Antec's Intellectual Property debate about LED Fans?

ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
edited April 2004 in Science & Tech
The Overclocker Cafe has gotten a hold of an e-mail Antec's attorneys are sending out to their distributors outlining their patent on LED fans. It seems as if Antec is going to assert themselves on this point to the rest of the market.

This whole thing brings several questions to mind with what are online retailers to do with existing non-Antec stocks as well not being the least.
Antec greatly appreciates your business and is sending this letter to our retail and distribution customers to address the recent injection of LED fans into the market from other manufacturers.

Antec takes a very strong proprietary position towards its intellectual property, which directly benefits you as a reseller. Antec products have attained a standard of quality that is associated with its name. Antec sells products that have been patented in the United States, which provide certain protections for Antec and its authorized resellers.

Antec has recently become aware of the sale of LED fans by other manufacturers that appear to infringe on Antec’s 6,679,771 (herein after "the ‘771") patent entitled, "Cooling fan with light-emitting device." The ‘771 patent was issued to Antec on January 20, 2004. Please follow this link to view a copy of the ‘771 patent:
Hmmmm...

Source: Overclocker Cafe

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    I have a receipt from www.xoxide.com dated for November of 2002 that shows the purchase of non-Antec LED fans.

    A patent awarded on 20 January, 2004 is very much later than my purchase. Screw Antec.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited April 2004
    This sounds just strange. As the article says, what about the lookalike cases.

    BTW am i the only one who can't see the new frontpage. :confused:

    Edit
    It's working now, just had to refresh. :doh:
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited April 2004
    Thrax wrote:
    I have a receipt from www.xoxide.com dated for November of 2002 that shows the purchase of non-Antec LED fans.

    A patent awarded on 20 January, 2004 is very much later than my purchase. Screw Antec.


    patent awards can take years...


    Gobbles
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    I don't get it. What's so ingenious about putting an LED on/in 12VDC fan? Does that really warrant a patent. What's next - a patent for the lightbulb in the closet. Is there something I'm missing here? Or is this just another example of the US Patent Office unable to keep up with technology?
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