hammock copy right/ patent confusion?

[WV]

When Hammock Forums started it attracted a lot of original thinkers who shared ideas freely, and we all benefited. I think it was like open-source software. The pace of innovation was wonderful. Those were good times, and I think to some extent that spirit continues, though I've heard some complain that it has diminished. As the cottage industries mature and get bigger it may pay some of them to patent their new ideas, but that's their decision. I publish the things I come up with here because I get good feedback, but also to get them established as "prior art" so everyone will have access to them.

[Armor Like Fire]

Hey that makes more since thank you guys for all the input and helping explain this to me (over time rventually b I would like to try and become a little company making gear like zpacks lukes UL gear diy gear supply ect...) so I have been trying to figure some of this stuff out because I do not want to rip anyones ideas off of anyone ect but I would like to try and eventually come up with some new ideas for hammocking as well To help it grow!

[DrPhun]

Patents are tricky. Too narrow and they are easy to design around. Too broad and they can be invalidated. But it can be good marketing and the threat of the cost of litigation can give some protection. For most of the vendors here, with so much prior art around, they can get a lot more mileage out of good service and quality workmanship.

[tundracamper]

Patents have a finite life. I think 20 years is typical. Hammocks have been around a lot longer than that.

[ticketothemoon]

Most of the parachute hammock brand on the market are made in Indonesia, where you will find the best fabric for camping hammock. And if patent could be applied to parachute hammock Grand Trunk and ENO would be labeled Ticket To The Moon Keep your feet off the ground...TTTM.

[fishbait]

okay so the pile thing on the Clark hammock has a patent on the pole bug net thing so would that mean no other person could make on the hammocks with poles holding up their bug net? Or can somebody else do it just it has to be made/ work a different way?

Another vendor could attempt to license the technology from Clark. If Clark was so inclined, they would then charge a fare fee for each hammock using their technology. Example the on going feud between Apple and Samsung. Each has licensed certain technologies to each other for set fees and have taken each other to court over other patent infringements.

[theseakayaker]

Hey guys I have been thinking on this laitly and been rather confused I will start off saying I don't understand the copyright/patent laws all that well.

Now for a simple example let's tale grand trunk and eno hammocks just their basic gathered end sewn hammocks.
Seems like a good portion of hammocks are all made exactly the same like that. What's to keep one company from sewing another if they are all made the same?

Is this why people use different materals from one hammock company to another? Or custom fabrics for their hammocks ect? Just so they aren't exactly the same?
Thanks for the help guys!

If you are looking into getting a patent for your designs, it is a very lengthy and expensive proposition. Do some marketing research to see if what you want to patent is worth the patent cost and time. If you use a good patent attorney, the cost can range from $5000 to $15,000 + and 4 to 5 years from start to finish. As for hammocks, patents go back as far as the early as the 1800's and most new designers have to be very careful in the wording of specs and claims in order to prove they have invented a better mouse trap. Designs may be similar but how the claim is worded is the key to success or rejection. So, you must be very creative in what you are claiming and how its put together is the specs of the patent.

Also, a good claim can be worth a lot of money. A bad claim can be worthless. Patents for hammocks fall into the bedding category and even though you wouldn't think bedding or hammocks get that many patent applications, it is growing in leaps and bounds. How a claim and specs were written 15 to 20 years ago, and was excepted by the USPO, today it's much harder and more stringent.

If you have a novel idea or you think is novel, research it to see what you will be facing. If it, in fact, is novel - get it protected wit a patent! Your work will be cut out for you!

[ShooTa]

matt from ukhammocks has a patent for his woodsmanX hammock - in that the shape of the bug net/zip off+stash feature and his tension device together form the footbox
so the system as a whole is patented as are the specific parts - however the material and bugnet and footbox tension idea are not patented due to prior art.