[Patents] Man Patents the Wheel

[seth.johnson@realmeasures.dyndns.org (Seth Johnson)]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/state/2001/07/02/FFX0ADFPLOC.html


Melbourne man patents the wheel

By NATHAN COCHRANE
Monday 2 July 2001


Excerpt:

A Melbourne man has patented the wheel. Freelance patent lawyer John
Keogh was issued with an Innovation Patent for a "circular
transportation facilitation device" within days of the new patent system
being invoked in May. 

But he has no immediate plans to patent fire, crop rotation or other
fundamental advances in civilisation. 

Mr Keogh said he patented the wheel to prove the innovation patent
system was flawed because it did not need to be examined by the patent
office, IP Australia.

"The patent office would be required to issue a patent for anything," he
said. "All they're doing is putting a rubber stamp on it.

"The impetus came from the Federal Government. Their constituents
claimed the cost of obtaining a patent was too high so the government
decided to find a way to issue a patent more easily."

He said the name should be changed to "Registered Innovation", to avoid
confusion with standard patents, which grant broad monopoly rights.

Standard patents have to be crafted by a registered patent lawyer who
has engineering or science qualifications. Patents must also show an
inventive step, a significant advance. The innovation patent, which
replaces the petty patent, has to show only an innovative step and can
be prepared without professional help.

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