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#1 2012-08-03 10:30:18
Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
From BoingBoing.net:
"When you pull out a laser pointer and get your cat to chase the dot of light around your house*, you are using a patented method of cat exercise. The rights are owned by Kevin Amiss and Martin Abbott (both of Virginia), who patented it in the early 1990s. In the abstract, they describe this method of cat exercise as:
A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam of invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the floor or wall or other opaque surface in the vicinity of the cat, then moving the laser so as to cause the bright pattern of light to move in an irregular way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal with a chase instinct.
In other words, they own the rights on doing this with ferrets, as well.
This might also be a good time to note an NPR story from this week, which documents IBM and Halliburton attempting to patent the process of patent trolling.
Method of exercising a cat: United States Patent 5443036
*Fact: This game becomes more fun if you have a rug. Just run the light up to the edge of the rug and then turn it off. The cat will become convinced that the little red light has gone under said rug and you will get to amuse yourself watching your cat try to lift the corner of something heavy without the use of opposable thumbs.
Thanks, Sam Ley!"
Let's hope they don't start charging a licensing fee, for using their idea!
Last edited by Lightnin (2012-08-03 10:31:24)
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#2 2012-08-03 10:37:26
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
My cat goes CRAZY when I do that. If I point the dot on the wall, she will back up and come charging at the wall and leap up to try and catch it.
I guess I owe someone some money...
Last edited by Mokat (2012-08-04 15:25:03)
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#3 2012-08-03 10:40:02
- technoboy10
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- Registered: 2007-08-25
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Wow. The things people patent...
So long, 1.4.
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#4 2012-08-03 10:40:18
- littletonkslover
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- Registered: 2008-12-12
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Heck, I'm not a cat or ferret and I still love chasing these.
That's the dark nature of capitalism. ~ Wonder Showzen
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#5 2012-08-03 10:56:23
- soupoftomato
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- Registered: 2009-07-18
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Dogs do it too.
I'm glad to think that the community will always be kind and helpful, the language will always be a fun and easy way to be introduced into programming, the motto will always be: Imagine, Program, Share - Nomolos
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#7 2012-08-03 11:09:28
- TheCatAndTheBanana
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- Registered: 2008-03-21
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
I love doing that, the best thing is shake it between their paws.
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#8 2012-08-03 11:40:26
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
And lightnin posted another non-mod-y topic.
On topic: My cats run away from that. They're scared of almost everything.
Last edited by G0D_M0D3 (2012-08-03 11:40:57)
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#9 2012-08-03 12:03:57
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
my friends dog seems to have been hypnotised by the laser beam
- keeps licking the bed
- tries to bite things that aren't there
and similar stuff.
SCRATCH'S PARTLY INSANE RESIDENT
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#10 2012-08-03 12:14:26
- mythbusteranimator
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- Registered: 2012-02-28
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Wow.
Patented?
clicky
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#11 2012-08-03 12:20:13
- stevetheipad
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- Registered: 2011-08-06
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Just more proof that we have a horrible patent system that needs to be changed. :I
Last edited by stevetheipad (2012-08-03 12:20:24)
gone
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#12 2012-08-03 12:39:04
- mythbusteranimator
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- Registered: 2012-02-28
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
stevetheipad wrote:
Just more proof that we have a horrible patent system that needs to be changed. :I
+1
If great minds think alike, we'd have 70 patents. 
(RANDOM QUOTE OF THE DAY.)
clicky
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#13 2012-08-03 13:21:07
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
I have 2 cats, one is really lazy but loves chasing them, and the other spends all his time outside and couldn't care less.
Click this on April 15th to see the new album from The 10th Dimension!
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#14 2012-08-03 13:27:29
- veggieman001
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Hahaha that's awesome.
stevetheipad wrote:
Just more proof that we have a horrible patent system that needs to be changed. :I
Agreed.
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#15 2012-08-03 14:48:20
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#16 2012-08-03 14:57:06
- ToxicQuillz
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
...Really?
You lived a good four years, Scratch 1.4... May you rest in peace...
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#17 2012-08-03 15:33:39
- GameHutSoftware
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- Registered: 2010-04-24
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
I'm surprised Uniloc didn't try to sue these people for infringing their patent of "making cats have fun."
Lurking more than posting, but still here.
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#18 2012-08-03 15:40:52
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Lightnin has an interest in patent it seems. :p
Haha, this is hilarious. I'm totally paying these people each time I use one of these. :DDD
cause a bird and a fish could fall in love/but where would they live?
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#19 2012-08-03 15:45:32
- CylonToast
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- Registered: 2011-10-06
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
Aw it looks exactly like my cat ^^
I do this all the time with him, I put the laser high up on the wall and he can jump to catch it. xD
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#20 2012-08-03 16:21:03
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
CylonToast wrote:
Aw it looks exactly like my cat ^^
I do this all the time with him, I put the laser high up on the wall and he can jump to catch it. xD
Then you owe those people some $$$!!!
Yeah, one reason I like BoingBoing is that they're good at posting info about this sort of silliness. And it's an issue that does come up on the Scratch website from time to time. Who owns an idea?
[Puts on olde geezer hat]
I think it's an issue that you Scratchers are going to have to deal with more and more in the future, maybe as you grow older. On the one hand, people who make stuff ought to get credit, and ought to be able to make some money on it for a while (but a while isn't 80+ years, I think it's more like 5 or 10). On the other hand, coming up with something that's pretty obvious, and that 99 gagillion other people are likely to come up with given a laser pointer, a cat, and a little free time -- well that isn't the kind of thing any person or corporation should be able to sue you for. When it is, it's basically strangling innovation and the freedom to innovate.
[/removes old geezer hat.. well as much as is possible anyways.]
Last edited by Lightnin (2012-08-03 16:22:17)
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#21 2012-08-03 16:42:40
- angelica101
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
That doesn't work on my dog ;n;
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#22 2012-08-03 16:55:46
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
I don't think this discussion is supposed to be about the laser thing guys, it's about crazy patenting.
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#24 2012-08-03 17:12:24
- soupoftomato
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Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
I don't think patents are ENTIRELY evil.
We have to look at places where it serves to do GOOD as well.
While the idea of "action" (such as shining a laser in front of a cat) and software patents are silly (Anything patented in that category may be necessary for certain games or ideas to function), I think physical patents are a good idea. It will force you to come up with a different product than the patented one, therefore it would progress inventing into something better than the item already patented.
Last edited by soupoftomato (2012-08-03 17:12:36)
I'm glad to think that the community will always be kind and helpful, the language will always be a fun and easy way to be introduced into programming, the motto will always be: Imagine, Program, Share - Nomolos
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#25 2012-08-03 17:26:25
Re: Ever use a laser pointer to play with your cat? That's patented.
It gets worse. This weirdo (or genius, depending on why he patented it) got the stick patented. Like, the idea of making a stick for dogs to get.
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