Re: [spiers] Patented product


In a message dated 3/7/04 6:55:49 AM, johnkuo@hotmail.com writes:

<
I received some samples from a vendor in China and I noticed US patent

numbers on them. Can I freely sell products like that??>>

Ahem... what makes you think that something with a US Patent number on it has
a US Patent? Of course you can go online (uspto.gov) and see if indeed there
is such a patent number, or if there is, it is the same as the sample. And
then you can see if the patent expired...

Whether you can freely import something patented depends on if the
transaction is legitimate... which usually means checking with the patentholder,
if
there is one. And whether you can freely sell it usually means checking with
the
customer, if there is one.

But this begs the question, how come you are considering items that are
already made?

John

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