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Comment by x0x0

7 months ago

Thanks for the link. Does any of this block competitors from selling a 2004-equivalent table saw with brake unencumbered by patents? I don't believe it can.

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x0x0

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zippothrowaway  7 months ago

Yes it can.

Sawstop, like a lot of other companies, abuse the patent process by filing multiple continuations with the exact same specification. They then let the patent office take its time granting some of them, and claim a 'patent term extension' due to the patent office delays.

So if they filed in 2001, but one of their patents wasn't granted for over 14 years due to the patent office taking 10 years in total to respond to the many arguments over patentability, it may expire in 2031. This seems absurd, but is totally legal. Being run by a patent attorney means they (a) are ninja level at drawing these arguments out and constantly filing appeals to continue examination after a denial by a patent examiner and (b) it doesn't cost them much to do so.

I'm simplifying and my numbers aren't exact, but this abuse is the problem.

  • x0x0  7 months ago

    Thank you! This is the first answer that isn't incoherent blathering about patents bad.

    Per wikipedia, it seems those continuation patents all expire in 2026 at the latest.