Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
from the conversation-pieces dept
This week, both our winners on the insightful side come from our story about how a stupid patent is interfering with a new crowdfunded toy. In first place, it's samuelhopkins, who got lots of well-deserved votes for tracking down the specific patent:
found it
US10,850,205 - Marble track piece with triggered light and/or sound
https://patents.google.com/patent/US10850205B2/en?oq=10%2c850%2c205
In second place, it's an anonymous comment raising the obvious question:
Could that patent be invalidated by pin ball machines, where balls hit triggers that start sound and light displays?
That question got an answer from Rocky, which is our first editor's choice for insightful:
There are certainly a plethora of prior art, but as we know, invalidating patents is expensive and this guy has to comply or being sued which is also expensive and spending kickstarter-money on a lawsuit isn't really what the backers paid for.
It sucks.
For our next editor's choice, it's That One Guy with some thoughts on the failures of FOSTA:
It all depends on the metrics used...
If you take the supporters of FOSTA at their word for what the bill was supposed to do it is worse than an absolute failure, as not only did it not accomplish it's goals it made things drastically worse for the very people that were being held up as 'victims in need of rescue!'
On the other hand if you look at it as nothing more than a 'Look at what I've done!' PR stunt it worked out great, the people writing and supporting it got to brag about how they super-duper cared about people being exploited and sex trafficked and since the number of press outlets that are likely to call them out on this report could be counted on a single hand it's not like it cost anyone who matters anything, so it's a win-win from their perspective.
Over on the funny side, our first place winner is an anonymous suggestion for a new Peloton slogan:
Peloton: We don't give you a run for your money.
In second place, it's another anonymous comment, this time responding to someone who tagged their comment with the assertion that "any counter-argument is plainly illogical, denialist, and short-sighted":
That’s the adult version of no touchbacks
For editor's choice on the funny side, we go back to last week's top comments post for a brief exchange, starting with this comment from Bobvious:
About that cow
Now expecting Devin Nunes and/or family to have the farm declared an amusement park.
And finally, it's the anonymous rejoinder to that comment:
They're certainly in the entertainment business.
That's all for this week, folks!
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Pictures from that patent
Seems to be from a board game.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81KaFrputKL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
Global Family brands is the name for both.
But there IS an older design.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81DnZIOS5CL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
But this is Hasbro
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71O-MxmFDEL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
Tomy
How old do you want?
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Cu2i-j7%2BL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
But there are many designs for the wooden maze's.
Wouldnt this alone be enough for the Patent Bureau to Nullify the Patent?
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Re: Pictures from that patent
PS.
The maker of the Kickstarter is NOT in the USA.
Tel Aviv, Israel. And its based on a Whole different idea. Rube Goldberg would be proud.
And that PAtent was created in??? 2019 and expires in 2025.
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Re: Pictures from that patent
Frankly, there must be a gazillion pinball machines containing prior art. Railed runs triggering lights/sounds/scores are legion in there and have been for easily half a century.
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Re: Re: Pictures from that patent
Uh oh... Never mind. Need to practice my reading comprehension. Looks like there was plenty of prior art for my comment.
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About that Amusement Park
NuneseyLand Iowa (home of SibleyWorld), and NuneseyLand California. It's as American as DevinNunesMom and Apple Pie.
Or why not visit NuneseyLand Paris, where you can see lovable character Plutôt.
You can visit MooStar Farms and see the delightful bovines, MikkeyMoos and MiniMoos, or enjoy the new waterpark, Nunesey's Bissard Beach.
And don't forget to visit Nunesey's SibleyWood Studios.
Take a ride on the Santa Gertrudis Railway, which is drawn by the Lulu Belle locomotive.
Read all about this fascinating company in the documentary Nunesey's Fairy Tale Lawsuits and Ruminations.
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Re: About that Amusement Park
Milking that cow connection for all it's worth.
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Re: Re: About that Amusement Park
No bull. Truer words were never uddered. Some folk might write bad yokes, but you won't heifer catch me doing that.
Who knows if Nunes and his attempts to calve out exceptions will be withers for very long?
Best go before someone takes a fence.
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Re: Re: Re: About that Amusement Park
Are we having pun yet?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: About that Amusement Park
enough Pun-ishment.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: About that Amusement Park
Well I am called the Pun Gent, because my jokes stink.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: About that Amusement Park
We are being pun-ked!
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Re: About that Amusement Park
Not sure if this is a direct Nunes to Disney satire, or if Banksy got in the middle.
Either way, +1 internet.
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Re: Re: About that Amusement Park
"direct Nunes to Disney satire" - Correct.
And if you never want to miss another one of my contributions remember to ring that LOL.
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