published as US Pub. No. 20080127459 titled ?Apparatus For Gripping An Instrument Having An Elongate Handle.? I wonder what the USGA would have to say about this grip. The application describes the invention as:A device for gripping the handle of an instrument such as a golf club or a hammer...
Can You Identify This Putter? Test Your Knowledge of Golf Putter Designs
Posted on June 28, 2008As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putters (click here to satisfy your hunger for putter patent posts). The figure below come from a US putter design patent that issued recently to a major producer of clubs...
Finally, Just What Every Golfer Has Been Waiting For?.. The Golf Club Urinal
Posted on June 27, 2008I recently saw a post on a golf blog about the UROClub and chuckled (sorry, can?t recall which blog it was). Then almost fell out of my chair when a few weeks later I came across a published patent application on the device. The patent application published as US Pub...
The Hybrid Recognition Test of the Day?.. Can You Identify This Hybrid?
Posted on June 27, 2008Hybrids, iron-woods, rescue clubs, utility clubs, ..... whatever you call them, it seems as though their popularity is growing every year. The following figures come from a design patent directed to a hybrid. Can you identify the manufacturer? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D571882 titled ?Golf Club Head...
Yet Another Swing Training Aid?. Yet Another One That I Would Try At Least Once
Posted on June 26, 2008I often wonder, ?is there money to be made in golf training products?? There must be because the number of golf training aid patent applications is through the roof!A recent training aid patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080139332 titled ?Golf Training Aid,? and describes the invention as:A golf driving and putting training aid comprises a driving module, a short-putt module, and a long-putt module...
Some Golf Club Inventions Make Me Shake My Head and Say?. Even If It Were USGA Conforming, There is No Way This Club Would Help My Game
Posted on June 26, 2008That is just what I said when I came across one rather unique golf club disclosed in recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20080132349 titled ?Golf Club Head having Concavely Curved Face.? Check out these drawings!The application describes the invention as:A golf club, particularly a "putter" or "chipper", is provided with a concave ball striking face that establishes line contact with a golf ball rather than the usual point contact and enhances the capability of a user to control the direction of ball movement resulting from a golf stroke...
If You Can Identify This Set of Irons Then You Know Your Clubs!
Posted on June 19, 2008If you strip all the logos off a golf club head, the typical avid golfer can usually identify the manufacturer of the popular drivers? often the popular irons? and sometimes the popular putters? but I bet that most readers cannot identify this set of irons...
A Look Inside the Callaway versus Acushnet Golf CLUB Patent Infringement Litigation
Posted on June 19, 2008Most non-lawyers are blown away by the costs of patent litigation. Ever wonder why litigation is so expensive? Aside from the filing of motion, after motion, after motion?.. the real costs of patent litigation are associated with the ?discovery? efforts of the parties...
The Continued Quest for the Perfect Putter. Would You Be Willing to Put this Putter in Your Bag?
Posted on June 19, 2008Check out this putter that was granted a utility patent this week.I bet you didn?t think that was the side of the putter designed to strike the ball!The patent is USPN 7387576 titled ?Golf Club,? and describes the invention as:The invention provides a golf club, generally indicated by reference numeral (10)...
A Golf Cart Invention for Cigar Smokers
Posted on June 17, 2008An interesting golf cart patent issued today combining two loves of many people. Golf and cigars! The patent is USPN 7387127 titled ?Cigar Holder for Golf Cart? and describes the invention as:A cigar holder assembly is provided for golf carts utilizing biased clasps to hold one or more cigars in a vertical position over a removable ashtray...
A New Callaway Fairway Wood? Perhaps
Posted on June 16, 2008A few weeks ago a Callaway design patent issued that made me scratch my head and say ?what club is that?. I don?t immediately recognize it so it must be one for the ladies or the juniors.? Well, I still don?t know, but it definitely has a sole configuration unlike any clubs they currently have in the US market...
Acushnet?s Attempt to Counter the Counterfeit Golf Ball Industry
Posted on June 14, 2008How do you know if your expensive golf balls are authentic? Well, aside from any questionable blemishes in the cover, you probably don?t. Apparently Acushnet?s engineers and scientists have been working on developing a solution to this problem.This week an Acushnet patent application published as US Pub...
Is This Callaway Driver Radical Enough for You?
Posted on June 13, 2008Earlier this week I posted about a Taylor Made patent application disclosing a pretty radical driver with fins. Well, Callaway has stepped up to the plate this week with a patent application disclosing a driver that is even more radical! Check out this Callaway driver design!The published patent application that may be giving us a sneak peak at future Callaway drivers published yesterday as US Pub...
Need to Increase Your Swing Speed? This Golf Training Invention May Be What You Need, But Will You Be Embarrassed to Use it in Public
Posted on June 11, 2008Would you ever expect to see the term ?drag chute? used in a golf training aid patent? Well, check out the description and drawings of the invention found in USPN 7384344 titled ?Physical Conditioning Aid for Golfers:?A physical conditioning device for golfers is provided...
The Future of Taylor Made Drivers? Will This Design Ever Make it to Store Shelves?
Posted on June 10, 2008I never thought I would live to see the day that a Taylor Made driver had fins! OK, I haven?t actually seen fins on a Taylor Made driver; just drawings of a finned driver from a Taylor Made patent application. If a finned Taylor Made driver does make it to market I am sure they will make it look cool and will overwhelm golfers with enough marketing hype that we all end up believing that we can?t live without it...
An Interesting Putter Utility Patent Issued Yesterday. Can It Correct ?Inherent Visual Inaccuracies??
Posted on June 10, 2008Check out this putter that was granted a utility patent yesterday.The patent is USPN 7384345 titled ?Golf Putter with Rotary Disc Alignment Aid,? and describes the invention as:A putter head (1) is described wherein the putter head (1) has a putter face (4) and a linear marking (9) located on an upper surface (44) of the putter head (1)...
