Patent Law

Gearing Up for the Biggest Golf Patent Infringement Trial in History

Posted on March 07, 2010
Jury selection begins this Friday for the big ProV1 trial. This could be the jury that awards the largest amount of damages in golf history; but it could also be the jury that awards nada. In this case it isn?t very often that Callaway and Acushnet agree on anything, therefore let?s take a look at their jointly proposed voir dire designed to screen prospective jurors...

Is This Club Manufacturing Method Crazy or Beautifully Genius?

Posted on March 05, 2010
A patent issued this week directed to a golf club manufacturing technique that is rather interesting. The patent is USPN 7,670,532 titled ?Golf Club Head and Method of Making the Same,? and describes the invention as:A golf club head and a method of making a golf club head are disclosed...

Acushnet Patent Application Publishes Directed to Golf Ball Recycling System

Posted on March 04, 2010
That?s right, green is in (and very PC). Still, I was surprised to see an Acushnet patent application publish today titled ?Recyclable Golf Ball and Method Therefor.? (US Pub. No. 20100056305) Just close your eyes and imagine golf ball recycling kiosks in every pro shop...

This is a Cavity Back Iron that I Could Use!

Posted on February 25, 2010
Check out these beautiful clubs! The patent issued earlier this month as USPN 7,658,130 titled ?Golf Club Bottle Opener Combination,? which describes the invention as:A golf club suitable for use in driving or putting a golf ball comprising a club head attached to a shaft includes a bottle cap removal structure in a rear surface of the club head...

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Check Out This New Nike Driver Design

Posted on February 22, 2010
Last week I posted about an interesting patent application filed by Dick?s Sporting Goods. Well, the very same day a Nike patent application was published that contains some similar design attributes. Whose design do you like better? The Nike application describes the invention as:A golf club head system and a golf club head for inclusion into a golf  club are provided...

Dick?s Sporting Goods Entry in the Golf Club Design Business ? An Eagle or a Shank ? You be the Judge

Posted on February 18, 2010
There is no doubt that Dick?s is a major force in golf equipment retailing, yet I was still surprised this week to see that they had a patent application publish that is directed to a club head design. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 201000041495 titled ?Golf Driver Head with Exchangeable Rear Sections,? which describes the invention as:A golf driver kit includes a front portion and a plurality of rear portions exchangeably connectable to the front portion and being of different respective shapes for imparting different flight characteristics to a struck golf ball...

Day 5 - Karsten's Patents Directed to Woods

Posted on February 16, 2010
So far this week we have looked at Karsten's non-golf related patents, golf tool related patents, a golf ball patent, and his golf grip patents, therefore it is about time that we start looking at his golf club patents. Let's start with woods. I was surprised to learn that Karsten is listed as an inventor on only two wood-related patents, however we all know that the PING brand made its name with putters and irons...

Day 4 - Karsten's Golf Grip Patents

Posted on February 13, 2010
We have looked at Karsten's non-golf related patents, golf tool related patents, and a golf ball patent, so now let's look at his golf grip patents. He has many golf grip design patents, but only one golf grip utility patent. The 1992 utility patent is USPN 5087042 titled "Golf Club Grip," which describes the invention as:A grip for use on the extending end of the shaft of a golf club is provided with an especially configured array of longitudinally extending grooves which are in direct opposition to the rotation of the golf club about the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft to resist twisting of the golf club in the golfer's hand resulting from mis-hitting of a golf ball in an off center location toward the toe or heel of the golf club head...

The Week of Karsten Solheim - Day 3 - The Lone Golf Ball Patent

Posted on February 12, 2010
Over the past few days we have examined Karsten Solheim?s non-golf related patents, as well as his golf tool related patents; well, there is one other unusual invention and patent that most people would not typically associate with Karsten and the PING brand...

