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Patent awarded to Malibu according to PR


Cipro

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http://www.malibuboats.com/news/press-releases/malibu-boats-awarded-patent-for-breakthrough-innovations-in-wakesurfing.html

Malibu Boats CEO Jack Springer said, “Malibu is proud of its history of innovation that has propelled the company to the forefront of our industry. Using Malibu's proprietary water diversion technology, a watersports boat can produce a surf wave, and almost instantaneously change the surf wave from one side of the boat to the other. Wakesurfers are finally free to surf either side of the boat with no need to wait for ballast changes or moving people around the boat. We are pleased that the Patent Office has acknowledged Malibu’s latest innovation by granting patent protection.”

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You can read one of the application versions here:

https://www.google.com/patents/US20130213293?dq=inassignee:%22Malibu+Boats,+Llc%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7BY6UtaFHsqMyQHrxoDICw&ved=0CFUQ6AEwBA

I'm sure some of the claims were changed in the final granted patent but that one has pictures. Reading the description I think this looks like trouble for Nautique. Malibu was careful to cover the concept of a divergent wake device, and listed some possible iterations, but appears to have language covering multiple iterations that NSS would violate.

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The patent that issued is US 8,534,214 and it issued on Sept. 17, 2013. I'm not commenting on the scope of the claims which is the real issue, but this is the case that illustrates/describes actuated tracking fins. The applications that we would more traditionally associate with what we recognize as "surf gate" are still pending...

I just searched the public record and there appears to be four pending applications that describe what we would consider "surf gate." The first one published on Aug. 22 (US 2013/0213293) and three others published on Sept. 5th (US 2013/0228113; US 2013/0228115; US 2013/0228116). These other three appear to be continuation or continuation-in-part applications of the first application. I haven't seen Malibu file this many application surrounding an invention. They clearly view surf gate as very important to their business.

Edited by Cory
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You all need to readjust your thinking about patents. Getting a patent can be the easy part. Convincing others to pay you a royalty based upon your patent or even threatening to sue another company over your patent is a whole other game. The primary use of patents is not offensive (this costs lots of $$$)... There are many other reasons for obtaining a patent. A more common use of patents is defensive (freedom to operate) and marketing (hey, our product is super special cause the government granted us a patent). These other uses don't cost so much and as we see from above, Malibu has already availed itself of the marketing purpose...

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You all need to readjust your thinking about patents. Getting a patent can be the easy part. Convincing others to pay you a royalty based upon your patent or even threatening to sue another company over your patent is a whole other game. The primary use of patents is not offensive (this costs lots of $$$)... There are many other reasons for obtaining a patent. A more common use of patents is defensive (freedom to operate) and marketing (hey, our product is super special cause the government granted us a patent). These other uses don't cost so much and as we see from above, Malibu has already availed itself of the marketing purpose...

Even saying "patent pending" implies innovation and thought leadership.

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You should probably buy another G or two now just so when it happens and you want to take advantage of the huge resale you can do so but still have a boat at the end.

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When was the first public press release about Centurion CATS?

If your wondering if thats a violation of these patents, I'm pretty sure Centurion patented CATS over 10 years ago. Could be wrong but they've had the idea for a while and just never put it to use.

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I find it amazing that they would grant a patent to a glorified trim tab moved to another part of the transom. It it was some ground breaking idea, why can I easily order all the parts and make it function like or better than the current retail offering.

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