Inkblots

« Odd Holiday #9--Brain Fart?? | Main | 4 Digits »

March 22, 2005

But That Was MY Idea!

Sometimes I wish I knew more about patents and how to obtain one.

I've never ever considered myself an inventor, but maybe I am. Perhaps "problem solver" is a better term. I keep finding things that people are "inventing" and making oodles of money from that I've been using for years.

For instance, the Swiffer Wet. Ever since I got a Swiffer when they first came out, I've been attaching a baby wipe to them to get the mop effect (you can just ask Christopher! He knows I used to do this in undergrad school!). Then what happens? Someone patents a little wet wipe thing and makes millions!

Then there's the way I always filled my contact lens solution bottles with bleach (after they were empty, of course) to clean the grout in my tile. It gave a wonderful concentrated stream of bleach, and then I'd use an old toothbrush to scrub it. So our friends over at Clorox invent the bleach pen. Hello, I've been doing that for years!!

But today was the clincher. The folks over at the 3M company that makes Post-It Notes now produces chart-paper-sized post-it-notes. It's like a giant post-it-note that you can write on and then move wherever you want. Well, I did that a few years ago with a sheet of butcher paper and my removable spray adhesive!! You can ask anyone in my Methods of Teaching Math class. I did it before they did...and yet I'm seeing none of the profits.

I just wish someone would consult me before they patent something. It's possible I've already made it and have been using it for quite some time!!! Come on, who needs the money more? Some wealthy company that employs professional inventors or a poor graduate student?? It seems like they could just let me get one multi-million dollar invention patented before they do!

Posted by Anna at March 22, 2005 07:21 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.craniumleakage.com/cms/mt-tb.cgi/2366

Comments

Posted by: Carrie at March 22, 2005 08:36 PM

Posted by: Ginny at March 23, 2005 07:36 AM