I Would Be Afraid to Use the Golf Grip Found in this Recently Issued Golf Grip Patent
Posted on June 06, 2008Last week an interesting training golf grip was granted a design patent, namely USPN D569939 titled ?Golf Grip.? Check out these figures:Frankly, I think I would be too worried about breaking a wrist or finger to concentrate on the correct hand position...
A PING Patent Issues on a Driver that You Probably Will Not Recognize
Posted on June 06, 2008The figures below come from a driver design patent that recently issued to Karsten. I bet you can't identify this PING driver!You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D569937 titled ?Golf Driver Head.? Dave Dawsey - Watching Golf Design PatentsPS ? click here to check out another post for future golf equipment gear heads
A Vibration Reducing Golf Glove?. Sound Pretty Good?
Posted on June 05, 2008Few golfers ever consider the time and effort that has gone into the design of the golf glove they use and abuse until it is so worn, tattered, and sweat stained that it is callously discarded in the nearest trash can. Perhaps this post will help you ?appreciate? your golf glove as a unique piece of golf technology designed to improve your game, rather than simply that crumbled up crusty piece of leather and Velcro that is stuffed into your golf bag after the round...
Design Patent Issues on 2-Finger Golf Glove
Posted on June 05, 2008Check out the golf glove contained in USPN D570056 titled ?Golf Glove.?Interesting glove, but I am not sure what aspects are ornamental versus functional (a key aspect of design patents versus utility patents).Dave Dawsey - Keeping an Eye on Golf Glove PatentsPS ? check out other golf glove related posts here
A Second Golf Bag Related Patent Infringement Litigation Case in Less than 2 Months! This Time Bag Boy Takes on Sun Mountain
Posted on June 03, 2008Last week Dynamic Brands, LLC (doing business as The Bag Boy Company) brought a declaratory judgment action against Sun Mountain Sports regarding Sun Mountain?s patent USPN 7131534 titled ?Golf Bag and Strap System.? Click HERE to check out the patent, and click HERE to read the Complaint...
Interesting Golf Shaft Design Patent Issues; Would You Use a Triangular Shaft
Posted on June 03, 2008This week a fascinating golf shaft design patent issued. The patent is USPN D569940 titled ?Golf Shaft.? Check out this drawing:Interestingly, the design patent also covers a flag pin:So, would you be willing to try this shaft?Dave Dawsey - The Golf LawyerPS ? click here to check out other interesting golf shaft patents
Which Young Up & Coming Pro Is Taking the Protection of His Personal Brand Seriously?
Posted on May 31, 2008Can you guess which young golf pro has filed for trademark protection of his name associated with the following products?Golf clubs, golf bags, golf bag covers, golf club head covers, golf bag tags, golf balls, golf ball markers, golf gloves, golf tees, divot repair tools, golf club grips, golf practice mats, golf towels, golf practice nets, golf practice putting cups; toys and dolls, namely, figurines depicting sports celebrityClick here for the answer...
How Well Do You Know Wedges?
Posted on May 31, 2008This week a wedge design patent issued on a wedge that is more identifiable than a classic Cleveland or Vokey wedge. You should recognize the wedge found in USPN D569932 (titled ?Golf Club Head?) from the ton of advertisements in golf magazines.Click here for the answer...
The Best and Worst Golf Club Names Filed with the USPTO so far in 2008
Posted on May 29, 2008OK, the title is somewhat misleading?. The following lists of the ?best? and ?worst? US golf club trademarks are really just MY favorite, and least favorite, names for golf clubs. There is nothing ?legal? about it.My favorites are:1. VAPOR: Nike2. OBEDIENT: Simon Golf Company3...
Think Karsten Manufacturing May Have Something to Say About this Trademark Application?
Posted on May 28, 2008A trademark application filed in March is likely to get some attention from Karsten Manufacturing (makers PING brand golf clubs). The application is for the mark PING BLING. The application describes the goods associated with the mark as:PING BLING WOULD BE USED FOR DECORATING GOLF EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS GOLF CLUBS, BAGS, BALLS, CLOTHING, SHOES, SOCKS, PANTS, SKIRTS, SHIRTS, BLOUSES, JEWELRY, APPAREL, HATS, BELTS, GLOVES, JACKETS, WITH ADDITIONAL JEWELRY, DECORATIONS, OR FANCY LOGOS IT WOULD ALSO BE USED FOR DECORATING REGULAR CLOTHING, INCLUDING SHOES, SOCKS, PANTS, SKIRTS, GLOVES, JACKETS, HATS, BELTS, JEWELRY,WITH DECORATIONS, JEWELRY, OR FANCY LOGOSSo, does this application pass the common sense test? Do you think the Applicant just might end up facing a lawsuit if they offer these goods under the PING BLING mark?David Dawsey - Keeping an Eye on Golf Trademarks
The Tables Turn in the GPS Industry? Yet Another GPS Patent Infringement Case
Posted on May 27, 2008About one year ago I reported that GPS Industries and Optimal IP Holdings filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 10 defendants (3:07CV0831-K, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division) that I characterized as reading like a Who?s Who of the golfing GPS world...
The Dual Durometer Putter Face Insert Patent
Posted on May 26, 2008Everyone has heard the marketing hype regarding dual durometer golf grips, but what about putter face inserts? This week PING (actually Karsten) was granted a patent for just that. The patent is USPN 7374499 titled ?Golf Club Head with Dual Durometer Face Insert? and describes the invention as:A golf club head includes a face insert that comprises an insert core made of a relatively hard (high durometer) durable polymer material that is surrounded on at least its rear and side surfaces by an insert shell made of a second softer (lower durometer) polymer material...
Is the 107th US Open Winner Angel Cabrera a Patent Infringer? All PING Rapture Users May Be.....
