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IP's Next Big Wave - Taste & Smell Patents
Magnavox writes "Futurist Thomas Frey has written an article about Monday's Nobel Prize in medicine opening the door for taste & smell patents. Dr. Richard Axel and Dr. Linda B. Buck won the prize for scientifically describing how odor-sensing proteins in the nose translate specific tastes and smells into information in the brain. Patenting smells in the past was limited to describing the chemical composition of the substance. Receptor patterning opens the door for a variety of new patenting possibilities... Perhaps more important will be the decision as to whether smells can be trademarked as symbols of the products or services they represent. Sounds and colors are commonly trademarked today because of the commercial impression they leave on consumers. Smells cannot be far behind. Now I'm wondering if we can patent the smell of money."
The patent for the smell of teen spirit is going to make me rich once the 90's become fashionable again!
...so I can profit when the people revolt against the insane corporate-controlled government!
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
...will hasten patent reforms ;)
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Next thing you know they will be patenting plants...
Oh....wait...
McDonald's patents the smell of grease! (+1 Insightful)
Microsoft patents the smell of money! (+1 Funny)
Your local movie theatre patents the smell of urine! (+1 Informative)
SCO patents the smell of shit! (-1 redundant)
Bah... I won't quit my day job.. Wait! I don't have one!
in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
Its weird how, in reaction to this article, everyone wants to patent stuff that goes out their own rear end.
I, for one, will be searching the stars tonight using my smelloscope to find new odors to patent.
Imagine receiving a smell bomb in your email, or a printer that print a type of scent.
Will be good to smell homecook food 1000 miles away, over the internet.
...I guess that means while I won't spend much at the Taco Bell drive-thru, I'll get nailed on the royalty payments about 2-3 hours later!
*rimshot*
CAn'T CompreHend SARcaSm?
Tastes like chicken, patent pending...
this isn't a sig. i type this (including the two dashes), every time i post, just to make it look like a sig.
...doesn't smell, it talks. It may even sing and dance if you let it.
so my colleagues can be issued with a cease and desist
Mongrel News all the news that fits and froths
because I claim Prior Fart.
Solomon
"Twice half-assed makes an ass whole." --Solomon K. Chang
SCO announced today that it now holds the patent for the sweet smell of success. When asked if this meant they were going to bring a new product to market, using this, a spokesman was quoted as saying "Hell no - we just want to sue the pants off anybody who might be infringing on it."
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
The real bit is when someone takes that Nobel-winning work and patents the act of smelling things. Every unlicensed nasal inhalation, also known as a "sniff" will be a violation of their patent.
Mouth breathers will be exempt.
- Greg
Start a happiness pandemic
Now that people have patented genes. Someone maght as well patent urine, and have us pay royalities everytime we make it.
I'll call it "Hobo Stink" and slap all those guys on street corners with IP infringement lawsuits, then I'll yank the bucket of change out of their hands and split, it'll rule. And I'll invest in cardboard signs before I start doing that too, oh and, money buckets.
Now the Professor can invent the smelloscope.
"So Mr and Mrs Smith, you want to have kids? Mrs Smith you were born from a Monsanto engineered egg in fertility treatment? ah, in that case they'll require a license fee for reproduction."
"Sir, im closing your hot dog stand down, you don't have a license to publicly serve that mustard, only a home license!"
"Police today raided the home of a 68 year old woman involved in illigal cookie piracy. She is currently being charged with distribution to a number of local children."
"License to grow apples, thats $40,000 per tree or you can get a site license for $1,200,000?"
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1. Patent the taste of chicken
2. Sue everyone (because we all know that everything tastes like chicken)
3. Profit!!!!!!!