Inventor Has Waited 43 Years For Patent Approval 258
An anonymous reader writes "If you think the average wait of 28.3 months for a patent to be approved is ridiculous, don't complain to Gilbert P. Hyatt. The 76-year-old inventor has been waiting over forty years for a ruling on whether his electronic signal to control machinery should be granted a patent. 'It's totally unconscionable,' said Brad Wright, a patent lawyer with Banner & Witcoff in Washington who specializes in computer-related applications and isn't involved in Hyatt's case. 'The patent office doesn't want to be embarrassed that they might issue a broad patent that would have a sweeping impact on the technology sector. Rather than be embarrassed, they're just bottling it up.'"
Re:That's one heck of a very **BROAD** Patent ! (Score:4, Funny)
>Nothing written here about patents is believable.
From broad patents to sweeping statements. /. has it all.
Re:How could it be valid? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, you're right. I think they prefer to be called "single-input NAND gates" these days. Political correctness gone mad, I tell ya...
Re:That's one heck of a very **BROAD** Patent ! (Score:5, Funny)
This is Slashdot. Nothing written here about patents is believable.
I don't believe you!