Posted on May 23, 2008Ahh, more golf industry patent infringement litigation; the stuff that makes attorneys smile. The PING Rapture is the latest target of patent infringement allegations.Yesterday VyaTek Sports, Inc. sued Ping, Inc. and Karsten Manufacturing Corporations for allegedly infringing two of VyaTek?s patents...
Interesting Putter UTILITY Patent Issues on a Putter that You May Recognize
Posted on May 22, 2008On Tuesday an interesting utility patent issued on a pretty popular putter design. OK, ?pretty popular? may be a stretch, but it is a pretty "unique", or distinctive, putter that true putter aficionados will likely recognize. The patent is USPN 7374497 titled ?Golf Putter Head With Visual Alignment System...
A Big Week for Driver Design Patents..... Can You Identify This Driver?
Posted on May 21, 2008Marketing types always say? it is all about brand recognition. I suppose ?brand recognition? is slightly different than ?design patent drawing recognition,? (ok, more than slightly) but they are not entirely unrelated. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued yesterday to one of the big guys...
The Driver Recognition Test of the Day... Can You Identify This Driver?
Posted on May 21, 2008I bet that at least 77% of golfers will not recognize this driver. The following drawing comes from a driver design patent that issued recently to one of the big guys. Do you recognize this club? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D569464 titled ?Golf Club Head...
The Quest for the Perfect Lighted Golf Ball..... Does It Exist?
Posted on May 16, 2008A truly playable lighted golf ball?. can it be made? I have my doubts. Last week a lighted golf ball patent application published in which the inventor discloses his view of the ideal lighted golf ball. The application published as US Pub. No. 20080108454 titled ?Golf Ball Containing Photoluminescent Material and a Light Source,? which describes the invention as: A photoluminescent, light-emitting golf ball comprises a substantially solid core with an outer shell, both formed of a light transmissive material...
?An Aid for Viewing a Golf Putting Green to Assist in Discerning the Subtle Variations in the Putting Surface,? Sound Good?
Posted on May 15, 2008An interesting patent issued on Tuesday that is supposed to assist golfer in reading greens. I reviewed the patent and thought to myself?.. ?I would give those glasses a try.? The patent is USPN 7370960 titled ?Method and Apparatus for Viewing a Golf Putting Green? and describes the invention as:This invention provides binocular eyeglasses that have linear polarizing lenses to be employed by a golfer to examine the surface of a putting green as an aid in deciding the speed and direction of a puffing stroke...
Finally, a ?Jetdrive? Golf Club Head! Can You Imagine Air Leaving Your Club Head at a ?Near Sonic Velocity??
Posted on May 13, 2008I am not sure what to say about this golf club patent application titled ?Golf Club, Jetdrv Driver for Increased Distance and Accuracy;? other than to say that it is interesting (and it did not result in a patent being issued). The application published as US Pub...
A Putter for the Classic Car Lovers, Especially if You Love the 1957 Chevy
Posted on May 11, 2008I recently stumbled across a rather interesting putter utility patent that classic car lovers will appreciate. The patent is USPN 5961398 titled ?Golf Club Head Apparatus? and looks like the rear of a 1957 Chevy. Check out this putter:Frankly I am surprised that the inventor obtained a utility patent on this putter since it seems as though the unique attributes are the nonfunctional ornamental design of the putter rather than anything having to do with the utility...
Having Trouble Reading Your Putts? If So, This Invention May Be Just What You Need
Posted on May 11, 2008Recently a golf related patent application published with the title ?Handheld Device for Determining Golf Ball Trajectory for Putt or Chip Shot and Method Therefore;? namely US Pub. No. 20080102989. I am willing to read anything that has a shot at improving my putting, so I jumped right in to see if I felt this invention could help my game...
A First on the Golf-Patents Blog! Can You Identify this Chipper from the Design Patent Drawings?
Posted on May 06, 2008As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used golf club design patents to test your knowledge of golf clubs. Now for the ultimate test..... a chipper. Who in the world can identify the maker of a chipper? Well, probably only people that actually play this brand; but give it a shot...
Tired of Using a Sweaty Golf Glove? If so, This Invention May be for You
Posted on May 06, 2008Recently a patent application published with the title ?Golf Cart Glove Holder-Dryer? (US Pub. No. 20080083131). OK, interesting title...... you have my attention. The application goes on to describe the invention as:A thin molded plastic cylinder oval shaped beak opening configured main body to releasable hold an interior wristband of a golf glove along at least a portion of an outer circumference of the main body such that air is directed through the preferably tubular C-shaped neck affixed to the main body and through to the glove...
Can it Be? A Practical Golf Ball Location System
Posted on May 04, 2008I love reading patent applications directed to inventions designed to eliminate lost golf balls. Such inventions generally appear very impractical, expensive, or involve technology that would be difficult, or impossible, to incorporate into a golf ball; which is what I expected to find when reading a recently published patent application (namely, US Pub...
Now, A Golf Club Patent Statistic That is Hard to Believe (if I had not come up with it myself)
Posted on May 03, 2008Looking at US golf club patents that have issued in the past 215 years I came to the realization that more golf club head related patents have issued in the past 15 years than in the prior 200 years! I am not surprised by this statistic considering the amount of R&D that currently goes into golf club design compared to the days of non-metal woods...
A Golf Ball Patent Statistic That is Hard to Believe (if I had not come up with it myself)
Posted on May 02, 2008Looking at US golf ball patents that have issued since the year 1800 I came to the realization that by the end of 2007, more golf ball related patents had issued in the 21st century than the entire 19th and 20th centuries combined! Pretty amazing.David Dawsey - The IP Golf Guy
Interesting Patent for Iron Faces Issues to Pixl Golf? Are They Still in Business?
