Do you think "Patents" by other companies get in the way of BKP evolving?

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Was just wondering this. I know DiMarzio have their own patents such as Airbucker, Dual Resonance, etc. As well as both Duncan and DiMarzio have the single Hum-Cancelling single coil patents. Do you think these technologies stop BKP from achieving their full potential? No that BKP don't kick ass anyways :)

[lamp]

No

[Arthurus]

No

Oh god you made my day hahaha 

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just mean it in the sense like the PAF. If it would've become a pickup design no other company was allowed to reproduce, then that would limit other companies from taking that design and bettering it. For example you wouldn't have had the Super Distortion which kicked off the aftermarket pickup boom. If these patents were allowed, and other pickup manufacturers were allowed to play with the design, sure there'd be someone who could use that technology and better it even more. Technology is always moving forward. It's not always a one-man army. People contribute their own own ideas to the industry, which leads to further advancements. The blades on a pickup is another example which BKP have used in their own pickup design after many years. But someone had to come up with the advantages at some point. If bladed pickups were patented by a company, we wouldn't have the Black Hawk...or the new single coils coming out come to mention it. So if I asked this question before the Black Hawks, and bladed pickups were in fact patented at the time, would you be willing to dismiss the idea so suddenly like you just have? You probably would have the same opinion as you do now. But BKP "have" took the blades and incorporated it into their own designs. And I'm sure noone will disagree how much that enabled the creation of that exact pickup.

[Kiichi]

I do not really know a lot about those patents in question so I can not say a lot about it.

I did just look up what the dual resonance thing is and I must say that it is something I think Tim might be able to pull something amazing off with. I did not even know that producing a HB with different wires on each coil is patented in that way. Seems like there could be potential there, even though I have not heard it work out in a way I like so far...;)

This really leads to the larger point of a discussion about patent law in general, which in my opinion has gotten very much out of hand over time. Now it does a lot to hinder progress because it is getting so abused. Where exactly the balance point is (maybe it has to do with expiration dates, which if set right would allow the developer a timeframe to get a return on his investment before it is released and allowed to benefit the general public or smth), well that I do not quite know, after all the basic idea is a good one, but I am pretty sure it has gone too far. This might not be a case where it actually has gone too far, I canīt tell, but I just thought of how Elon Musk, who is the boss of Tesla, released all their electric car patents to the public to further progress cause now everyone can evolve them.
This of course is an entirely different situation, but it gives food for thought.

Bottom line: I am pretty sure some of the patents would spawn amazing things if released to capable hands such as Tims, but the basic idea of patents is also a good one and there are a lot of other things left to explore. So things are allright.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

The thing I thought was ridiculous was that DiMarzio patented there cream coils. Well at least that's what I've heard. But I think it would also be interested to see what time could make in terms of an "aired" pickup. It will definitely be interesting to see what BKP comes out with over the next decade.

[gwEm]

i'm sure i read that Tim had tried winding a humbucker with different wires on each coil and wasn't happy with the results.

[m t soule]

The thing to remember about patents and copy right is that any benefits and detriments work both ways.

[Philly Q]

The thing I thought was ridiculous was that DiMarzio patented there cream coils. Well at least that's what I've heard.

That's true, although I think it's a trademark rather than a patent.  Notice that Seymour Duncan and even Gibson don't make humbuckers with double cream bobbins.

But presumably it doesn't apply outside the USA.

[Chris Rowberry]

There are so many variations of cream it would be a hard job trying to make sure they are the exact same shade of cream. Its something we do not let get in the way of us producing the best pickups we can!

[darrenw5094]

There are so many variations of cream it would be a hard job trying to make sure they are the exact same shade of cream. Its something we do not let get in the way of us producing the best pickups we can!

What about slightly dark cream with a hint of yellow? 

Seriously, a trademark on cream bobbins? WTF?

[Philly Q]

I think the trademark is over pickups with two cream bobbins, not over the actual colour cream.

[Andrew W]

I think the trademark is over pickups with two cream bobbins, not over the actual colour cream.

Which is totally reasonable of course. The tonal improvements from having both bobbins the same colour are now well known, and the years of RnD required to establish and develop that process need protecting. I can really hear the difference with a black/cream bobbin, it just sounds unbalanced.

[gwEm]

The thing I thought was ridiculous was that DiMarzio patented there cream coils. Well at least that's what I've heard.

That's true, although I think it's a trademark rather than a patent.  Notice that Seymour Duncan and even Gibson don't make humbuckers with double cream bobbins.

But presumably it doesn't apply outside the USA.

"The V" or the "Curly Maple Top" V had double cream Gibson pickups.

[gwEm]

I think the trademark is over pickups with two cream bobbins, not over the actual colour cream.

Which is totally reasonable of course. The tonal improvements from having both bobbins the same colour are now well known, and the years of RnD required to establish and develop that process need protecting. I can really hear the difference with a black/cream bobbin, it just sounds unbalanced.

;)

Joking aside, when I see a double cream pickup with allen pole pieces I do tend to assume its a Dimarzio. Agree is ridiculous to make that style a patent or even a trademark.