[geeks] Doorbells

[der Mouse]

> Speaking generally, a posting to a mailing list and a patent a miles
> apart.  If I were to persue a patent, I would quote my publication of
> the idea as first publication, which gives me both a limit of 1 year
> to file a real (as opposed to provisional) patent application.
> [...]
> Note that if I were to obtain a patent on such a device, that only
> restricts the commercial sale or distribution of infringing devices.

Like almost everything relating to patents, this is all
jurisdiction-specific.  (For example, in many - most? - jurisdictions,
I believe that last paragraph is false, that it is actually a violation
to practice the invention even privately.)

> To be honest, I don't see a lot of money in selling programable door
> bells. Even if I were to get a patent, some company in China could
> make them, and sell them for a lot less than I could, and it would be
> difficult to stop them.

If they were selling into a jursidiction where your patent applied, I
suspect you would find it easy - well, relatively easy - to stop them.

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