Examples of patents

There are countless examples of exciting inventions – advanced, technical solutions

and simple, clever ideas. Read more about some of them here.

You can read about everything from horse shoes to smart systems for pilots. Or you
may want to find out about the history behind the titanium screw, which today can be
found in more than two million people’s mouths.

The ideas behind the inventions have come about both as a solution to a problem and
as an attempt to help someone else. Each text has images taken from the patent
applications and on each page there are links to the patent documentation.

1. Pen with scanner

With a machine as small as a pen, you can transfer text from paper directly into a
computer. Christer Fåhraeus invented the C-pen.

Modern highlighter
When you drag the so called C-pen over the text, it
stores and deciphers letters, numbers or figures. The
C-pen works by registering images which overlap each
other and then fits them together into one single
image. The pen can be used as a highlighter where
chosen parts of a text can easily be transferred to a
computer for example.

Translation assistance
The first model was launched in 1998 and over the years, development has continued.
Today for example, it is possible to translate text with the help of the pen. The invention
is currently manufactured and developed in a company run by Christer Fåhraeus
himself.

2. The possibility to move

Ylva Dahlén is a physiotherapist who often encounters children with severe functional
disabilities. To give these children the possibility to move happily, she invented
Hoppolek.
Counteracts brittleness of the bones
Hoppolek has been tested on a small group of children with functional disabilities and it
appears to have a good effect in the counteraction of brittleness of the bones, which
often affects children who struggle to carry out certain movements. Shock movements
against gravity, something children often carry out naturally, provide stimulus for the
building of bone in the skeleton. With the help of Hoppolek, children have the possibility
to carry out this type of movement and brittleness of the bones can hopefully be
reduced.

3. System for shorter flight times

With his invention, Håkan Lans has made it possible to shorten flight times. Thanks to
his invention, a pilot can see the exact positions of other aircraft.

Awareness of the immediate surroundings

Håkan Lans began inventing things already as a child and
today he is one of Sweden’s most well-known modern
inventors. Håkan Lans has further developed the GPS system
so that it is possible to send the information to aircraft and
ships. This means that pilots and captains know what the area
around them looks like, which reduces the risk of collision.

Shorter flight times

Thanks to this invention, it is possible to plan flights more
effectively, as it is easier to find gaps in traffic. This leads to
shorter flight times and reduced fuel usage. In Håkan Lans’ patent application, it states
that a plane that is delayed can be made to wait for many hours for a new take-off time.
With his invention it is easier to see when there is a gap in traffic and calculate when the
plane can take off. Therefore, it can be possible to increase capacity at airports without
an increased risk of collision. The system, which was patented during the 1990s, can
also be used for trains and cars, to name two other examples.
4. Rubber shoes for horses’ health
For over a thousand years, horses have been shod in iron shoes. But today some are
walking around in rubber shoes, thanks to Lone Pedersen.

Fewer injuries
Lone Pedersen wanted to give horses the possibility to walk on a material with better
shock absorption properties. Traditionally, a horseshoe is made out of steel and is fitted
to the hooves of horses to offset wear. The steel shoes can wear out both the horses’
joints and the surfaces they walk on. Lone Pedersen hoped that it would be more
comfortable for horses with the new shoes and that they would suffer from fewer
injuries.

Horseshoe made out of tractor tyres

She tested this on her own by cutting horseshoes out of old tractor tyres. In 1993, Lone
Pedersen applied for a patent for her invention. According to the patent, the horseshoe
should be made out of steel covered in plastic or rubber.

Prague’s horseback police

In order to develop the idea further, Lone Pedersen contacted Halmstad’s Rubber
Factory (Halmstads Gummifabrik). After a few years, she sold the patent to the
company which further improved the idea. The horseshoe is still sold, among others to
Prague’s horseback police who appreciate less wear, both to the horses and to the old
cobblestones.

5.Steel kidneys
After receiving a grant from the state in 1946, Nils Alwall, a doctor in Lund, began
developing a dialysis machine for people suffering from kidney disease. Just over
twenty years later, his inventions started to be mass produced.

The first use

One evening in September, the same year as Nils Alwall received the grant from the
state, a man arrived at the hospital where Nils Alwall worked. His kidneys no longer
functioned and Nils Alwall connected him to the machine that he had built. The blood
flowed through a tube, was cleansed, and then flowed
back again into the body.