Day 2 of "The Week of Karsten" - His Golf Tool Patents

Posted on February 11, 2010
Yesterday you learned about Karsten's non-golf related patents. Today let's look at his inventions that are golf related, but aren't the type of inventions that you would typically associate with PING. You know, some behind the scenes tools.The first of his patents in this category is USPN 3293762 titled "Gauge and Measuring Device for Golf Clubs," specifically for measuring the length, lie, and loft of clubs, which issued in 1966...

The Week of Karsten Solheim - Day 1 - Karsten's Non-Golf Patents

Posted on February 10, 2010
As we approach the 10 year anniversary of the passing of one of the most prolific golf club design visionaries, a week long tribute to the inventiveness of Karsten Solheim seems appropriate. If you don?t know who Karsten is then you are probably on this site by mistake; however, you may want to check out this nice biography on the World Golf Hall of Fame website...

A Wild New PING Dynamically Variable MOI Driver

Posted on February 07, 2010
The Golf-Patents blog has revealed some pretty radical golf club designs in the past, but rarely do they originate from Karsten Manufacturing (aka PING). Therefore, when an unusual PING patent application is published it deserves a close look. This week PING had two related patent applications publish related to variable MOI driver designs, one of which is US Pub...

Wrapping Up the Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents ? A Compact Design

Posted on February 06, 2010
What better way to get hit by a golf ball than playing on a compact golf course. Every golfer has played on one of those courses that squeezed 18 holes in the space that should house 14 holes. The type that has a net around at least one tee box; probably the result of a line drive to the forehead (and a lawsuit)...

Day 4 of the Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents ? Finally a Web Pattern Layout

Posted on February 04, 2010
What happens when a statistics professor designs a golf course? The possibilities are endless. Actually, I don?t know if the inventor of the course of today is a statistics professor, but it wouldn?t surprise me.So, what could possibly follow a linear golf course layout, a circular layout, and a shared fairway layout (with movable trees)? A web pattern layout, of course...

Day 3 of the Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents

Posted on February 03, 2010
So far this week we have examined a linear golf course layout and a circular layout, therefore it must now be time to look at a design incorporated shared fairways. Today?s design is found in USPN 6,053,819 titled ?Golf Course, Golf Park and Associated Method of Playing a Golf Game,? which describes the invention as:A golf park including a golf course having a single fairway with multiple greens...

Day 2 of the Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents

Posted on February 02, 2010
Yesterday we explored a wonderfully linear golf course layout. Today, let?s take a look at a radically different design. The new design is disclosed in USPN 5,395,115 titled ?Golfing Facility,? which describes the invention as:A golfing facility comprises a rotatable central tee-off area and a plurality of sectors disposed around the tee-off area...

A Week Dedicated to Golf Course Patents - Day 1

Posted on February 01, 2010
Ever wonder if you can patent a golf course?s architecture? Well, this week I will provide you with some interesting golf course layout patents that you may find hard to believe. Additionally, if you are a golf course architecture aficionado then you should avoid these posts because they will bring tears to your eyes (or make you puke)...

A Golfer Can Dream of the Day that a Golf Swing Training Kiosk is in Every Mall and Airport

Posted on January 30, 2010
In the past I have posted, in a sarcastic manner, about driving range kiosks putting Hank Haney out of a job, but now I am starting to think we may start to see these things pop up as frequently as golf simulators. This week an interesting kiosk-type system patent issued as USPN 7,651,406 titled ?Active Golf Instruction System...

Tired of Putting in the House without the Satisfaction of the Ball Dropping in a Hole?

Posted on January 29, 2010
Check out this neat little device. The drawings come from a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No.  20100022318 titled ?Golf Putting Floor Vent.? The application describes the invention as:A golf putting practice device adapted to serve as a substitute for a floor vent that fits into a floor duct of a forced air circulation system of a building and includes a ball receiving enclosure and at least one flat support plate member extended outwardly from the ball receiving enclosure...

Yes, I Believe I Have Found a Helpful Training Aid

Posted on January 26, 2010
It may be hard to believe but I, like most golfers, occasionally get jaded after seeing training aid after training aid, none of which seem particularly helpful. Every now and then I come across one that actually seems to have some merit. Today was one of those days...

