On December 30th, 2003 the United States Patent office will issue patent number of D484,513 for the HyTech Honda headers.

I haven't seen the patent papers as of yet, however I've known that it was approved for the last 5 months, John at HyTech has been patiently waiting for the official paperwork to arrive.

2004 shall provide a rather intersting year...


Austin


[EDIT]
The patent was a design patent, here is what the USPTO calls a design:

Definition of a Design
A design consists of the visual ornamental characteristics embodied in, or applied to, an article of manufacture. Since a design is manifested in appearance, the subject matter of a design patent application may relate to the configuration <u>or</u> shape of an article, to the surface ornamentation applied to an article, <u>or</u> to the combination of configuration and surface ornamentation. A design for surface ornamentation is inseparable from the article to which it is applied and cannot exist alone. It must be a definite pattern of surface ornamentation, applied to an article of manufacture.

In general terms, a “utility patent” protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a "design patent" protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171).

I've edited my post to contain this information after Zygspeed added in some information about Design patents as opposed to Utility patents, since HyTech wanted to patent his design this is the form of patent he chose to apply for, and was granted.
[/EDIT]


Modified by Austin at 1:32 PM 12/24/2003

 

W W

 

looks like someone might have to change their header design..? comptech?

 

HyTech

btw, do you work there austin?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dmotoguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">HyTech

btw, do you work there austin?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry, I do not work for HyTech, I worked in his booth at the 2003 International Auto Salon, but that's all.

Austin

 

Nice to see, but does that mean he can charge more now?

 

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offic...iffer

I really hate to say anything about this, but Design patents have to do with "ornamental" aspects, and not functionality or technical merit like "utility" patents. People have always said John made headers and exhaust components that "looked nice" and had good quality.

From the USPTO web site as referenced above:

A design patent application may only include a single claim. The claim defines the design which applicant wishes to patent, in terms of the article in which it is embodied or applied. The claim must be in formal terms to “The ornamental design (bold added) for (the article which embodies the design or to which it is applied) as shown.” The description of the article in the claim should be consistent in terminology with the title of the invention.

 

English man English!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zygspeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I really hate to say anything about this, but Design patents have to do with "ornamental" aspects, and not functionality or technical merit like "utility" patents. People have always said John made headers and exhaust components that "looked nice" and had good quality.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes he makes headers and exhausts that looks nice and has good quality, but they work good too

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bbasso &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">English man English!
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just edited my post and included a general explanation of what a design patent is, Zygspeed knows what he's talking about, as he works at the USPTO, or at least I believe that he still does...

Austin

 

Not any more, but thanks for that mention Austin.

Sort of looking for work on the other side of the "system" as a Patent Agent now.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zygspeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Not any more, but thanks for that mention Austin.

Sort of looking for work on the other side of the "system" as a Patent Agent now. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Very nice, so you don't work for the government anymore, which explains why you can afford a second itr

 

Seeing as how no one else is using anti-reversion cones in their headers for Honda/Acuras - what's the big deal? It's not like you can patent a 4 into 1 design - nor merge collector design....?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bbasso &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">English man English!
</TD></TR></TABLE>

He means that the people we know who are in the same league with HyTech have nothing to worry about.

In a lot of ways, Joh/HyTech's business is a lot like the music industry.

It's absolutely infuriating when all you have is the fruits of your own mental labour to find those fruits blatantly stolen and marketed without so much as a by-your-leave or thank you from the people selling your own intellectual property.

I hope this helps him the way he wants.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Austin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Very nice, so you don't work for the government anymore, which explains why you can afford a second itr </TD></TR></TABLE>

If he's really, really lucky, he could be double dipping by this time next year.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Downey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">looks like someone might have to change their header design..? comptech?</TD></TR></TABLE>

From left to right

DTR, Hytech, Comptech's Race, WeaponR



More pics found here,

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=700477

-Bert

 

ill take a DTR and a hytech please

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BERT-O &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
</TD></TR></TABLE>

One can't help speculating just <u>how</u> different in appearance a design has to be in order not to infringe the patent.

A computer calculated 15%? 20%?

 

Good luck trying to enforce that design patent - only winners will be the lawyers

 

 

I'm going to patent the way I brush my hair.

Warren

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Warren &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm going to patent the way I brush my hair.

Warren</TD></TR></TABLE>

lmfao...warren does have a nice coif

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kengs &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good luck trying to enforce that design patent - only winners will be the lawyers </TD></TR></TABLE>

I guess maybe it's a good threat to hold over people's heads.

There are at least two companies who appear to have copied Dave Stadulis's (SMSP's) design, and I'm not sure there's much he can do about it.

 

patent an intake......

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jonas &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">patent an intake......</TD></TR></TABLE>Companies already have. You should patent your car so nobody can copy it.