Not for the chronically ill

Similar dialyses had been carried out previously in
other parts of the world, but Nils Alwall was the one
who first succeeded in ensuring that unnecessary
liquid could be removed. At the outset, there were problems in reaching the blood
circulation in the patient. That demanded major operations which could not be repeated
too many times. Therefore, it was mainly patients with acute kidney failure that could be
treated. The chronically ill had to wait until 1961 before dialysis became possible for
them too.

Foundation of Gambro
Based on his dialysis model, Nils Alwall succeeded in developing an expendable kidney
and an improved dialysis machine. With the help of an industrialist, he started to mass
produce an artificial kidney made out of steel. He later came into contact with Holger
Craaford, who decided to invest in the inventions and formed the company Gambro. In
1967, just over twenty years after Nils Alwall carried out the first dialysis, the inventions
began to be produced on a large scale

FIVE CLASSIC EXAMPLES OF TRADEMARK

“A trademark is any name, symbol, figure, letter, word, or mark adopted and used by a
manufacturer or merchant in order to designate his or her goods and to distinguish them
from those manufactured or sold by others.” – defined by dictionary.com.
There are many different types of distinctive marks that are classified as trademarks. A
company’s name, a sporting team’s mascot and famous singer’s lyrics are all
considered trademarks. To better understand the different types of trademarks, I have
compiled a list of five classic examples of trademarks.

1.) Name – Coco Chanel is a perfect example of a name that is a trademark. The
famous designer Coco Chanel built her successful fashion empire by using her name.
People knew that if they were to purchase a Coco Chanel product they were going to
receive quality craftsmanship. Through her reputation of having excellent taste, her
name became recognizable around the world. Her name is considered a trademark
because it is also the brand name of her company and is used to distinguish herself
from other designers and generic clothing manufacturers.

2.) Symbol – The McDonalds golden arch is a classic example of a symbol

trademark. Golden arches align interstate highways to alert customers when there is a
McDonalds located at next exit. There is no mention of the name McDonalds on these
golden arches. McDonalds does not need to. The general public, by in large, as well
as their customers know that a golden arch represents McDonalds. Their golden arch
symbol clearly differentiates them from other fast food restaurants.
3.) Catchphrases – a catchphrase that is identifiable to a person or company that is
used to sell merchandise can be trademarked. Donald Trump’s “You’re Fired” is a
perfect example of a trademark catchphrase. Donald Trump uses his catchphrase on
his reality television show “The Apprentice”.

4.) Figure or Mascot – a classic example of a trademark character is Geico’s talking

gecko. Geico’s talking gecko was featured in many commercials advertising Geico’s
insurance. The gecko became a mascot to the company. This talking lizard is now
recognized by thousands of American households nationwide.

5.) Lyrics – A songwriter’s lyrics are trademarks. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet
Band made a hit single song “Like a Rock” in 1986. In 1991, this song helped Chevrolet
bounce back from a near bankruptcy situation. The “Like a Rock” commercials were so
successful that these commercials were used for over ten years. Chevrolet paid Seger
royalties for licensing his trademark, “Like a Rock”.
All of these classic trademark examples demonstrate how names, words, and physical
marks can be used to distinguish a business from competitors. It is important that
businesses are able to trademark these distinguishing marks. It helps keep competitors
from copying their original work. It also helps their customers recognize them.

5 Examples of Copyright

copyright has never been an easy, black-and-white kind of issue. Arguments over
copyright between creatives happen all of the time, it’s an inescapable issue.

Read through some of these famous court cases that have created major public
discourse over copyright — how it’s handled, what it means, and why we should all
care.

1. Rogers vs. Koons

Case

Photographer Art Rogers shot a photograph of a couple holding a line of puppies in a

row and sold it for use in greeting cards and similar products. Internationally, renowned
artist Jeff Koons in the process of creating an exhibit on the banality of everyday items,
ran across Rodgers’ photograph and used it to create a set of statues based on the
image.
Koons sold several of these structures, making a significant profit. Upon discovering the
copy, Rodgers sued Koons for copyright. Koons responded by claiming fair use by
parody.

Outcome

The court found the similarities between the 2 images too close, and that a “typical
person” would be able to recognize the copy. Koon’s defense was rejected under the
argument that he could have used a more generic source to make the same statement
— without copying Rogers’ work. Koons was forced to pay a monetary settlement to
Rodgers.

