These days there are companies/individuals who will fund your patent defense costs for a percentage of the patent rights.

The patent system is kind of screwed up for the same reason the rest of the litigation process usually sucks. If they had loser pays legal fees most of this kind of behavior would go away as if you have a valuable patent finding the front money to prosecute patent infringement would be a lot easier.

Similar results would be seen in the rest of the non criminal legal system and I wouldn't have had to peel off endless warning labels on the ladder I just bought.

Trial lawyers might actually be encouraged to do something useful.

Bangoman

Someone should have pointed him to an attorney specialized in patent infringement.
It'll cost him nothing.

Secondly, he probably did not do everything possible to protect his invention and there could be loop holes in the patent he applied. Should have consult for legal advice before hands. Sorry to say, when one wave a piece of meat in front of a carnivorous beast is asking for trouble. Present examples are with Microsoft, Facebook.....

      Verticle grooves. Ho hum. Show me a verticle smile....

        Release

        R....all you speak of cost money. And it's not all that easy to find an attorney to work on contingency unless it's a deadlock cinch. Patent infringement is one of the hardest things to defend and then if you do win...years of appeals. Most go broke trying to defend.

            Bangoman

            I understand what you're saying and that is exactly why these large corporation could get away with what they do.

            There are attorney set their goal on either the fame or the potential pay-off. One would just need to search and find them. Easier these days if using the social media, which in turn might apply some pressure and result in settlement after the words gets out.

            I know the tactic of delaying the process, the useful life span of the product, the limitation of a human life and of course the looming legal expense all come into play. But we have social media now..... one could get attention quickly and cost almost nothing.

            Seriously, the idea or the product should be protected ( as we found out the patent right alone is not enough ).
            If someone being so naive to hand it over to a large corporation on the silver platter thinking they could use the corporations resources to promote their product and get compensated, is, like asking a tiger to guard your safety while you sleep.

                Bangoman my father's generation did have more faith in human potential being good.
                He told me even an evil person will have his good side. Judge by how you were treated not by their reputation. In other words, give everyone a chance.
                My generation is a mixed bowl. I had good and bad experience with my father's philosophy. There are just a handful of my acquaintance I could trust whether I like them or not, their words are trusted.
                My kids generation ? Most of them are dreamers.
                Aim high and often fell short. I hope they will turn out to be fine, as we were screw balls when we were young.
                As for having good faith in business ?
                Unless we are dealing with the like of Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus...... Best beware and not be too naive. Good faith alone ain't gonna cut it.
                Even if holding the right for patent they can steal it from you if the patent is not done air tight.

                  Bangoman

                  Yeah. a non compete basically requires the person under it not to challenge (granted there are circumstances, i.e., I can enforce the length of your severance package, but realistically not a day longer)

                    R-.... Your children's ideas are what make them dream and they shouldn't be stolen by the sheer greed of others. It happens all the time but some rise above it all and survive to keep others dreaming the dream and that happens all the time as well.

                      Bangoman

                      Yes !
                      Most dreamers are just dreaming. They don't want to work and pay the price to have their dream come true.

                      The single most difficult step in realizing a dream is not having the idea which promise to make a big splash. It is to get the dreamer with the idea together with the venture capital needed to realize the idea.

                      Funding angels were plentiful in the late 80's and early 90's where venture capital searching for good ideas in all industry. Now the venture capital come from off shore instead of within the continent.

                        2 months later

                        It might lead DTG to rethink that green/black idea, at the same time. Theirs would make at least 4 out there.

                        3 years later