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Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

theguardian.com

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Re: Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

#21

Post by jannotti »

noja wrote: post #20
wlesieutre wrote: post #15

No one else has brought this up, but her "fidget spinner" is a totally different device than the ones that are popular. It's like a frisbee with a bump in the middle to center it on your finger, which I assume lets you get it moving it one handed by "hula hooping" it around. But you can't put it in your pocket and carry it everywhere, nor can you fidget inconspicuously. The popular fidget spinners are small, flat dev…

The photo in the article shows this.

Thanks for pointing this out. I didn't even notice that weird frisbee looking thing on first read. Those are not, or at least should not, be covered by the same patent.

Re: Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

#23

Post by wlesieutre »

jannotti wrote: post #21
noja wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The photo in the article shows this.

Thanks for pointing this out. I didn't even notice that weird frisbee looking thing on first read. Those are not, or at least should not, be covered by the same patent.

I didn't realize it either until I found my way to the kickstarter page. It's the size of your head! And you can twirl a normal frisbee's rim around your finger just fine! And frisbees come in multiple more manageable sizes. And you can pack a frisbee into a bag more easily because it's flat. I don't mean to be a dick, but I can see why Hasbro chose not to produce it. It's a frisbee with a big lump on it that probably doesn't fly very well.

The "As fidget spinner craze goes global, its inventor struggles to make ends meet" headline is 100% bullshit and the rest of the article isn't any better.

Re: Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

#24

Post by jerf »

audunw wrote: post #7

I think this illustrates one of the catch-22's of patents. If you hold the patent, other companies does not have incentive to make and market the invention, making it harder to create market awareness. But if you let go of the patent, unless you have the resources to compete, you're unlikely to benefit from your invention. You do have an early mover advantage, but if you don't have the means to invest, it doesn't hel…

"I think the interface between IP markets and the goods/services markets is deeply broken."

Potentially a bigger problem than any you cite is discoverability. So she has a patent... so what? No company out there is going to search over the patents looking for a good idea. If they manage to come up with an independent implementation of something that happens to hit the patent, and they happen to do a search, they're far more likely to modify the idea until it doesn't hit the patent than to go try to license it from an individual.

There really isn't any fixing the problem that there's no path that looks like "1. Have idea. 2. Patent idea. 3. Profit." Step three is going to have to look like a business. Even if you assume basic income and even if you somehow remove money from the situation entirely, which is to put it least incredibly idealistic, if you want to see "success" you're still going to have to hustle and build awareness. (And, apparently, do this on the same basic income as everybody else in that ideal world, which won't exactly make it easier to stand out.) Perfectly feasible with the right use of social media, but on average it won't happen just by putting up a post of your idea and waiting for the plaudits to roll in.

Re: Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

#25

Post by tghw »

Omnius wrote: post #17
zeroer wrote: post #4

> Hettinger held the patent on finger spinners for eight years, but surrendered it in 2005 because she could not afford the $400 (£310) renewal fee. Isn't this bizarre? If she couldn't monetize it and make it profitable in eight years, maybe it's for the best that someone else gets a shot. We should not fall into the trap of thinking that intellectual property is like other forms of property. It's a trade where the p…

You're absolutely right but it still sucks. She has a great attitude about it but if i am honest and this kind of thing happened to me i would be seriously pissed, at myself more then anyone else.

Except that her device is completely different than the spinners of today. The child in the photo is holding one in her right hand.

Re: Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

#27

Post by wlesieutre »

wlesieutre wrote: post #23
jannotti wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for pointing this out. I didn't even notice that weird frisbee looking thing on first read. Those are not, or at least should not, be covered by the same patent.

I didn't realize it either until I found my way to the kickstarter page. It's the size of your head! And you can twirl a normal frisbee's rim around your finger just fine! And frisbees come in multiple more manageable sizes. And you can pack a frisbee into a bag more easily because it's flat. I don't mean to be a dick, but I can see why Hasbro chose not to produce it. It's a frisbee with a big lump on it that probabl…

If you want a fidget toy to actually be upset about, try the "Fidget Cube" of recent kickstarter fame. Knockoffs beat the genuine product to market.

https://medium.com/@jobosapien/real-vs-fake-the-infamous-cas...

Re: Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

#28

Post by reneherse »

wlesieutre wrote: post #23
jannotti wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for pointing this out. I didn't even notice that weird frisbee looking thing on first read. Those are not, or at least should not, be covered by the same patent.

I didn't realize it either until I found my way to the kickstarter page. It's the size of your head! And you can twirl a normal frisbee's rim around your finger just fine! And frisbees come in multiple more manageable sizes. And you can pack a frisbee into a bag more easily because it's flat. I don't mean to be a dick, but I can see why Hasbro chose not to produce it. It's a frisbee with a big lump on it that probabl…

In a post-fact world, evidently it's the bullshit that pays the bills:

"The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce."

Thanks but no thanks, Guardian.

Re: Fidget spinner craze inventor struggles to make ends meet

#30

Post by Omnius »

tghw wrote: post #25
Omnius wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're absolutely right but it still sucks. She has a great attitude about it but if i am honest and this kind of thing happened to me i would be seriously pissed, at myself more then anyone else.

Except that her device is completely different than the spinners of today. The child in the photo is holding one in her right hand.

Yeah i read the article and missed the images or maybe a read it to quick.
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