I'm going to try to be vague, but also give enough info to give a good understanding of what's going on. Excuse any misspellings as I'm on a few medications that make me mess up.
So in the late 60's somebody files a patent. I'm talking like 1969, a couple years later a gentlemen from a small toy company visits the inventors home. After a brief conversation and a hand shake, the toy company guy leaves.
A few years go by and the inventor never hears anything. Then all of a sudden his invention is pops up at a company in Florida. And the invention is starting to become semi popular. But the inventor never hears anything. He calls the toy company but never gets to talk to anyone.
In the 80's it becomes even more popular, by the 90's and today it's so common everybody has at least heard of it. And many people use it, they own them, rent them and so on.
The inventor never did anything because he didn't know what to do. Never spoke to anyone except tried to talk to the toy company. He passed in the mid 90's, and his family is now looking to see if there's nothing that can be done. Probably not, but worth trying.
Is there a statute of limitations, for patent issues. If so are there any instances where those are extended?
If anyone can offer help, or need more info to help, pm ,e and I can give you some more info. I don't have it all yet. The inventor was my grandpa and my aunts and uncles are rounding up any and all papers to give to me.
So in the late 60's somebody files a patent. I'm talking like 1969, a couple years later a gentlemen from a small toy company visits the inventors home. After a brief conversation and a hand shake, the toy company guy leaves.
A few years go by and the inventor never hears anything. Then all of a sudden his invention is pops up at a company in Florida. And the invention is starting to become semi popular. But the inventor never hears anything. He calls the toy company but never gets to talk to anyone.
In the 80's it becomes even more popular, by the 90's and today it's so common everybody has at least heard of it. And many people use it, they own them, rent them and so on.
The inventor never did anything because he didn't know what to do. Never spoke to anyone except tried to talk to the toy company. He passed in the mid 90's, and his family is now looking to see if there's nothing that can be done. Probably not, but worth trying.
Is there a statute of limitations, for patent issues. If so are there any instances where those are extended?
If anyone can offer help, or need more info to help, pm ,e and I can give you some more info. I don't have it all yet. The inventor was my grandpa and my aunts and uncles are rounding up any and all papers to give to me.