Patent rights for infrared held by HomeSafe inspection

[rmaday]

bump...

Any updates? Other instances?

[bdoles2]

Originally Posted by rmaday

bump...

Any updates? Other instances?

Due to the seriousness of the threat of the lawsuit, I have suspended all inspection activities within my business. I have had to change my business plan to contract out my customer relation services department, to the local Wal-Mart. "Would you like a cart, Sir?" - "Stop right there, is that a return Ma'am?"

I will be taking my corporate jet to DC, for my hearing in a possible bailout.

[David P. Valley]

Yea, I put my IR Termite inspections on hold at the moment. I'm waiting for their approval of my techniques to perform these type of inspections.

I'm hoping they will wave the royalty fees.

[Brian C. Hoagland]

Dear Mr. Hynum,

Bite me!!!!! A patent on the use of your eyes and brain with a machine the inspector owns, and has training provided by acknowledeged accredditation providers? Get a really good patent attorney, pay an extremely high retainer fee then drop the case. You're gonna need the attorney to respond to the harrassment lawsuits and class action fraud suit if your firm proceeds with this.

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by bhoagland

Dear Mr. Hynum,

Bite me!!!!! A patent on the use of your eyes and brain with a machine the inspector owns, and has training provided by acknowledeged accredditation providers? Get a really good patent attorney, pay an extremely high retainer fee then drop the case. You're gonna need the attorney to respond to the harrassment lawsuits and class action fraud suit if your firm proceeds with this.

I'm with ya on the harrasment and probable worthlessnes of the patents, but the patents are there nonetheless.

I hope that someone with the legal-know how (and $$) to challenge a patent would do so in this case. There's another thread where another inspector got the same letter.

[Steven C. Meyer]

Originally Posted by jbraun

Had to much cat nip, Dan? The day an ASHI member puts me out of business is the day that ASHI gets some ethics. And like that is going ever happen. How about you go sniff yourself and pass out.

I'll bet o Dan boy can probably do more than just sniff!!

[James E. Braun, CMI]

I got another letter from them. I still do not understand why he is still insisting on me paying for a license when I only advertise infrared for another NACHI inspector. Do they own the patent on infrared advertising too?

[bdoles2]

Originally Posted by jbraun

Attachment 25561

I got another letter from them. I still do not understand why he is still insisting on me paying for a license when I only advertise infrared for another NACHI inspector. Do they own the patent on infrared advertising too?

Damn, they have some balls.

I wonder if they have approached inspectors that actually use infrared?

[gbeaumont]

Hi to all,

here's the problem, they have filed and been given patent protection, period. that is changeable, but if they go after an individual inspector, it is an uneven fight, the cost of defending against their suit is to high, and they know it!!

Here's is my suggestion, iNACHI & its members together with our business partners need to start a legal defense fund to take them on over this, it's not a hard case to win given that their patents are newer than the generally accepted uses of the technology, but that is what it will take to defend ourselves, safety is in numbers.

Regards

Gerry

[RAY THOROMAN]

I do not offer IR services.... but I can tell you this guy Rick HO-HUM keeps spamming the shat out of me. I get tons of his emails.... keep opting out and keep getting them.

Anyone else getting bombed with their crap?

[gbeaumont]

Originally Posted by bdoles2

Damn, they have some balls.

I wonder if they have approached inspectors that actually use infrared?

Brian, it is clear that they are firing warning shots at any and all inspectors using IR technologies.

Regards

Gerry

[Dominic J. Maricic]

Originally Posted by rthoroman

I do not offer IR services.... but I can tell you this guy Rick HO-HUM keeps spamming the shat out of me. I get tons of his emails.... keep opting out and keep getting them.

Anyone else getting bombed with their crap?

Then find other inspectors who have the same problem in states that allow fines to be applied after you get spam and have opted out. There's enough inspectors to make all those $500 fines hurt.

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by gbeaumont

Hi to all,

here's the problem, they have filed and been given patent protection, period. that is changeable, but if they go after an individual inspector, it is an uneven fight, the cost of defending against their suit is to high, and they know it!!

Here's is my suggestion, iNACHI & its members together with our business partners need to start a legal defense fund to take them on over this, it's not a hard case to win given that their patents are newer than the generally accepted uses of the technology, but that is what it will take to defend ourselves, safety is in numbers.

Regards

Gerry

the bold is what is really scary! Your average inspector does not have the time nor $$ to defend or reverse the patent. I like your suggestion.

I would also think FLIR, Fluke and other camera manfacturers would be interested as well as education providers.

[kweiss]

I would also be interested in opinions from Infraspection Institute and Snell and other training providers.

I agree they their plan is to divide and conquer and that we need to approach this seriously as a group to properly fight it. As said, while we may not agree with the legitimacy of this, they do hold US patents that may or may not apply. Based on their behavior, they are not going to play fair. They have spent money and time on this scheme to get to this point, it seems reasonable that they will spend more on the chance they can win and validate these ridiculously vague and obvious application patents - ie sue a few individual inspectors.

I would like to see iNACHI, Nick, perhaps John McKenna take the lead here and organize us to fight this. I am more than willing to assist in any way I can, but we need some organized leadership in place.

[Kevin A. Richardson]

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f6/ir-ins...-patent-35073/

Post #7