Posted on May 01, 2008This week an interesting patent issued to a golf company that I did not think was even still in business, namely Pixl Golf (click here for an article on the origins of the company, and click here for a 2003 article on Pixl irons). The patent is USPN 7364513 titled ?Golf Club Head with Inserts for Impact Face,? which describes the invention as:A striking face for golf clubs, such as a driver, iron or putter comprising a plurality of bars retained in the club head body and forming the striking surface...
Check Out This Golf Tee!
Posted on May 01, 2008Interesting golf tee inventions do not come along every day. Fortunately last month a patent application published that revealed an interesting tee design. Admittedly, it is not necessarily a golf tee that I would buy or use, but it is pretty cool nonetheless...
Holy Mackerel, Could this be the Next New Titleist or Cobra Driver?
Posted on April 29, 2008Typically when a golf club design patent issues to one of the major equipment players I expect to open it and see a club design that they introduced months ago, but not today. The US Patent and Trademark Office issues patents every Tuesday. Therefore, much of my Tuesday morning is spent reviewing the latest golf related patents, which is always entertaining but rarely do any of the patents really surprise me...
How Well Do You Know Fairway Woods?
Posted on April 27, 2008If you strip all the logos off a golf club head, the typical avid golfer can usually identify the manufacturer of the popular drivers? often the popular irons? and sometimes the popular putters? but rarely the fairway woods of the large golf companies...
Callaway Hyper X and Hyper X Tour Added to the List of Clubs Accused of Infringing Acushnet?s Golf Club Patents
Posted on April 26, 2008As you may recall from a prior post, on June 8, 2007 Callaway filed a golf club patent infringement lawsuit alleging that Acushnet has willfully infringed 5 Callaway patents. Then, as discussed in a subsequent post, on July 12, 2007 Acushnet filed their Answer to the Complaint thereby stating (i) that Acushnet does not infringe the Callaway patents and alleging that the Callaway patents are invalid, and (ii) returned the favor and accusing Callaway of infringing two of Acushnet?s patents...
Does Your Golf Bag Need Some Bling? These Clubs May Be the Answer
Posted on April 26, 2008Would you ever guess that a patent titled ?Symbolically Reinforced Golf Club Head? would contain this iron design? Bling, bling?The patent is USPN 3814437 titled ?Symbolically Reinforced Golf Club Head.? Interesting.Dave Dawsey - The Golf Club Lawyer
Can You Imagine Microwave Instructions on a Sleeve of Golf Balls?
Posted on April 24, 2008Ah, the quest for the perfect golf ball. I keep looking for the one that guarantees to cut my handicap in half. No luck so far.I would never have guessed that the quest may lead me to a golf ball that I microwave to change the phase! Huh?OK, let me explain...
What the Heck is This Contraption? A Rather Unusual Golf Related Device Receives Design Patent
Posted on April 23, 2008Check out these figures contained in a golf related design patent that issued earlier this month. Can you guess what it is? (scroll way down in the post for the answer)Sorry for the poor image quality, but that is how it appeared in the patent..........
Think You Could Buy a Real Cleveland Wedge for $30? It Would be Nice, But Get Real! Cleveland Golf Sues an Alleged Counterfeiter
Posted on April 19, 2008Last week Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Guangdong Yuedragon Casting Company, Ltd. ("Yuedragon") and Jack Dabing Wan ("Wan") alleging that they produced, sold, and shipped counterfeit Cleveland wedges to the United States. The following paragraphs from the Complaint do a good job of explaining the events that led up to the lawsuit:23...
More Patent Infringement Litigation in the Golf Industry..... West Coast Trends Inc. (aka The Makers of Club Glove Travel Bags) Sues Armor Gear for Patent Infringement
Posted on April 19, 2008The company behind The Club Glove travel bags, which according to their website are the number one travel bags on Tour, have sued Armor Gear alleging infringement of USPN 7219902 titled ?Flexible Travel Bag with Integrated Support to Protect Bag from Wear...
The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?Setting Up a Small Business Intellectual Property Protection System? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program
Posted on April 18, 2008I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed how a business, regardless of size, can set up a formal intellectual property protection system to capitalize on the fact that most of their value is found in intangible assets...
My Sobering Return to Reality after 4 Days of Golf in Palm Springs
Posted on April 18, 2008Blogging has been slow lately. I apologize, but everyone needs a vacation once in a while. I just returned from a great trip to Palm Springs where I was fortunate to play many of the PGA West courses. Needless to say?. it was incredible. The courses were beautiful and my game was awful after a long Ohio winter break, but what surprised me the most was the fishing! Yes, fishing on golf courses in the middle of the desert...
John Daly Awarded $2.7 Default Judgment Against Hippo Holdings and Sues Hippo Golf Company
Posted on April 18, 2008Did you know that on October 17, 2007 John Daly was awarded a $2.7 million default judgment against Hippo Holdings? Unfortunately big John has not received a penny. It turns out that the tumultuous relationship between Daly and Hippo Holdings has been going on since 2000...
Will We See This Tee Debut at The Masters?
Posted on April 11, 2008Interesting golf tee patents are few and far between. Fortunately, a unique golf tee patent did issue last month, although I am not quite convinced that we will see it in local pro shop any time soon. Fun to look at nonetheless! The patent is USPN 7344456 titled ?Flexible Golf Tee...
One More Reason to Admire Augusta National ? The Trademark Portfolio
Posted on April 10, 2008Click HERE to read a post that I authored last year regarding Augusta's trademark portfolio. Enjoy.
Which Two Masters Champions Have Been Issued Utility Patents since 1976?
Posted on April 10, 2008Click HERE for the answer found in a post that I authored last year.
Guess How Many US Patents are Currently "In Force"?
