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theodp writes "What's that, Lassie? Timmy's in the Patent Office? On Tuesday, the USPTO issued U.S. patent no. 7,090,268 for a Dog waste catcher and holder, i.e., catching dog poop with a grocery bag on a stick (patent image)." It gets really fun when the patent tries to explain how it's different from prior art.
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by Anonymous Coward on Aug 16th, 2006 @ 10:46pm
Thats about what the patent is worth, too.
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I wonder by ? on Aug 16th, 2006 @ 10:53pm
If they make one big enough for the USPTO to fit in?
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Astonishing. by milan on Aug 16th, 2006 @ 11:00pm
I am stunned speechless. Any of you think this patent is enforsable; i.e., if I came out tomorrow with a bag in a loop at the end of a stick, picking up dog poop, will I be ordered to 'cease and desist'?
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Re: Astonishing. by Frink on Aug 16th, 2006 @ 11:11pm
"will I be ordered to 'cease and desist'?"
Only if it actually has dog shit in it when you are caught. Otherwise you could claim it is a butterfly catcher.
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You know, I'd really like to see... by Ryan on Aug 16th, 2006 @ 11:14pm
...someone actually using this device. A group of friends and I made a video about something like this back in high school as a joke. During the shoot, we discovered how freaking hard it is to get an animal to {cough} evacuate into anything that you have hovering below them. My God, I guess just any old piece of crap gets a patent these days? [no pun intended]
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Holy Shit! by ! on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 12:09am
...and here I was thinking it was expensive and time-consuming to get a patent for an invention which is utterly worthless.
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HEY!! by ThePengwin on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 12:36am
Aww that was my idea!!
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by Xcetron on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 12:39am
Some one go out and patent the idea to be stupid and then maybe we can stop these people.
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Remind me.... by krum303 on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 2:16am
Note to self: Get a patent on that pill that gives worms to ex-girlfriends.
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Patent Infringement by nunya_bidness on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 4:41am
There is already a patent on holding a stick in your hand, so it looks like this device will have to be operated by securing it to the human operator by some other method.
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Re: Patent Infringement by Anonymous Coward on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 4:57am
Not only that, but you will have to be a certified poop scooper, if you are in a union.
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poopPod by Anonymous Coward on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 5:24am
This patent could only be improved by the use of the word "Pod" in the product name.
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pooped out by Rabid Wolverine on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 5:36am
Really, don't any of you people have a life?
I can think of anything better to waste my time other than blogging about this issue...
Wait! I jsut blogged about this issue! Help me, help me, help me I'm melting....
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Microsoft to release Zune poop scooper beta on fri by Horses Mouth on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 5:58am
Never one to be too late for the party, today Microsoft announced that they too have a poop scooper product that will work seamlessly with your septic system, or Windows (same thing), a Microsoft spokesgirl was quoted as saying "we arent afraid to take some shit, and we dont give a shit either"
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Simply patenting stupidity isn't feasible... by trollificus on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 6:21am
...patenting stupidity as a BUSINESS METHOD, otoh...
We could use a similar drawing, too, just substitute a Patent Attorney for the dog and the Patent Office for the net.
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Squat by Ron on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 6:43am
The guy who submitted this patent, and the one who approved it are both frickin' idiots. My dogs squat when they crap; they don't stand there and shoot sh*t straight out the back (come to think of it, neither do they turn to the left and smile as they do so). So, to make this work, I need to shove this baggie under my dog squatting in the grass, hope I make directly under the evacuation chute, and that when the dog feels something russtling under her backside, hope she does not run off whilest continuing to crap on the run. That's for the large dog. The small one starts out at only about 6 inches off the ground. You can imagine (well, if you really want to think about it that hard) how low she gets to the ground when she's doing her thing.
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Re: Squat by ebrke on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 7:27am
Oh, shoot--I read your post at work and nearly choked to death trying to laugh silently. Thanks for the mental picture of the large dog running in terror from the baggie, spilling poop all the way!
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Caught by a baggie on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 7:45am
Right-o you lot! That's about enough of that. Leave the stupid people alone. They make the rest of us look good.
