CPSC is actively considering the issues of requiring active protection on table saws.
A topic discussed in the past but the new twist is that companies are complaining that Sawstop owns some tight patents on the technology and has always demanded steep royalty payments for its use. The other power tool companies are arguing that the patent monopoly and high prices will force the low priced saw out of the market.
To counter this argument, the owner of SawStop has offered to make his key patent US#9.724,840 "dedicated to the public" (I assume that means free to use) upon adoption of the CPSC rules.
Technically, I read that the ‘840 patent expired Jan of 2023. The filing date was 2002 and with some extensions and a 20 year patent life, the expiration was January of 2023.
There also seem to be well over 100 more recent patents by Stephen F Gass assigned to SawStop Holdings LLC. Most of them related to saws, power tools and injury protection although admittedly some are for things like quick release throat plates.
The question is whether releasing only one patent will remove roadblocks for competing devices. With such an incredible jungle of patents, it may be that Mr. Gass, a patent attorney of fairly good skill, originally, has merely made the illusion of giving access to an expired patent, still has tricks up his sleeve to pull?
Why for instance, doesn't he just release the patent now? And why just one?
Elon Musk made all the Tesla patents available for free use some years back.
A topic discussed in the past but the new twist is that companies are complaining that Sawstop owns some tight patents on the technology and has always demanded steep royalty payments for its use. The other power tool companies are arguing that the patent monopoly and high prices will force the low priced saw out of the market.
To counter this argument, the owner of SawStop has offered to make his key patent US#9.724,840 "dedicated to the public" (I assume that means free to use) upon adoption of the CPSC rules.
Technically, I read that the ‘840 patent expired Jan of 2023. The filing date was 2002 and with some extensions and a 20 year patent life, the expiration was January of 2023.
There also seem to be well over 100 more recent patents by Stephen F Gass assigned to SawStop Holdings LLC. Most of them related to saws, power tools and injury protection although admittedly some are for things like quick release throat plates.
The question is whether releasing only one patent will remove roadblocks for competing devices. With such an incredible jungle of patents, it may be that Mr. Gass, a patent attorney of fairly good skill, originally, has merely made the illusion of giving access to an expired patent, still has tricks up his sleeve to pull?
Why for instance, doesn't he just release the patent now? And why just one?
Elon Musk made all the Tesla patents available for free use some years back.
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