Posted on April 10, 2008Hello from Washington DC! I am currently attending the ABA?s 23rd Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference in Arlington, Virginia. There is nothing like a party of 600+ patent attorneys from around the globe, although it is interfering with my blogging and coverage of The Masters!As you can imagine, these conferences are filled with great unusual statistics; one of which is the number of US patents that are currently "in force...
Yet Another Test Your Knowledge of Golf Putter Design Patents
Posted on April 03, 2008As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putters (click here to satisfy your hunger for putter patent posts). The figures below come from a US putter design patent that issued recently to a major producer of clubs...
Patent Issues On The Use of Goose Droppings as Golf Tees
Posted on April 01, 2008As you are meandering down a perfectly manicured fairway with the sun in your face and the wind at your back, all the while trying to avoid stepping on one of those huge goose turds that litter golf courses like a minefield, have you ever thought to yourself? ?boy, I bet one, or perhaps two, of those delightful goose poops, would work great as a golf tee?? Well, that is just the stroke of genius that one inventor recently had and the Patent Office agreed with him...
Can You Identify This Putter? Test Your Knowledge of Golf Putter Designs
Posted on April 01, 2008Boy, a ton of putter design patents have issued recently! As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putters (click here to satisfy your hunger for putter patent posts). Well this should be a relatively easy one?...
Will the Court Order an Injunction Regarding Titleist ProV1 Golf Balls? If So, Will the Court Stay the Injunction Pending Acushnet's Appeal?
Posted on April 01, 2008Let me set the stage, as I know that all the filings in the ProV1 patent dispute can become overwhelming. Back in December a jury found that 8 of the 9 claims in the 4 patents-in-suit were valid, and therefore infringed by Acushnet (click HERE to read the post on the verdict)...
Putter Knowledge Test of the Day? Can You Identify This Putter?
Posted on March 30, 2008Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putter designs (example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4, example 5, example 6, example 7, example 8, example 9, example 10, and example 11). For today?s test, can identify the maker and model of this putter? Click here for the answer; and click here to check out USPN D564609 titled ?Golf Club Head for a Putter...
The PuttingDisc Receives Patent
Posted on March 30, 2008Familiar with the PuttingDisc? (the website is a little rough) I saw the figures below in a patent that issued this week and thought that I had seen it before, but there is hardly a reference to it on the web (so I must have been mistaken). Oh well, further proof that it is not easy to get a golf training aid to market...
Can It Be? A Stocking Stuffer Type Golf Training Aide That Looks Pretty Good...
Posted on March 30, 2008As a golfer whose game fluctuates from marginal, at best, to horrible (as my playing partners will attest from my first round of 2008 that I played on Thursday), I view most training aides with a skeptical eye. After all, I have tried a lot of things and the only thing that seems to help my game is a lot of time on the range and a lot of rounds...
A First on the Golf-Patents Blog? Can You Identify the Maker of this Grip from the Design Patent?
Posted on March 30, 2008Many golfers would be surprised to learn that majority of golf grips are patented. Some manufacturers apply for utility patents on their unique grip construction and manufacturing methods, while others merely seek to protect the ornamental look of the grips via design patents...
The Driver Recognition Test of the Day... Can You Identify This Driver?
Posted on March 30, 2008I bet that at least 77% of golfers will not recognize this driver. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued recently to one of the big guys. Do you recognize this club? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D564611 titled ?Golf Club Wood Head...
Can You Identify This Putter? If So? You Know Your Putters!
Posted on March 25, 2008Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your putter knowledge (example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4, example 5, example 6, example 7, example 8, example 9, and example 10). Today a unique golf putter design patent issued?...
Another Golf GPS Range Finder Patent Infringement Lawsuit Update
Posted on March 20, 2008Boy golfers are passionate about their golf gear! I have been blown away by the number of inquiries I receive regarding the patent litigation surrounding handheld golf GPS range finders. A lot of golfers must be concerned about the future of Natalie?s SkyCaddie endorsement deal...
Callaway Golf?s Reply in Support of Their Previous Motion for Permanent Injunction is In! Now the Motion is Fully Briefed and Ready for Action by the Court, PLUS My Prediction
Posted on March 20, 2008Before delving into the latest filing and disclosing my prediction, a quick summary of the past few months in the Callaway v. Titleist (Acushnet) saga is in order. Back in December a jury found that 8 of the 9 claims in the 4 patents-in-suit were valid, and therefore infringed by Acushnet (click HERE to read the post on the verdict)...
A Couple Tee Time Radio Show Interviews Are Available for Listening
Posted on March 18, 2008The posts have slowed down in the past week, or so? life, work, and travel have caused the slowdown. Trust me, there are plenty of interesting intellectual property golf topics to report on and the posts should pick up soon. Enough of the excuses, right? OK, recently I noticed that a couple of previously unavailable Tee Time Radio program interviews have become available...
Nice Patent Reexamination Example from the Golf Industry (A Polite Way of Saying? Here is a Good Example of Competitors Trying to Sink Each Others? Golf Patents)
Posted on March 11, 2008It is hard to believe that is has been over a year since I authored a post titled ?Bust Your Competitors? Patents? regarding the patent reexamination process. Since that post many of you have probably learned a little more about the process simply by following my coverage of the Callaway v...
Clone Golf Club Makers GigaGolf and KrookedStix Fold to Nike and Agree to Permanent Injunction? King Sports Decides to Fight
Posted on March 10, 2008As you may recall, back in late December Nike filed a lawsuit taking on the clones (Illinois Northern District Court; 07-c-7108). Specifically, Nike?s December 18th complaint named King Sports, Inc. dba Turbo Power Golf, Hung Ying Chang, Krookedstix, Inc...
Acushnet Responds to Callaway?s Motion for Permanent Injunction? The Redacted Version Is In and It Even Contains a Reference to this Blog!
