patent disclaimer?

[eric_B]

Did anybody every wonder why Roland put that ugly patent disclaimer on the front of those beautiful mesh heads? Why only there and not on the TD-9, PM-30, keyboards, digital piano's, audio interfaces, etc?

[Michael Render]

Part of the issue is that under US law, you have to protect your patents or lose them. The mesh heads are a distinct and separate patent and they have had companies in the past infringe on that patent. By printing the patents on the head, no one can claim they didn't know Roland had those patents.

If you look at a variety of Remo heads, you will see others have patent numbers also. Like the Nuskyn, for example.

[eric_B]

I understand the issue (just take a look at whatever kind of manual), but what if Sony decided to print the patent number on the front side of their LCD tv's (to give an extreme example)? Why not on the back, out of sight?

[stickinthemud]

I understand the issue (just take a look at whatever kind of manual), but what if Sony decided to print the patent number on the front side of their LCD tv's (to give an extreme example)? Why not on the back, out of sight?

I suppose this would require additional machinery and/or labor resulting in reduced profits.