I usually try and watch the weekly episode of Shark Tank. During the intros, I notice that Lori is touted as being the inventor of over 100 patents. That is quite a feat, one that very few inventors obtain. With all that she has going on, I really doubted these claims. So, I did a…
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The Reviver Wipes on Shark Tank
Wipe your body odor away. That was the claim of the inventors of the Reviver Wipes on Shark Tank. The product actually sounds like a good idea and there’s a good summary on The Reviver Web site at http://www.reviver.com/. If you’ve ever gone to the gym and gotten really sweaty and smelly, but didn’t have time…
Kronos Putter On Shark Tank
When I saw this pitch last week I could only cringe. The company is called Kronos Golf and they sell customized putters. Over the last twenty years as a patent attorney, the two most popular inventions to cross my desk are heated windshield wipers and improved golf putters. When I firsts became a patent attorney, I was told to…
The Battle of the Single Serve Wine Glass on Shark Tank
The single biggest deal on Shark Tank was landed this week when Kevin O’Leary shelled out $2.5 million for a mere ten percent stake in Zipz. Evidently, Mr. Wonderful wants to be a big player in the wine business. After all, he does belong to a secret wine society. What I find interesting about the…
One Year Anniversary of The Vintage Club
My first novel, The Vintage Club, was published one year ago yesterday. I must admit that the experience has been quite different compared to when I published Why Has America Stopped Inventing? With my first book, I did over 50 radio and TV shows, including two days of studio interviews in New York. The book…
Titin Weight Shirts on Shark Tank
Halloween’s airing of Shark Tank included the founder of a company called Titin, a maker of weight training equipment. The unique twist is that this is equipment you wear. Founder Patrick Whaley explained that it was a shirt with weights incorporated into the fabric so as to be positioned over the chest. He said this…
Jungle Jumparoo – Certainly Nothing New
We’re into the new season on Shark Tank, but not too many patent issues have come up. Most of the ideas I’ve seen so far really don’t have any patent implications—clothing stores, female golf caddies, etc. But, the Jungle Jumparoo segment last night caught my attention—mostly for the blatant misconceptions about patent law. I always laugh…
Annual Trip to the Big Horn Mountains
Every year we take horses back into the Wilderness Area in the Big Horn Mountains. The trip involves five hours in the saddle, each way, over an almost nonexistent trail. Fortunately, my horse, Dino, had a pretty steady step and I wasn’t too sore when I got to camp. Very few people ever get to…
Arrowhead Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
Sitting across the canyon from the Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park is Arrowhead Lake. This is perhaps the most pristine and visually spectacular place in the park. The problem is how to get there. Without any trails and its location in the cliffs, only a handful of hikers get there each…
The Denver Patent Office Opens Today
It hasn’t been since Thomas Jefferson opened the first patent office that there’s been a patent office outside of the confines of Washington. With the annoucement of regional patent offices, that has all changed. Today the Denver Patent Office officially opens. It has been a ten year ordeal, with too many politics to mention. Last night…