Posted on March 06, 2008It took about a week, but the redacted version of Acushnet?s response to Callaway?s request for a permanent injunction is in! The redacted version of ?Acushnet?s Brief in Opposition to Callaway Golf?s Motion for Permanent Injunction? is available HERE...
An Update on the Titleist ProV1 Patent Infringement Battle
Posted on March 04, 2008Those that have been following the Callaway versus Acushnet golf ball litigation battle probably know that at this time there are really two key subjects that remain open. First, there are the issues associated with Callaway?s Motion for a Permanent Injunction (click here and here for the highlights)...
Another Look at Patented Putting Strokes
Posted on March 01, 2008Back in the fall I authored a post about a patented putting method. Judging from the number of page views and links to the post, I suspect a lot of golfers were surprised to learn that a putting method could be patented; although, let?s face it? the patented putting methods are a little on the unique side of things (to put it nicely)...
Looking to Achieve that Perfect ?Ping? When You Strike a Putt?
Posted on February 28, 2008This week Karsten (makers of PING putters) had an interesting patent application publish as US Pub. No. 2008005121 titled ?Acoustically Tunable Golf Club Head.? The application describes the invention as: A golf club head includes a cantilever face member having a front surface, a fixed end and a free end...
Nike Golf Sued for Patent Infringement by Saso Golf
Posted on February 27, 2008On Friday February 22nd Saso Golf filed a patent infringement complaint in the Northern District of Illinois alleging that Nike has infringed two Saso golf club patents; namely USPN 5645495 and USPN 6620055, both simply titled ?Golf Club.? Click HERE to read the Complaint...
Acushnet Responds to Callaway?s Motion for Permanent Injunction? Unfortunately, it is Not Accessible to the Public!
Posted on February 26, 2008Those following the contentious Titleist ProV1 golf ball patent infringement lawsuit may have known that yesterday was Acushnet?s deadline to file their ?Answering Brief? in response to Callaway?s Motion for a Permanent Injunction (click here to review)...
Finally, A ?Smart Golf Ball?!
Posted on February 21, 2008Time to brush-up on your knowledge of ferrofluids, magnetorheological fluids, inverse magnetorheological fluids, and magnetorheological elastomers.Today a patent application published with the title ?adaptive golf ball,? and describes the invention as a ?smart golf ball...
How Well Do You Know Irons?
Posted on February 20, 2008Ready to test your iron knowledge? No worries, this test should be easy for the avid golfer (or anyone with good analytical skills? i.e. there is a hint in the drawing). The figure below comes from a US golf club iron head design patent that issued this week to a major producer of clubs...
How Can You Go Wrong With A ?Rocket Golf Tee??
Posted on February 20, 2008A design patent issued yesterday under the title ?Rocket Golf Tee,? so I just had to check it out and share it with you. Check out these figures from USPN D562420! Interesting, but will it help your shots go any farther or straighter? David Dawsey - Watching Golf Tee Patents
The Continued Quest to Prevent Hosel Rockets
Posted on February 18, 2008Every golfer has at some point suffered from a case of the shanks. I know that I do at least twice a season. Judging from number of off-set wedge related patents I would say that golfers spend a lot of time thinking about how it must be a problem with the clubs; surely not the swing! I previously posted an overview of a lot of clubs directed at curing the shanks (click HERE to read)...
Clubs That I Want for My Collection
Posted on February 16, 2008I like to collect odd golf clubs. Not necessarily ones that perform particularly well; just unique clubs, most commonly odd looking clubs (shape and material). I am looking for the following clubs? right handed? condition is not critical, but they have to be able to be hit...
Callaway Golf Sued for Patent Infringement by Ogio
Posted on February 14, 2008Golfers, are you a golf bag patent infringer? If you use the Callaway Warbird XTT, Warbird HOT, Terra Firma X, Terra Firma XI, or the Hyper-X, then you just might be a patent infringer (but that is for a court to decide).On Tuesday Ogio International filed a patent infringement complaint in the District Court of Utah (Central Division) alleging that several of Callaway Golf?s bags infringe two of Ogio?s patents...
Valentine?s Day Special: The ?Sweetheart Putter?
Posted on February 14, 2008Last Valentine?s Day I wrote about a golf ball with heart shaped dimples (click here). Ahh, so sappy and sweet! I have been keeping a published patent application a secret just for a Valentine?s Day post; or more appropriate, I doubt anyone was looking for it...
If You Can?t Identify This Golf Club Head From the Design Patent? Then Order More Golf Magazines
Posted on February 12, 2008Here comes the softball of the year! The figure below comes from a US golf club iron head design patent that issued this week to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of irons? Click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D561855 titled ?Golf Iron Head...
The Driver Recognition Test of the Day... Can You Identify This Driver?
Posted on February 12, 2008Marketing types always say? it is all about brand recognition. I suppose ?brand recognition? is slightly different than ?design patent drawing recognition,? (ok, more than slightly) but they are not entirely unrelated. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued today to one of the big guys...
A Frog Putter, A Spider Putter, What?s Next?... A Mouse Putter, of Course
Posted on February 09, 2008Would a patent application titled ?Mouse Putter? get your attention? It got mine. So, do you putt mice with it or what? The application published as US Pub. No. 20080009367 titled ?Mouse Putter.? Check out this putter design.. I don?t think you will find one of these in my bag anytime soon...
Last Week I Posted About a Fluid-Filled Bladder Golf Club Patent Application? This Week a Patent Issues on a Remarkably Similar Design? Turns Out That Smart Inventors Do Think Alike
Posted on February 09, 2008Last week I posted about an interesting Nike patent application directed to golf clubs incorporating a fluid-filled bladder. Imagine my surprise this week when a patent issued to Fu Sheng Industrial, the world?s largest OEM manufacturer of golf club heads, directed to a remarkably similar design...
Another Driver Design Patent. Do You Recognize this Driver?
