[dr_lew]

I recall a case back when we were worried about Japan taking over. There was some guy, an American, who was savvy about patent law, who patented industrial robots by more or less writing documents to the effect, “I patent industrial robots,” which satisfied the letter of patent law. He then waited for others to invent, develop, and utilize industrial robots, and sued them for patent infringement. This was namely the Japanese - Mitsubishi et al. Of course, a US court found in his favor and he walked away with Hundreds of Millions of Dollars. Look it up.

[Dan Evans]

who patented industrial robots by more or less writing documents to the effect, “I patent industrial robots,”

That sounds like an urban legend.

[DB]

Seriously wrong.

The patent office has turned into a total farce.

And that’s coming from someone who has a patent issued in my name...

[Peelod]

I can’t “look it up”.

The USPTO doesn’t permit searches for [some guy, an American].

[snowsislander]

I recall a case back when we were worried about Japan taking over. There was some guy, an American, who was savvy about patent law, who patented industrial robots by more or less writing documents to the effect, “I patent industrial robots,” which satisfied the letter of patent law. He then waited for others to invent, develop, and utilize industrial robots, and sued them for patent infringement. This was namely the Japanese - Mitsubishi et al. Of course, a US court found in his favor and he walked away with Hundreds of Millions of Dollars. Look it up.

I don't know of this case, but there was the very famous case of George Selden, a lawyer who patented the idea of the automobile and collected royalties from actual automobile makers until Henry Ford finally won in the courts.

[ThreePuttinDude]

I’m not too sure you can patent an idea without a working plan or blueprint of that product.

I had to jump through hoops, and cross more T’s and dot more I’s than you can imagine.

This doesn't sound like an example of the patent process I’ve been through.

[null and void]

Barry Block?