[Discuss] Free Inactive Patent Search

[Matt Maier]

Joshua,

This is awesome.

Just in the time between your email and this moment I found...

modular solar arrays
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8222513.PN.&OS=PN/8222513&RS=PN/8222513
based on searching for the patent filer's name, it looks like this is the
original company http://www.solannex.com/
"Solannex has developed and patented a packaging technology that eliminates
over 50% of the costs associated with converting flexible thin film pv
semiconductors into modules"

no-thru-metal construction system, ensuring that the interior is totally
thermally isolated from the exterior
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8186132.PN.&OS=PN/8186132&RS=PN/8186132

a modular wall, with different parts for support, insulation, wires, etc
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8091300.PN.&OS=PN/8091300&RS=PN/8091300

and a toilet paper holder
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8282034.PN.&OS=PN/8282034&RS=PN/8282034

On Wed, Nov 16, 2016 at 8:36 AM, Joshua <joshua.m.pearce at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi All
>
> In an attempt to make patents even marginally useful we have just created
> an open source free inactive patent search
> <http://freeip.mtu.edu/home/index.php>. Roughly 1/2 of US patents become
> inactive before the 20 year mark because owners don't pay fees on time.To
> find patents that have merely expired you can simply set your search terms
> to look for patents that are 20 years old or older at the USPTO or Google
> Patents. However, finding a list of inactive patents is far more
> challenging. Our website overcomes that challenge as it allows you to
> search through all inactive patents in the U.S. that are less than 20 years
> old. We created this database to help drive open source hardware
> development. Our previous work has found that patents should be
> significantly weakened
> <https://www.academia.edu/11677580/The_Case_for_Weaker_Patents> as they
> are actively retarding innovation and technical progress. By properly valuing
> open hardware development
> <https://www.academia.edu/10143203/Quantifying_the_Value_of_Open_Source_Hard-ware_Development> it
> is clear that the return on investment for OSH development is enormous
> <https://www.academia.edu/13799962/Return_on_Investment_for_Open_Source_Hardware_Development>.
> In addition, proactive measures to defend the public domain
> <http://www.appropedia.org/A_novel_approach_to_obviousness:_An_algorithm_for_identifying_prior_art_concerning_3-D_printing_materials> can
> also provide more safe space for innovators to operate. Our hope is that
> this database accelerates your open hardware development. So hopefully this
> will help you keep it up!
> The database: http://freeip.mtu.edu/
> The source code: https://github.com/mtu-most/patent-database
>
> For more information please see the article published in *Inventions *
> (2016): Open Source Database and Website to Provide Free and Open Access
> to Inactive U.S. Patents in the Public Domain
> <https://www.academia.edu/29781601/Open_Source_Database_and_Website_to_Provide_Free_and_Open_Access_to_Inactive_U.S._Patents_in_the_Public_Domain>.
> doi: 10.3390/inventions1040024
> All the best,
> Joshua
>
> --
> Joshua M. Pearce, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor
> Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Lab
> <http://www.appropedia.org/Category:MOST>
> Department of Materials Science & Engineering
> Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
> Michigan Technological University
> 601 M&M Building
> 1400 Townsend Drive
> Houghton, MI 49931-1295
> 906-487-1466
>
> Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Research Costs
> <http://www.appropedia.org/Open-source_Lab>
>
> _______________________________________________
> discuss mailing list
> discuss at lists.oshwa.org
> http://lists.oshwa.org/listinfo/discuss
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.oshwa.org/pipermail/discuss/attachments/20161116/fb85abdc/attachment-0001.html>