Posted on February 07, 2008OK golfers, how well do you know your drivers? These drawings come from a driver design patent that issued Tuesday to a major club maker. Do you recognize this club? You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D561284 titled ?Golf Club Wood Head...
Can You Identify These Irons? (from a major manufacturer, yet I bet you can?t identify them)
Posted on February 05, 2008The Golf-Patents blog has tested your knowledge of iron club head design in the past (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). Today, let?s see if you can identify another set of irons. For frequent readers of this blog, I rate the level of difficulty of this one as ridiculously difficult...
What Gets the Testosterone Flowing on the Golf Course? (A) Hit a 300+ Yard Drive, (B) Make a Hole-in-One, or (C) Hop on Your Golf Scooter (that has ?balance wheels??) and Scurrying Around the Course
Posted on February 05, 2008I didn?t think last week?s post regarding the 3-wheeled bag-riding golf cart could be outdone, but boy was I wrong. Last week an amazing patent issued titled ?Collapsible Golf Scooter Cart Having Fold Out Balance Wheels? (USPN 7322434). A what? A golf scooter! Check out this drawing of the scooter...
If I Gave You a High Surface Friction Golf Ball Would You Expect More Spin or Less Spin When You Hit it With a Wedge? How About When Struck With Your Driver?
Posted on February 03, 2008High surface friction golf balls? more spin or less spin? Would it make any difference whether you hit the ball with a wedge or a driver? Interesting questions, right?Well a recently published Acushnet patent application provides us with the answer. The published patent application is US Pub...
A Post About Fluid-Filled Bladders
Posted on February 02, 2008If I searched patents for the term ?fluid-filled bladder?? the last thing I would expect to find would be a patent application for golf irons! But that is exactly what I stumbled across recently. More specifically, it was a published patent application directed to a Nike Slingshot design containing a fluid-filled bladder...
How Would You Like the Opportunity to Ride Your Golf Bag Around the Course?
Posted on February 01, 2008Another golf invention that words just don?t do justice! Check out these figures?The drawings come from a recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20080023236 titled ?Combined Golf Caddie And Golf Cart.? Am I nuts, or wasn?t there some problems with the roll-over potential of 3-wheel ATV?s on uneven terrain? Surely that won?t be an issue for this invention? (I mean it looks pretty stable, right?) David Dawsey - Monitoring Golf Cart PatentsPS ? check out other golf cart related posts here, here, here, and here
A Big Week in the World of Golf Shoe Design Patents? Who Says the Golf-Patents Blog Doesn?t Cover Fashion?
Posted on January 31, 2008I knew that title would get you interested? but seriously, this post may contain the next hot new golf shoe design and perhaps a glimpse into future FootJoy offerings.Yesterday Acushnet was granted 6 golf shoe design patents. The patents are USPN's D560338, D560339, D560340, D560341, D560342, and D560343; all titled "Golf Shoe Upper...
Maker of the SuperStroke Putter Grip (made famous by KJ) Sues Tacki-Mac Grips and Energy Grips for Golf Grip Patent Infringement
Posted on January 29, 2008On Friday Stroke Solutions, Inc., maker of the SuperStroke putter grip that KJ has made famous, filed patent infringement lawsuits against Tacki-Mac Grips, Inc. and Energy Grip, Inc. in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The actual Complaints filed with the court do not contain much information, but you can check them out HERE and HERE...
The Saga Continues... Acushnet Files Motion and Brief Requesting Judgment as a Matter of Law Regarding the Invalidity of Callaway's Patents, OR a New Trial
Posted on January 27, 2008Last week?s post titled ?Callaway Seeks Permanent Injunction? Is There A Risk That Titleist ProV1?s Will No Longer Be Available?? has obtained the distinction of being the most widely read Golf-Patents blog post of all time! Well, this one should beat it...
TaylorMade Answers Dogleg Right?s Golf Club Patent Infringement Accusations
Posted on January 25, 2008As you will recall, last month Dogleg Right sued TaylorMade Golf alleging infringement of two of patents directed to CG customizable golf clubs. Click HERE to read a prior post on the subject. Today TaylorMade filed their Answer (click HERE to read) to the Dogleg Right Complaint (click HERE to read)...
A Fun Game? If You Could Be The Agent Of Any 5 Of The Top 150 Golfers, Who Would They Be?
Posted on January 24, 2008I often think? ?man, serving as an agent to a few of the guys out on the PGA Tour must be a sweet life.? Negotiate some contracts, arrange some cool endorsement deals, travel to the best courses, and perhaps arrange for a cab ride home after a client has a late night performing " Knockin' on Heaven's Door...
Golf GPS Lawsuit Update
Posted on January 22, 2008I have received several emails recently inquiring as to the status of the GPS patent infringement litigation against SkyHawke (maker of SkyCaddie), and others. As you may recall from these prior posts (initial, update 1, update 2, update 3, and update 4), on May 11th GPS Industries and Optimal IP Holdings filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 10 defendants (3:07CV0831-K, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division)...
Can You Identify This Putter? If So? You Know Your Putters!
Posted on January 22, 2008Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putter designs (example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4, example 5, example 6, example 7, example 8, and example 9). Today a unique golf putter design patent issued that is directed to the profile of a groove that runs across the top of the putter...
The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?Piracy, Counterfeiting, and Employer-Employee IP Issues? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program
Posted on January 22, 2008I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed piracy, counterfeiting, and employer-employee intellectual property issues. I have been a fan of Jim?s show for close to 10 years and highly recommend it...
Acushnet Serves Subpoena on the USGA!
Posted on January 20, 2008Regular readers of the Golf-Patents blog know that Callaway and Acushnet are slugging it out regarding golf balls and golf clubs. Click here to brush up on the background of the golf club patent infringement lawsuit. The most recent interesting event in the club lawsuit involves a subpoena being served on the USGA by Acushnet (click here to read the original subpoena)...
