[rollei_list] Re: "NIH Syndrome" (was: Liquid Lenses)
- From: Ardeshir Mehta <ardeshir@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 20:47:59 -0500
On Friday, January 21, 2005, at 06:22 AM, Bob Shell wrote:
> On Thursday, January 20, 2005, at 09:10 PM, Ardeshir Mehta wrote:
>
>> The Minolta company even phoned me from Japan to ask about my patent
>> (I had registered my idea with the US Patent Office in Washington),
>> but they never followed up - for God alone knows what reason. (Maybe
>> someone in their firm had already thought of the idea.)
>
> NIH syndrome. Not Invented Here.
>
> There was a company some time ago that produced some prototypes using
> an oil between two plates of flexible polymer. It worked just as you
> describe. I don't know if this was before or after your idea.
>
> I stopped taking patentable ideas to Japanese companies some time ago
> because they always just stole the ideas and dared me to sue them.
>
> Bob
You know, I think you are right. Normally I have a VERY high regard for
Japanese companies, seeing as my Honda (and before that, my Toyota)
gave me many years of trouble-free driving; but I have come to realise
that they are all the same a bit clannish, and closed to foreign
suggestions. And as you say, it's very hard to sue them, in Japan
anyway, and very expensive to do so in North America.
As opposed to them, McLaren, to whom I made a few suggestions when they
were building their million-dollar supercar, even invited me for a test
drive when it was launched! (The drive was to take place, however, in
Switzerland, and I had to get there all on my ownsome ... and at that
time I couldn't get away for family reasons even if I could have
afforded to, which I could have, but just barely. But now I do regret
having turned them down: it would have been the memory of a lifetime,
something to recount *ad nauseam* to my kids and grand-kids at the
dining room table!)
They even sent me a Christmas card with Santa driving the McLaren
supercar ... a wonderful gesture, I thought.
Cheers.
Ardeshir <http://homepage.mac.com/ardeshir/AllMyFiles.html>
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