From: Widerman-AT-aol.com Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 23:49:02 EDT To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Topo Gigio & other puppet patents /plus thoughts U.S. Patents are easily searchable on-line. A quick search of "puppet" on the U.S. Patent web site generated 607 patents. Patents aren't worth much unless you are prepared to defend the infringements in court. Hobey? Anyone can be a puppeteer? Brain Surgeon? Reminded me of "Anyone Can Cook," from the recent Pixar opus "Ratatouille," where this concept is artfully pondered. -Steven-> In a message dated 10/4/2008 7:00:36 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, alangregorycook-AT-msn.com writes: David Covarrubias- Please post the U.S. Patent number and filing date for Topo Gigo. With it, it is easy to access a copy at several patent departments of major Public Libraries, including the central Los Angeles Public Library. Without the number and date, it can take a couple of days searching. I have not checked, but would not be surprised if nowdays it could be found also on line. Hazelle Marionettes claimed a patented marionette control. Has anyone ever found THAT patent? I've always wondered how you could patent a basic airplane control for marionettes. Maybe because it was painted red? Many patentable puppet ideas cost to much to process. Others have probably been filed which were already in wide use. Early Disney animatronics patents according to rumour, were buried in different patent locations, instead of being of a piece, making it difficult to verify if they really were patentble or not, thus discouraging competitors. When I worked with the Krofft puppet show at Six Flags Over Texas (Amusement Park in Arlington TX) the park management hired an "ex-Disney employee" to create an animatronic lifesize figure of Will Rogers. <<snip>> But one phrase Betsy used frequently in her puppet courses, was "anyone can be a puppeteer". My brain would say to itself, "anyone can be a brain surgeon too, but I would be careful which one I picked." I felt that what was overlooked in those puppet classes, was pointing out that our top professional puppeteers WERE better than average, WERE deserving of special respect and admiration, and WERE a source of inspiration Anyone can paint a picture, too, but not all of us are Rembrandt, Picasso or Vincent van Gogh. It is fine to encourage fledgling puppeteers, but a dose of humility is also helpful. ALAN COOK _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001) _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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