Callaway Seeks Permanent Injunction? Is There A Risk That Titleist ProV1?s Will No Longer Be Available?
Posted on January 19, 2008As you will recall from the prior post regarding the verdict in the Callaway v. Acushnet? last month a jury found that 8 of the 9 claims at issue are valid? and therefore infringed by Acushnet. Then, a Callaway spokeswoman said? "We have now established in court that our golf ball patents are valid, and that Titleist Pro V1 golf balls infringe those patents...
Golf Clubs Simply Need Wings and Fins! Can So Many Inventors Be Wrong?
Posted on January 17, 2008As I expressed in this prior post, I love golfers? commitment to the belief that golf club heads should have fins and wings! Recently a patent application published that espouses all the perceived benefits of wings. The application is US Pub. No. 20070293333 titled ?Golf Club...
What Company Received the Most US Patents in 2007
Posted on January 16, 2008Was it Cisco, Nokia, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, IBM, or Intel? Additionally, how many patents do you think this company was granted in 2007? (under 500, 501-1000, 1001-2000, 2001-3000, or more than 3000)Well, it is no surprise that the winner is IBM with 3148 patents granted in 2007; after all, IBM has been at the top of the list for 14 years...
Read Your January 19th Edition of Golfweek Very Carefully
Posted on January 16, 2008The title of the post instructs you to read this week's Golfweek magazine very carefully for a very important reason... because if you don't, you will miss a short comment by me regarding patents and USGA club adjustability (page 78), as well as a reference to the Golf-Patents blog...
I Would Do Almost Anything To Improve My Game, But I Am Not Sure That I Would Strap Myself Into This Contraption
Posted on January 15, 2008Would you strap yourself into this contraption to improve your game?The drawings come from USPN 4758000 titled ?Games Stroke Practicing Apparatus.? The patent describes the invention as:Practice apparatus for positioning a user in a golf stance and for guiding the user's body through a golf stroke...
Which Top 5 Golfer is an Inventor on a Golf Club Patent? And Who Owns the Patent?
Posted on January 13, 2008Which top 5 golfer is listed as an inventor on a golf club patent?1. Woods 2. Mickelson 3. Stricker 4. Furyk 5...
Finally, A Golf Hat That Will Improve Your Game!
Posted on January 12, 2008Words don?t do this invention justice? you just have to check out these figures. The patent is USPN 6991556 titled ?Golf Swing Training Hat.?Interesting. Think you could keep the ball on the tee throughout your swing? David Dawsey - The Golf Invention Lawyer
Does Your Putting Need Some Work? This Invention May Be Just What You Need
Posted on January 12, 2008Does the title ?Method of Playing a Game with a Telescopic Putter Mounted to Headband? peak your interest? It should. The patent is USPN 6846244.Check out this figure from the patent. I would love to know how many of these have been sold! David Dawsey - The Putter Patent Attorney
Get Your Alpha Case Crystals In Order!
Posted on January 11, 2008Have you ever wondered if you should orient the hexagonal symmetry of your club?s alpha case crystals in a specific manner? Of course you have... I mean who hasn?t?What kind of golfer would you be if you couldn?t sketch out a hexagonal closely packed crystal structure (as seen below) in 30 seconds or less!Well, thankfully for all of us? there are engineers working in the golf industry that think about things such as the hexagonal symmetry of a club face?s alpha case crystals...
Defendant King Sports Responds to Callaway?s Allegations
Posted on January 11, 2008As you may recall from this prior post, Callaway recently accused a handful of clone club makers of (1) infringing one UTILITY patent, (2) infringing three DESIGN patents, (3) infringing two trademarks, (4) trademark dilution, (5) breach of contract, (6) common law unfair competition, and (7) false advertising! One of the defendants has responded to the Complaint...
Golf-Patents Birthday!
Posted on January 08, 2008One year ago today I posted my first real blog entry. Check it out here.What a year! Hopefully the Golf-Patents blog has provided golfers with a better understanding of just how important intellectual property is to the golf industry.As always... I like to hear from readers regarding the topics and content that they enjoy most, so don't hesitate to email me your thoughts...
USPTO Statistics from the 2007 Fiscal Year
Posted on January 08, 2008The close of another fiscal year at the USPTO brings forth some interesting statistics. For instance, the number of new patent applications filed in FY 2007 rose to 467,243; up over 4.8% from the 445,613 applications filed in FY 2006. (and those numbers don?t even include the 132,352 provisional applications filed in 2007!) Additionally, despite the USPTO again hiring over 1200 new patent examiners in the past year, the number of pending patent applications increased over 10% in the past year to 1,112,517...
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On 08-28 at 21:13PM
Ten months later, Fed must reveal names of emergency lending recipients #FOIA
On 08-25 at 19:02PM
Squeaky Fromme, would-be Ford assassin and Manson devotee, released from prison
On 08-14 at 15:19PM
Likely unintended consequence of cash-for-clunkers stimulus is dampening of 2010 spending
On 08-14 at 14:34PM
Palm seeks to halt Palm Pre Android theme on copyright and trademark ground
On 08-12 at 17:30PM
Congressional investigation demonstrates Karl Rove lied about his active role in US attorney's firing
On 08-12 at 16:20PM
Family of New York City swine flu victim to sue city for failure to secure school #nyc #swineflu
On 08-12 at 12:59PM
Real Network's DVD copying software deemed to break DMCA's anti-circumvention provisions
On 08-12 at 12:57PM
Prepaid funeral operators indicted for $100 Million fraud
On 08-12 at 12:53PM
NY Jets join Cincinnati, Dallas, Green Bay, Houston & Seattle #NFL teams offering branded state lottery games
On 08-12 at 12:43PM
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