Design patent USD798847S1
The USPTO recently granted a design patent application that coincided with the utility patent application concerning how to make a J-pole antenna mast mountable with the use of a simple stub (mast decoupling stub) underneath the primary J antenna components. The “copper cactus” never looked so good and this design patent protects the ornamental nature of this assembly. To wit…
If nothing else this patent nicely organizes numerous patent and non-patent citations and references important to understanding the “real” history of the J antenna.
Congrats John. What is your intention for the patent? I read it, and see that it's free to manufacture by or for the U.S. government. How about us private amateur operators? Is there a plan to license the design by selling plans, or will you allow construction for individual use?
73's
Matt – N3NWV
Matt,
It is up to the government how to proceed. What is granted today is a design patent that only protects the appearance of an item. The real meat and potatoes utility patent is years away from evaluation. This is all very new ground for me, but I will lobby the "owners" to provide liberal terms for amateur radio use. I frankly never thought I would get this far so am cruising through uncharted waters.
Understood. Do you know where that leaves us in the mean time? I only ask because I did a YouTube video some years back building a copper cactus. It was before I found your site, and frankly didn't know then what I know now.
I'd really like to update the info there because it keeps getting views and is often referenced in some of the ham radio Facebook groups. I added a bit of a disclaimer to the video description, as well as a link to your site. Without a little more clarity on the patent situation though, that's about all I'm comfortable doing.
Thanks for all the great work and info on this site BTW!