South Korea Tries To Patent Military Uniforms To Prevent North Korean's Dressing Like Them
from the that'll-stop-them dept
Two years ago, we wrote about how the Finnish military was accusing the Russians of infringing on their camouflage intellectual property. The Finns had apparently registered the camouflage as a design right, and the Russians were copying it. Perhaps building on that idea, it appears that the South Korean military is now trying to patent the camouflage design of its new uniforms, with the idea being (again) to prevent others (the North Koreans, for example) from copying the uniforms in order to confuse South Korean soldiers. I’m not quite sure how South Korean patent law works, or how it’s even possible to patent such a thing there, but if the goal really is to prevent nefarious enemy soldiers from dressing up in South Korean uniforms, you’d have to imagine it’s not going to be effective. After all, if we’re talking about an army invading or infiltrating, one imagines that they wouldn’t have much concern about how they’re also infringing on the patent. In the meantime, I’m curious if anyone can explain the “incentive” provided to the South Korean military by this potential patent. Is anyone really suggesting that such a uniform would not have been designed without the protection of a patent?
Filed Under: camouflage, patents, south korea, uniforms
Comments on “South Korea Tries To Patent Military Uniforms To Prevent North Korean's Dressing Like Them”
So will they declare war on them for infringement? Talk about fighting a war for a worthy cause.
Didn’t we joke about starting an IP based war on techdirt a long time ago? Looks like it’s becoming reality. An infringement war.
“Is anyone really suggesting that such a uniform would not have been designed without the protection of a patent?”
Yes, because governments don’t care about the lives of their solders and designing stuff costs money. Do you think a govt will design this if its only purpose was to help save the lives of its solders?
Re: Re:
“Yes, because governments don’t care about the lives of their solders”
Are you kidding? Do you know how much a soldier costs?!
Re: Re: Re:
The logistical problem here is that the government knows it’s cheaper to bury them than pay for their retirement and care after service. This is obviously a sad day (Veteran’s Day) to even have to point this disturbing truth out.
Huh
As we all know, the nation of North Korea has a great deal of respect for their southern neighbor’s intellectual property laws!
I see this idea in general as a great way to ensure that another nation, in times of war, will not produce highly accurate replicas of enemy uniforms for hostile purposes. I mean, imagine the lawsuit!
Well, it is the Korean Penninsula...
These are the same people who believe leaving a fan on in a room can kill you;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death
Excuses?
So now we’re running out of excuses for war? Perhaps this is because all previous excuses have been copyrighted…
Re: Excuses?
A new religion will solve that. Might I suggest Helmetism?
Re: Re: Excuses?
OH GREAT HELMET! WHAT IS YOUR BIDDING???
Re: Re: Re: Excuses?
I require a sacrifice. Say…two brats, sauerkraut with brown mustard, and a couple of perogis….
Re: Re: Re:2 Excuses?
I told a guy at work yesterday that hot dog purists support mustard (and optionally relish) and despise ketchup on hot dogs. He didn’t believe me.
Re: Re: Re:3 Excuses?
Death to the Ketchup Heretics!
Mustard is the only sauce* fit for sausage.
*Chili is not a sauce, duh!
Re: Re: Excuses?
I’m always a sucker for new religions. So what are the basic tenets of your religion, meaning, who should I hate and wish dead?
Re: Re: Re: Excuses?
Yogi, asked:
You should only hate and wish dead those who hate anybody and wish them dead.
Question: should you hate and wish dead yourself?
Re: Re: Excuses?
Helmetism has been the religion of every woman I have dated more than once.
add on
this might make sense as an add-on charge.
For example, when entering the US, a friend of mine who was an international student had to fill out a form with such questions as:
Are you affiliated with any terrorist groups?
___yes
___no
Were you a member of the Nazi party between 1932 – 1945?
___yes
___no
Have you ever illegally smuggled an infant across international boarders?
___yes
___no
These questions might seem insanely stupid at first; but if it turns out that they are in the states for some nefarious purpose, they can tack on an “entered the country illegally” charge.
So, while the law itself might be useless, if the South catches a North Korean on their side, they might not have enough to get him for spying, but they can get him for infringement.