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Other Patents to Note by Va-poo-rizing on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 7:51am
http://tinyurl.com/gxh3v
and
http://tinyurl.com/p2jlx
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Pooper bag by oldbear on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 7:52am
Is this any different than the pooper scoopers that are already sold in the stores? We have a very large dog - I use old plastic bags - don't really want to carry any more "crap" when out walking the dog. We go out first thing in the morning, and I'm not that awake - I'd hate to grab the wrong damn end of this "crappy" device. Watch out - next this guy will patent the plastic bag on the hand - and then we'll all be picking up dog crap with our bare hands - until he pantents that too...
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Priceless by Mousky on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 8:05am
Prior Art? Obviousness? Is there anyone at the USPTO that is capable of doing their job?
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by Anonymous Coward on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 9:10am
Looks more like a Fox Poop Catcher
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by Anonymous Coward on Aug 17th, 2006 @ 10:13am
Want an idea for patent?
Look at existing patents and see one or two minor things they miss out and claim it in your patent that is what this guy is doing.
It is funny to see in the patent claim doc how he writes "with my invention" so many times... Can somebody define invetion?
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American Inventor Guy? by CS on Aug 18th, 2006 @ 8:00am
Is this the fella that the judges laughed out of contention on the show "American Inventor"?
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Re: Remind me.... by denny on Aug 18th, 2006 @ 8:19am
Nice KITH reference!
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Poop Catcher, love it!! Have one! by michele on Oct 24th, 2006 @ 4:14pm
Sorry to all you haters of the idea, but I love it and have fashioned my own catcher(even before seeing this website) to keep from having a messy yard. The trick is to get your pup use to it at a young age, we take our pup out to potty on a leash and he goes in a matter of minutes, he is not even aware of the catcher behind him and I am spared the messy job of clean up afterwards. Now it would not be something a person would find a use for when you dog is free to potty where ever and clean up is done afterwards, but it works great for dogs that are trained to potty on a walk or while on a leash. There are patents dating back to 1907, so it has been around a lot longer than you think!
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Poop Catcher, love it!! Have one! by michele on Oct 24th, 2006 @ 4:15pm
Sorry to all you haters of the idea, but I love it and have fashioned my own catcher(even before seeing this website) to keep from having a messy yard. The trick is to get your pup use to it at a young age, we take our pup out to potty on a leash and he goes in a matter of minutes, he is not even aware of the catcher behind him and I am spared the messy job of clean up afterwards. Now it would not be something a person would find a use for when you dog is free to potty where ever and clean up is done afterwards, but it works great for dogs that are trained to potty on a walk or while on a leash. There are patents dating back to 1907, so it has been around a lot longer than you think!
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Pooper scooper Invention by George Kovacs inventor on Nov 23rd, 2006 @ 6:15pm
I invented a disposable paper pooper scooper which is under patent pending. It is a paper plate with paper spikes on it. It is placed over the poop and you step on it. The poop sticks to it and it is very easy to pick and dispose of. I can send you samples for free to try it out if anyone is interested.
Sincerely George Kovacs inventor
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Beast Master by Braden Smith on Jan 20th, 2007 @ 4:32pm
I also came up with this idea and have been using it twice a day with my great dane! So before you poo poo this idea, let me tell you it has saved me a bunch of mess. We're talking about three pounds of mess a day. My dane doesn't mind me catching it either.
It is easy to be negative and critical. Try creating something someone can use. Hats off to the poop on a stick guy!
Braden Smith
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dog poop catcher! by martha on Sep 27th, 2007 @ 11:57am
Check out www.poodooty.com if you want to see one that never needs cleaning, fits in back pocket pictures of dogs using and ignoring it...Never gets dirty, bag slides down handle and stays on by friction. Can't beat this one. It is PERFECT. Great Danes, Mastiffs, toy Poodles..PooDooty works. Really. It beats the heck out of bending down to TRY and pick the smelly crap up!
Martha
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Re: Remind me.... by Anonymous Coward on Jan 7th, 2008 @ 6:54pm
ah shit. nice comment, i will steal this one. thank you. :)
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