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NOKTA MAKRO (LEGEND) GETTING SUED - PATENT INFRINGEMENT
- Thread starter CoinShooter01
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DigDog
Well-known member
Some of the comments makes you wonder if they we’re drinking lolAfter three pages…. I need a drink
They, they? Do you ever re-read any of your posts? Yeah, probably not, there are a lot of them. Have fun you all, I'm out of here for a few days. HH jim tn
BobOso
Well-known member
I would only buy an original. Much like buying a Chinese quad or an SxS, there is no resale value, and everything breaks.
It was when the CZ platform came out. Minelab claimed their patent covered all multi-frequency metal detector technologies (which it did not) but the CZ uses a completely different technique to compare the signals received from the two frequencies. Fisher won because they proved they used different mathematical techniques than what Minelab patented.
I've looked for what patent Minelab is claiming is infringed. It appears I need to create an account to view supporting documents and I am not going to do that. The court system seems to use a monitored sign in platform to be able to find what should be public information and readily available.
Does anyone know what patent Minelab claims is infringed? It appears, with relegating the case to the Alternative Resolution Program, that this is most likely about getting a cut of money from Nokta-Makro and not about stopping use of a technology ... meaning it appears to be a weak case.
Would like to know what the actual patent claim is.
The patent Minelab claims is infringed is US Patent No. 7,579,839 entitled “Metal Detector”. The patent date is Aug. 25, 2009. It appears to be a SMF design, but I am no electronics engineer.
Thank you! If that is the one they are using ... LOL ... pretty standard explanation of windowing with Fourier transforms that has been explained in text books for a well over a century. The patent expires in 2026 and there is not much unique in it ... square pulse windowing.
I like the cheeky part of the patent application: "Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognised that departures can be made within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details described herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus."
I read that as an attempt to broaden the patent beyond the "unique" claims in it. It is really not unique. I first ran into that technique (non-metal detecting) to solve an issue in signal identification back in 1979 ... ended up applying a different windowing to better maximize signal to noise ratio. The resulting processor was in a box that weighed about 60 pounds and used about 50 amps at 5 volts to do the near real-time processing. Not something that you would put on a stick with a coil at the other end to go walk the gold fields.
Sounds like Minelab is feeling a hurt on their sales volume and wants to try to limit it. Since the actual math is so old and the modern microprocessors are so fast and energy efficient and there are a lot of people who can code, it would not take much of a look into code to see if code was stolen or was developed in house by a manufacturer. If code was stolen, pay up; if not ... counter sue for costs and damage to reputation. Just my two cents.
CoinShooter01
Well-known member
Sounds like simply opening up, and examing the circuit board for Fourier transformers, might be telling.
There once was a famous guitar amplifier builder ( RIP Alex Dumble), whos amplifiers were very unique sounding, played by the pros, sold for $20,000 each, and there was a year long waiting list.
He was very concerned about people stealing his simple circuit, as a result.
To prevent theft, he would build a circuit board, then completely cover the built board with hot, molten, liquid plastic glue.
The only way a person could reverse engineer his simple circuit, was to completly destroy the circuit board.
It didnt work.
He was latter quoted as "Not investing in a patent, was a huge mistake".
There once was a famous guitar amplifier builder ( RIP Alex Dumble), whos amplifiers were very unique sounding, played by the pros, sold for $20,000 each, and there was a year long waiting list.
He was very concerned about people stealing his simple circuit, as a result.
To prevent theft, he would build a circuit board, then completely cover the built board with hot, molten, liquid plastic glue.
The only way a person could reverse engineer his simple circuit, was to completly destroy the circuit board.
It didnt work.
He was latter quoted as "Not investing in a patent, was a huge mistake".
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DigDog
Well-known member
LOL ... mathematical analysis ... today it all gets done with software after running the received signal through an analog to digital converter. That is why you can readily update the detector to new versions at home.
ML's main interest isnt even in metal detectors. Their main concern and income is from defense deals with the military. Metal detectors are mostly a sideline.
#1Leatherneck
Well-known member
For quite a while I anticipated this happening. How many similar filings have there been? Who is the dominate Plaintiff in these filings? Has any been brought to fruition?
And, if so, what was the result?
And, if so, what was the result?
DigDog
Well-known member
Usually ML suing all the competition and lost most of the time
They didn't file in the COUNTRY where they are headquartered nor the one where the "infringing" party is from. The US doesn't provide the bulk of their sales, or their competitors. The only reason to sue in the US is that it has the easiest laws to sue under and the easiest to shop around for a sympathetic court.
ML sued Fisher when the CZ platform came out. ML lost that one.
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