By Gary Shuster
When you think of Jamie Lee Curtis, her movie roles are almost certainly what comes to mind. What you probably didn’t know about Ms. Curtis is that she received a U.S. patent for a diaper that has a compartment that holds a baby wipe.
The Idea Behind the Invention
This was one of those inventions where the story behind the breakthrough is pretty easy to guess. She took one of her kids somewhere, they soiled their diaper, and she realized she had forgotten the wipes at home. Most people would shrug and think, “I’ll try not to do that again.” Creatives, though, rarely stop at an easy but imperfect solution. Instead, she developed a diaper with a built-in wipe.
Simple, elegant, and now patented.
Creativity Knows No Bounds
Creativity often crosses IP boundaries. Actors file for patents, inventors take photographs and make art, you get the idea. If you’re creative in one area, you probably want to be creative in all (and probably are). U.S. patent law isn’t limited to professional inventors or scientists: as long as an invention is novel, useful, and non-obvious, it qualifies for protection.
The Diaper That Could Have Been
Like a lot of patents, this one was a great idea implemented in a great way — yet fell short of commercial success. The big diaper manufacturers could have found that the extra cost wouldn’t be worth it for consumers. Or it might have required retooling their production lines. We don’t know why it didn’t take off commercially, but that’s true of so many amazing inventions.
If the patent has expired (and in this case it appears to be long expired), you can build these yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone file for a patent, or just professional inventors?
Anyone can file for a patent. U.S. patent law doesn’t require you to be a scientist, engineer, or professional inventor. As long as your invention meets the criteria of novelty, usefulness, and non-obviousness, you can seek patent protection regardless of your day job.
What happens when a patent expires?
Once a patent expires (typically 20 years from the filing date for utility patents), the invention enters the public domain. Anyone is free to make, use, or sell the previously patented invention without permission or licensing fees.
Have an invention idea? Contact DeepLaw to discuss whether patent protection is right for you.