Significance

This is one of those famous cases that encompassed a larger issue in the art world, the
issue of appropriation art. Can you build upon another’s work to create your own original
piece? And if you do so, does that constitute derivative work?

It also brought up the issue of photography as art, was photography just a

documentation of the world, or is it a creative and artistic product? Neither of these
issues was entirely answered by the case, of course, but it has also become a reference
used in many cases afterward.

You can parallel this with vector-tracing a photograph for your design. Are you creating
a derivative work that subtracts value from the original artist?

2. The Associated Press vs. Fairey

Case

Famous street artist Shephard Fairey created the Hope poster during President
Obama’s first run for presidential election in 2008. The design rapidly became a symbol
for Obama’s campaign, technically independent of the campaign but with its approval.

In January 2009, the photograph on which Fairey allegedly based the design was
revealed by the Associated Press as one shot by AP freelancer Mannie Garcia — with
the AP demanding compensation for its use in Fairey’s work. Fairey responded with the
defense of fair use, claiming his work didn’t reduce the value of the original photograph.

Outcome

The artist and the AP press came to a private settlement in January 2011, part of which
included a split in the profits for the work.
Significance

Though there wasn’t a court case and an actual verdict, this case created a lot of
discourse around the value of work in these copyright battles. It’s unlikely that Garcia’s
work could have ever reached the level of fame it did, if not for Fairey’s poster. Garcia
himself stated he was “so proud of the photograph and that Fairey did what he did
artistically with it, and the effect it has had,” but still had a problem with the fact that
Fairey took the image without permission and without credit for it’s originator.

Credit, credit, credit! On 99designs you cannot use licensed work — but in the right
circumstances you can use stock imagery. When doing so, make sure everyone knows
the source.

3. Cariou vs. Prince

Case

Richard Prince is a well known appropriation artist — one who transforms the work of
others to create new meaning in his own work. For an exhibition in the Gagosian
Gallery, Prince appropriated 41 images from a photography book by French
photographer Patrick Cariou, claiming fair use that he created new meaning out of the
photographs. Cariou argued that it wasn’t fair use, but copyright infringement.

Outcome

A judge ruled in favor for Cariou in 2011, claiming the changes made to Cariou’s
photographs weren’t significant enough to constitute a change in meaning — fair use.
However, the case is currently in appeal and the final decision has not yet been
reached.

Significance

The initial ruling in this case in favor of Cariou has created huge divisions in the artistic
community. It brings up questions about artistic intent and the subjectivity of art, asking
“who was this judge to determine whether or not the appropriated artwork had enough
meaning to be considered fair use” when the art could be interpreted differently by each
person who viewed it. The jury is still out on this one.

4. Modern Dog Design vs. Target Corporation

Case

Seattle design firm Modern Dog utilized a series of sketches of dogs in their
compendium put out by Chronicle Books in 2008. The firm alleges that illustrations from
that design have been used in a T-shirt produced by Disney/Target for sale, and filed a
lawsuit in 2011.

Outcome

TBD. There hasn’t been a decision yet in this case but Modern Dog has been
campaigning online pretty heavily for publicity and funds to help with its legal fees over
the issue.

Significance

The Modern Dog case has brought to light a question burning in the mind of many
designers and artists — what happens if a major corporation with many more resources
than me, utilizes my artwork for profit?

Modern Dog was recently forced to sell their studio to cover the legal costs associated
with this battle, so it’s turning into a very extreme situation for them. We’ll have to keep
an eye out for how this progressed and continues to change the conversation around
this issue.

Always defend your designs. Regardless of who you’re going up against — if you think
your design is in the right, then make it known.

5. Vanilla Ice vs. David Bowie/Freddie Mercury

Case

Vanilla Ice had a hit, in 1991, with Ice Ice Baby — it sampled but did not credit the
song Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen. Though at first denying it, Vanilla Ice
later retracted the statement saying it was “a joke”. Facing a lawsuit by the duo, Vanilla
Ice ‘fessed to sampling the work.

Outcome

The case was settled privately out of court with Ice paying an undeclared sum of money
and crediting Bowie/Queen on the track.

Significance

There’s really not a ton of meaning directly related to design with this one (except for,
don’t use other people’s creative work!). But I couldn’t resist adding it. This is one of the
most hilarious copyright cases ever.