Patent Law

How Well Do You Know Irons?

Posted on February 20, 2008
Ready 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, 2008
A 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, 2008
Every 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, 2008
I 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...

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Callaway Golf Sued for Patent Infringement by Ogio

Posted on February 14, 2008
Golfers, 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, 2008
Last 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, 2008
Here 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, 2008
Marketing 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, 2008
Would 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, 2008
Last 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, 2008
OK 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, 2008
The 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, 2008
I 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, 2008
High 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, 2008
If 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, 2008
Another 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, 2008
I 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, 2008
On 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, 2008
Last 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, 2008
As 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, 2008
I 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, 2008
I 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, 2008
Golf-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, 2008
I 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, 2008
Regular 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, 2008
As 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, 2008
As 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, 2008
Was 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, 2008
The 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, 2008
Would 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...

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