IP's Next Big Wave - Taste & Smell Patents

Magnavox writes "Futurist Thomas Frey has written an article about Monday's Nobel Prize in medicine opening the door for taste & smell patents. Dr. Richard Axel and Dr. Linda B. Buck won the prize for scientifically describing how odor-sensing proteins in the nose translate specific tastes and smells into information in the brain. Patenting smells in the past was limited to describing the chemical composition of the substance. Receptor patterning opens the door for a variety of new patenting possibilities... Perhaps more important will be the decision as to whether smells can be trademarked as symbols of the products or services they represent. Sounds and colors are commonly trademarked today because of the commercial impression they leave on consumers. Smells cannot be far behind. Now I'm wondering if we can patent the smell of money."

Patent office here I come

[Anonymous Coward]

The patent for the smell of teen spirit is going to make me rich once the 90's become fashionable again!

Maybe I should patent the smell of gunpowder...

[mrchaotica]

...so I can profit when the people revolt against the insane corporate-controlled government!

Stinking patents...

[n54]

...will hasten patent reforms ;)

Sick of this crap

[mboverload]

Next thing you know they will be patenting plants...

Oh....wait...

In other news..

[euxneks]

McDonald's patents the smell of grease! (+1 Insightful)

Microsoft patents the smell of money! (+1 Funny)

Your local movie theatre patents the smell of urine! (+1 Informative)

SCO patents the smell of shit! (-1 redundant)

Bah... I won't quit my day job.. Wait! I don't have one!

Re:next time i releave gas....

[BottleCup]

Its weird how, in reaction to this article, everyone wants to patent stuff that goes out their own rear end.

Here here

[aarku]

I, for one, will be searching the stars tonight using my smelloscope [gotfuturama.com] to find new odors to patent.

Will be interesting to digitize smell.

[Anonymous Coward]

Imagine receiving a smell bomb in your email, or a printer that print a type of scent.

Will be good to smell homecook food 1000 miles away, over the internet.

Oh, just great...

[Tokerat]

...I guess that means while I won't spend much at the Taco Bell drive-thru, I'll get nailed on the royalty payments about 2-3 hours later!

*rimshot*

Taste Patent

[tomsuchy]

Tastes like chicken, patent pending...

Money...

[ms1234]

...doesn't smell, it talks. It may even sing and dance if you let it.

please patent farts

[weighn]

so my colleagues can be issued with a cease and desist

Re:Will be interesting to digitize smell.

[Lehk228]

ahh, the smell of goatse in the morning.

I declare your patent invalid...

[Skevin]

because I claim Prior Fart.

Solomon

And in other news...

[jd]

SCO announced today that it now holds the patent for the sweet smell of success. When asked if this meant they were going to bring a new product to market, using this, a spokesman was quoted as saying "Hell no - we just want to sue the pants off anybody who might be infringing on it."

Forget patenting smells, patent smelling

[gbulmash]

The real bit is when someone takes that Nobel-winning work and patents the act of smelling things. Every unlicensed nasal inhalation, also known as a "sniff" will be a violation of their patent.

Mouth breathers will be exempt.

- Greg

Nothing surprises me...

[SetupWeasel]

Now that people have patented genes. Someone maght as well patent urine, and have us pay royalities everytime we make it.

Here's one

[Klowner]

I'll call it "Hobo Stink" and slap all those guys on street corners with IP infringement lawsuits, then I'll yank the bucket of change out of their hands and split, it'll rule. And I'll invest in cardboard signs before I start doing that too, oh and, money buckets.

What this really means...

[Anonymous Coward]

Now the Professor can invent the smelloscope.

Re:Stinking patents...

[PacoTaco]

There's this Chinese restaurant down the street from my house that should patent the smell of its dumpster for possible future military applications.

Some future conversations..

[t_allardyce]

"So Mr and Mrs Smith, you want to have kids? Mrs Smith you were born from a Monsanto engineered egg in fertility treatment? ah, in that case they'll require a license fee for reproduction."

"Sir, im closing your hot dog stand down, you don't have a license to publicly serve that mustard, only a home license!"

"Police today raided the home of a 68 year old woman involved in illigal cookie piracy. She is currently being charged with distribution to a number of local children."

"License to grow apples, thats $40,000 per tree or you can get a site license for $1,200,000?"

Re:In other news..

[G-funk]

<fry>Hey, what smells like blue?</fry>

Re:Patent office here I come

[Anonymous Coward]

the 90s will be fashionable again in *drumroll* 2090!

Finally a working business plan

[SkippyTPE]

1. Patent the taste of chicken
2. Sue everyone (because we all know that everything tastes like chicken)
3. Profit!!!!!!!