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Proposed trackable patent?


jpro2

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I'm assuming this hasn't come up already - if it has, please accept my apology for the duplication.

 

I just watched an episode of "Shark Tank", in which a pitch was made by a family who came up with a gel bracelet with collectable and tradeable coins in it. The coins have serial numbers on the back, and the owner can track the coin on its travels via a website, viewing comments by by the successive owners. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

 

The really interesting thing was that the deal for investment in this business was contingent on the family's company securing the patent they intended to pursue on the process of having an online-trackable trading item.

 

If successful, what does this do to trackable geocoins?

 

Julian

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All you need to do is submit the basic description of the item as jpro2 stated it. Heck you can throw in GS's description of TBs and Geocoins. As long as there isn't a matching or similar patent filing it may be awarded. Though the patent possess takes a couple of year or more. First the family will have to get the research done to make sure there isn't a similar concept already patented. That could cost them allot of money to do. Considering they where on the show to try and get some VC funding i doubt they have the money to purse it. Generally those people on the show are at the point that funds are about to run dry and this is there last hope of keeping the dream alive.

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My understanding of what they were saying is that the pending patent is on the outlet (the website) in which the tracking and trading is done as well as the product.

 

So combine the geocaching website with the TB and GC collectibles overall.

 

I would love to see not only how the patent coincides with what has already been established with TB's and GC's but where copywright law comes into place with their idea to combine a TB/GC trackable with a bracelet.

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Just because something has been done before doesn't mean it can't be patented. Many ideas that have been patented have been done before. Its all a matter of who is first to be awarded the patent.

 

If there isn't already a patent for it the couple could win it and then go after GS for royalties.

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Just because something has been done before doesn't mean it can't be patented. Many ideas that have been patented have been done before. Its all a matter of who is first to be awarded the patent.

 

If there isn't already a patent for it the couple could win it and then go after GS for royalties.

 

Depends what the patent is for, whether it's a broad claim to trackable items or something more specific. Also it would have to describe how the trackables are tracked etc. Patents generally take 2 to 4 years to process too...

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This is just what I came here to discuss, and lo and behold, someone caught onto that too.....

 

The thing is, they stated during the show, that the tracking process is something 'never to be done before' and that is what all the investors were interested in, the patenting of that idea. That was obviously the most valuable part of their whole 'invention'.

 

They didn't invent that idea. That is geocoins all the way around. Not only is it a tracking number, but its inscribed on a coin. They even described the process that you can 'see your coin travel around the world.' Though I don't see many of the coins traveling very far, considering it will likely be marketed like silly bands. You can track its progress around... school.

 

That is a family of geocachers. They came up with the idea in the car on a trip... They should have mentioning it was a geocaching trip... :laughing:

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In addition... I found this blurb relating to patents online where someone asked about getting a patent for something that already exists.

 

'Here are some situations (set forth in 35 USC 102 and 103) in which you CANNOT obtain a patent, which may apply to your scenario (it is unclear from your details):

1. If, before you invented the invention, the invention was known or used by others in the US, or patented or described in a printed publication; or

2. If the invention was patented or described in a printed publication more than one year before you filed a patent application for your invention.

These two bars would also apply if your invention would have been "obvious" on the basis of other inventions that were known, used, patented, or described in a printed publication in the manner set forth above.'

 

And completely off topic in regards to my own post, I will have to say, the bracelet mentioned above? It is nothing like what this family is selling, (except for the oh so important tracking #) but I will have to order the above mentioned bracelet. I hope they are still selling it!

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Could someone tell me please, when this show was aired?

Cause I smell an Aprils fool here...

 

Could there even be a patent on something already done for years if not decades?

I'm in Kitchener Ontario, and saw it last night... yes, April 1st, but those jokes are supposed to be before noon...

 

On the patent background, see kimchery's notes above.

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I was watching Shark tank and saw this episodes about FLIPOUTS, trading coins for kids. It sound familiar when they started talking about how unique the coins are, and they are trackable through a website and the concept of tracking coins is patented by them. Then I started being worried about that, how does this affect the geocoin concept in geocaching ?

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They said their patent application in the U.S. is in (preliminary) process. There is usually a search or something that takes place by the patent office before granting. As well, according to the rules, Groundspeak could easily mention to the patent office that the concept has been done before.

 

tec_64

Wayne

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I mentioned it a few weeks ago to Groundspeak staff and they said they were well aware of it. They didn't seem terribly concerned that it would threaten what we're doing. I've asked around a little and it seems the most they could get a patent for would be the idea of the bracelets carrying multiple trackables and not the trackable system itself. It seems there are quite a few trackable systems beyond geocoins.

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looking at their website, it seems to be separate from what GC's and TBs are. There isn't a lot of info, and they have a hope to be able to track worldwide, but keep things safe for the kids. I wonder if you get a general area log when you trade them. So you could see how often it's traded, then beyond that if it actually leaves the city or state, where it would go from there.

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So according to the history of Geocaching, the phrase was coined May 2000.

So I would have to assume the first trackable Geocaches came a bit after that..

 

WheresGeorge.com has been around since December 23rd 1998.

If you've never heard of it, its a website where you can punch in the serial number on your dollar bills,

and then track them when other people punch in the number, and where they received it.

 

They are one of the oldest online trackable websites I can think of.

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