Images: Patenting the obvious

Big money can be made if you're the first to claim a new invention. Sometimes the routine even slips through.

By Bill Detwiler, Contributor on July 19, 2006

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kitty laser

Critics of the U.S. patent system say that it too often rewards ideas that are obvious and which rightly belong in the public domain. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that inventors' ideas must be protected.

At right is a diagram illustrating one idea that has won such protection: "Method of excercising a cat." This concept--using a handheld device to manipulate a laser beam that can "amuse and exercise" a feline--is protected by U.S. Patent No. 5,443,036.

2 of 3 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET

crustless sandwich

Are you a fan of peanut butter and jelly? The inventors of the "sealed crustless sandwich" likely had you in mind when they came up with their idea--a method for creating a round, prepackaged sandwich that contains two types of filling, such as peanut butter and jelly.

This diagram illustrates a cutting cylinder that can be used to create such a sandwich, which can then be stored for "extended periods of time for use in lunch box type of situations." The idea is protected by U.S. Patent No. 6,004,596.

3 of 3 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET

toy branch

This branch-shaped toy is intended to amuse a dog or other pet. It can be made of rubber, plastic or wood, and a scent can be added. It's protected by U.S. Patent No. 6,360,693.

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