From: liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid   
      
   Don Y  wrote:   
      
   > On 2/5/2026 2:14 AM, Liz Tuddenham wrote:   
   > > I seem to remember EMI had a dedicated patents department which made it   
   > > easy for anyone in the company to try to patent any idea, however   
   > > trivial.  Many other British firms didn't bother unless the idea was a   
   > > really outstanding one.   
   >   
   > I think the nature of businesses has changed, over the years.   
   >   
   > I can recall 60's and 70's even small shops had their own   
   > waves, machine shops, paint shops, shake-n-bake, blueprint "gal",   
   > library, stock room clerks, etc.  In addition to manufacturing   
   > and inspection staff, marketing, engineering, accounting, etc.   
   >   
   > One of the early firms I worked for had maybe six engineers   
   > yet all of these things.  The library was bigger than the   
   > engineering offices!  I suspect only about 100 souls in the   
   > entire facility...   
   >   
   > Since the 80's, I've put clauses in my contracts that   
   > state:  "I won't knowingly infringe a patent with my design   
   > (but will make no effort to verify that to be the case)   
   > and I won't assist in the preparation of any patents   
   > you may choose to claim about my work"   
   >   
   > [I learned, early on, that its too easy to patent things   
   > that may be of dubious value; spend that effort making   
   > BETTER things!]   
      
   Many of the largest firms used patents as a way of crippling their   
   rivals' designs.  Very occasinally this forced designers to come up with   
   some quite brilliant and innovative solutions - but more usually it   
   resulted in every company's product being sub-optimal.   
      
      
   --   
   ~ Liz Tuddenham ~   
   (Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)   
   www.poppyrecords.co.uk   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)