Arrows Patent: When will it expire?

[vcs]

Sorry guys this may have been asked before but when exactly will the arrows patent be expired?

If it did expire, who do you think would jump on the multi antenna bandwagon?

[djrams80]

Sorry guys this may have been asked before but when exactly will the arrows patent be expired?

If it did expire, who do you think would jump on the multi antenna bandwagon?

I think the professor made an educated guess at this and determined that it was February 2011. I'll look for the thread.

Edit: Found it:

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...rd-escort.html

I'm no patent attorney, but:

According to Wikipedia, for patents that were in force by June 8, 1995, the patent term is either 17 years from the issue date or 20 years from the earliest claimed filing date, the longer term applying.

I believe V1's earliest "directional origin" patent (5083129) was filed February 25, 1991, and granted January 21, 1992. This would mean that this patent would expire on February 25, 2011 since the longer term applies.

So you have about 5 years yet...

Jim

[th3 factory freak]

I don't think Mike Valentine is stupid enough to let others steal his idea.

[djrams80]

I don't think Mike Valentine is stupid enough to let others steal his idea.

It doesn't matter how stupid or smart Mike V is. The law is the law.

[Obsidian]

That would be a death blow to V1. I'm not a big fan of his detector, but competition is good ... Escort needs a serious challenger. Cobra and Whistler are not going to push them, that's for sure.

[Jon_Doh]

I would love to have the arrows and GPS with the capability to mark locations in one detector

[AirMoore]

That would be a death blow to V1.

x2, if that blow hasn't already been struck, which sucks for us consumers.


I just wish all those hooligans who have said (since the Sti came out) 'VR has something up their sleeve, my mothers, friends, brothers, dog said he heard it, and soon it will blow you away.' were right, but as I always suspected, I think change at VR is coming way too late... if it ever does.

The ONLY THING that 'keeps Belscort prices in check' as is right now is the V1, if we lose that... I would hate to see what they could charge for high-end RD's... since the competition will be ZERO.

[AirMoore]

I would love to have the arrows and GPS with the capability to mark locations in one detector

Too bad since there will be no competition for Belscort that detector will cost $2,500+ dollars... because if you want such a detector, you have only one place to turn to... thats in a few years of course.

[The Invisible Vervet]

Maybe Mike can whip up a little airplane bogey tracker function to add on to the V1.

[SuperSalad]

I'm sure Mike will hire a really good attorney that will find loops and holes to get his patent re-patented. I believe the law is that to get it re-patented you have to show evidence that you NEED that patent in order to keep your business going...or something along those lines

But I'm not attorney either so I could be very wrong.