Re: add on
I wondered if this sort of thing wasn’t the purpose of copyrighting/patenting uniforms: “Those evil, sub-human X.Y’s! Not only have they performed Evil Act X, but they’ve also downloaded child porn *and* stolen our ideas!”
Sort of like how every high profile criminal now has a “19 Images of Child Pornography” charge in addition to the drugs, drug paraphenalia, illegal firearms, contraband cigarettes and armor piercing bullets changes.
Re: Re: add on
Soon to be added: wearing a camouflage Chanel gown from the fall collection.
Are they going to sue North Korea if they ignore this? lol
Really?
I would think all they have to do is keep the 7 guys at the border from seeing it. It’s not as if anyone in North Korea actually gets to see the outside world…
Your days are numbered
I’m currently seeking a Patent on life and as soon as I get it, should be any day now, you guys ARE ALL SCREWED! Oh yeah.
Maybe
Maybe South Korea thinks their lawyers are more threatening than their military.
Oh man all this time we could of won wars by patenting our enemies weapons and ammunition and then they wouldn’t be able to use them 😛
Blazing Kimchee
Reminds me that line in Blazing Saddles when Slim Pickens and his invading army encounter an empty toll booth in the middle of the desert. He says, “Somebody’s got to go back and get a sh*tload of dimes”
Oh man all this time we could of won wars by patenting our enemies weapons and ammunition and then they wouldn’t be able to use them 😛
This is hilarious logic. I’d love to see the kind of country that this would actually trip up.
Enemy Brass: Okay, the plan is to infiltrate their base by dressing our soldiers in similar uniforms.
Enemy Lawyer: I’m afraid we can’t do that. They have a patent on their uniform design.
Enemy Brass: Damn! Back to the drawing board then. Unless…perhaps we could license it for a couple days? What’s the procedure for that?
Welcome to Warner Bros...East
Holy sheep dip Batgirl! Who’s running that country? Pinky and the Brain????
Come to think of it I always wondered what Pinky and Brain did after they were canceled. Now we know the rest of the story!
Re: Welcome to Warner Bros...East
The patenting of a uniform might seem unusual or ridiculous right now, but one just needs to look at the example of the Japanese Coast Guard and their ultimate camouflage to understand why it is necessary. If only someone had patented the uniforms they were wearing in this video, it might have been prevented.
Re: Re: Welcome to Warner Bros...East
That video appears to confirm the “Pinky and The Brain are Running A Country” hypothesis, but since it’s the Japanese Coast Guard, maybe they’re not in charge in S. Korea.
Well, obviously! (or not.....)
Surely patenting cammo wouldn’t pass the obviousness test for patent either? It’s not like there aren’t already 1200 similar designs or something. Unless they’ve come up with a new zany DPM (dispersed pattern material) pattern that actually hypnotises the viewer or something.. now THAT would be cool!
Hmm Helmetism? Is that “Jedi” for the teens?
Re: Well, obviously! (or not.....)
Surely you have seen Spaceballs…
Aren?t You Glad ...
… you live in a free country, where such abuses of the law cannot happen?
Re: Aren?t You Glad ...
which country’s That?
about the only thing the USA’s really free from is the (now defunct) British Empire, btw.
Fun Fact
The US military has a patent on the camouflage they use
Patents are supposed to encourage people to give away their secrets. So by getting this patent they are giving away military secrets.
Anytime I see a link to againstmonopoly I know I am about to be treated to an entertaining FUD. Of course, once again I was entertained.
I know it is wishful thinking, but perhaps someday the site might actually present an article that does not peg its bias tachometer past redline.
Sorry if it’s been mentioned before but the plural for North Koreans doesn’t actually require the apostrophe (not possessive, not a contraction) 😉
There is a logic to this
China is DPRK’s largest producer and trading partner. If South Korea holds a patent on something it makes it much easier for China to refuse to manufacture those copycat uniforms, pointing to the need to respect the patents of its other trading partners who provide them substantially more income.
At least we have our euphemism for the next go-around.
The first Korean War was euphemistically referred-to as a “police action”; the next one can be the “patent enforcement hearing”. Perhaps even “Police Action in Korea II: The Patent Enforcement Hearing (Sponsored by Hyundai and Presented in Samsung 3D)”?