Another Interesting Nike Design

Posted on January 23, 2010
In the past six months I have authored several posts (HERE, HERE) regarding some pretty cool, albeit unconventional, designs by Nike. Well, this week another Nike patent application became publicly available and it gives us a look at another interesting design that they have come up with...

Pull This Putting Invention Out on the Practice Green and You May Get a Few Stares

Posted on January 21, 2010
I love inventions directed to conquering this maddening sport. It is a sign that human spirit is alive and well; and that some tinkerers truly believe they have invented a gadget that will make the game less frustrating for the rest of us. Sure, there are those golfers (typically the ones that throw their clubs and angrily smack their ball of the green after missing a short putt) that bash every new golf product created since the advent of laminated woods; but can you really knock a golf training product until you have tried it out? OK, I suppose there are a few (example 1, example 2, example 3) that I do draw quick conclusions about, but in general I would be willing to try any training product that the inventor really believes will help a golfer enjoy the game (provided it doesn?t look like it could inflict bodily harm)...

Are Your Balls Deformed? Come On, Golf Balls of Course. Well, This Putter Will Let You Know

Posted on January 16, 2010
Ever wonder if your balls were deformed? Well, if so I have found the perfect putter for you. An interesting putter was disclosed in a patent application that published this week as US Pub. No. 20100009781 titled ?Putter and Golf Ball Deformity Measuring Apparatus...

The IP Golf Guy Discusses ?IP Goals for the New Year that Every Small Business Can Implement? on the Small Business Advocate® Radio Program

Posted on January 12, 2010
I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed IP goals for small businesses. Feel free to listen to the interview HERE.Find interviews with Small Business experts on the Small Business Advocate showDavid Dawsey ? The Small Business Intellectual Property Attorney

Let?s Get to the Bottom of a New PING Putter Design Patent

Posted on January 12, 2010
Check out these drawings from a design patent that issued to Karsten Manufacturing today! Does the design remind you of anything; perhaps something you see about 18 times a round? The drawings come from design patent USPN D607,950. Looks like the bottom of the cup to me...

A Future Generation of Taylor Made Drivers?

Posted on January 11, 2010
It is hard to believe it has been almost 18 months since I wrote a post about a rather radical Taylor Made patent application. The post was titled ?The Future of Taylor Made Drivers? Will This Design Ever Make it to Store Shelves?? Well, they prosecuted the patent application and paid to have it issue last week as USPN 7,641,568 titled ?Golf Club Head Having Ribs...

Interesting New Golf Club Names That We May See in 2010

Posted on January 10, 2010
Following up on last year?s post ?The Best and Worst Golf Club Names Filed with the USPTO so far in 2008?, let?s look at some of the more interesting golf club trademark applications filed in 2009. Here are some of my favorite names that we may see on golf clubs in 2010...

Heavy Putter, Heavy Wedge, What?s Next?

Posted on January 09, 2010
Not long ago I posted about Heavy Putter?s intent to use the trademark Heavy Wedge™ on ?golf clubs?; and commented that doesn?t take a genius to speculate that those ?golf clubs? might just be a new line of wedges! Well, now I can report that they also have intent to carry forward the product line to irons; as exhibited by their filing of a trademark application for the Heavy Iron™ mark...

Take Two Putts Off My Round and I Would Gladly Wear This Contraption

Posted on January 08, 2010
Can you imagine this device helping your putting? With that stance and grip it is no wonder that he has putting problems. The drawings come from USPN 5,752,887 titled ?Golf Aid Device,? which describes the invention as:The subject golf aid device is generally directed to a practice or training aid to be used by a golfer...

Need a Golf Bag to Match Your Man Purse?

Posted on January 06, 2010
Hermes has just the offering for the metrosexual golfer that has just about everything, except a golf bag to match his fancy luggage and man purse. Check out this bag! The drawings come from the recently issued design patent USPN D606,750. Classy and interesting design, but I would expect golfers that I play with to kick my rear if I every showed up carrying one of these...

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