Be first, be fast, & stay ahead of the competition

Preoccupations elsewhere have rather stalled my efforts on behalf of RE:tie, but I do maintain an ongoing interest in matters IP.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21510198

I know Trevor (if not well enough to call him that probably) a bit, and it's hard not to get caught up with his infectious enthusiasm for 'inventing.

It's also not hard to detect a certain frustration with the words vs. deeds of most of 'them' involved in the IP process... who would not exist but for the 'us' that actually create new ideas out of thin air.

On this new initiative I can only welcome what may make things easier, quicker and one hopes cheaper.

However I stumble here: 

'Under the old system patents had to be registered separately in every country, which made the process cumbersome and substantially more expensive than in the United States.'

My experience with the UK, EU and almost all other systems was pretty painless. It was only when the USPTO got their protectionist mitts on it all that the pear was crafted.

"Mr Baylis said a universal patent system should be introduced and intellectual property theft should be a criminal offence".

I might add a few more caveats to that.

For now I would be hard pressed to go near IP again, preferring to keep my money and invest it in the priorities in my title.

Questions, answers, talking... vs. doing

Once you hit 'post', there's really no point worrying about consequences.

As you'll possibly gather, I was... expressing some frustration as I put digit to keyboard on reading this article on openability from a packaging industry trade magazine.

http://www.packagingnews.co.uk/in-depth/consumer-iq-open-questions/

Of course, as far as the ongoing mission to extol the virtues of RE:tie goes, it was all great. Pure vindication... of the problem it solves.

Just... I have been banging on about this for a while, make that years now.

And, frankly, a lot involved in this story have been well aware of my interests, and possible contribution.

Which is why not even knowing about this until I read it, much less not seeing some useful contributions we could make incorporated, all added to the overall sense of vex.

The medium knows all about it; I even offered to present all the findings from the market research, which includes public views on this. No response.

Of course I wrote to Hat Trick, makers of the TV show inspiring this. Nada.

AGE knows all about it. I was told, once, that when RE:tie was in the market they'd throw full support behind it. I guess that person was in another dept. or has moved on.

Certainly all the major cap manufacturers are aware, plus brand managers and retail marketing gurus.

“Companies can’t work out the return on investment from making things easier to open,”

Er... isn't that their main job?

Even some of the academics/research bodies listed are. After a previous outing on grey market potential I tried to touch base. A few responded, but again my efforts to reach out have met with silence.

Anyway, a few new names to contact and avenues to explore... baby steps.

Given how often folk seem keen to talk on this subject, such sudden retreat into closed ear territory is still hard to understand. Or is it?

“No one wants to be the first mover... It’s too much of a risk.”

This really seems a nation that has decided its role in future is to be first... at being second.