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Tiki Mug Patents |
pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1564
From: Mass.
|  Posted: 2005-11-16 07:05 am Permalink
One of my big questions about tiki mugs has always been copyright-related. How is it we can see the same designs appear not only for different restaurants but from different companies? I figured the most obvious answer is because no one cared; there were no design patents.(?) Maybe. So I've been spending some time at the (on-line) U.S. Patent Office. Surely, this is one of the best uses of my tax dollars I've found so far.
So I started poking around. It's pretty time consuming because all patents given before 1975 aren't searchable by title and the categories are very open to interpretation. But all you need is a mouse, one working finger and nothing to do.
After two zillion mouse clicks, I found very few patents but those I did find were only for a few years. Maybe the simple reason all these mug designs reappeared and continue to appear from places like Dynasty Wholesale is because they're in the public domain. I don't know too much about patent law (nothing, really) and even less about Japanese patent law so I dunno if this means anything.
Anyway, I did find some cool patents. Who designed the first skull mug? 50 bonus points if you guess the year.
Click HERE for the answer.
If there's any interest in this, I'll post more.
_________________
"I can't die until the government finds a safe place to bury my liver."
Phil Harris
[ This Message was edited by: pappythesailor 2005-11-16 07:06 ]
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Johnny Dollar
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 01, 2003
Posts: 2953
From: Baltimore, Maryland, PNG
| Posted: 2005-11-16 07:16 am Permalink
fricken sweet!
that rendering is beautiful too.
keep em coming!
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3058
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2005-11-16 07:18 am Permalink
That is really cool! I say keep posting more.
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Jawa
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 09, 2005
Posts: 225
From: Tampa, FL
| Posted: 2005-11-16 07:35 am Permalink
Great detective work Pappy!!!
I second Martiki...post some more
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Hot Rod Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 163
From: Greater California
| Posted: 2005-11-16 08:54 am Permalink
1939 WoW, These guys were so ahead of the "pack" it makes you wonder how bad ass they would be today with all the resources available.
Great work Pappy!!
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Tipsy McStagger
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 21, 2004
Posts: 3513
From: HELL
| Posted: 2005-11-16 09:10 am Permalink
most places back in the day were content to have any mug with their name on it, not necessarily a custom signature mug...just cause the same looking mug had a different name on it doesn't mean each bar claimed the mug is theirs...for example, suppose tiki farm took one of the mugs they designed and copyrighted, sent out a letter to all tiki bars saying hey, we have this cool mug...if you want some, we can put your bars name on it and you can buy a bunch for your bar....next thing you know, several bars want the mug, they all get their own bars name on it and viola!!..this is exactly what happened years ago with otagiri, daga, orchids, dynasty, etc.....it was cheaper to do it that way, but tiki bars made big bucks back then and it was worth the publicity and the money to shell out to have a custom mug made. the above mentioned companys probably hold the copyrights for their line of mugs, and the individual bars with signature mugs probably hold the copyright for theirs though they may liscense the use of it to the company that produced it...much like tiki farm won't just produce a mug for an artist for that artist to sell on his own as he/she sees fit, without also including a clause in which they can also sell said mug...they are not fools, and know that there is money to made from artists designs....
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Tangaroa
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 25, 2002
Posts: 1558 | Posted: 2005-11-16 09:22 am Permalink
Nice job Pappy! The online Patent database is amazing - but very difficult to search... It really does take unlimited time to find what you are looking for. I've found some really neat dark ride & amusement park vehicle designs from the turn of the century - but only by shear luck...
_________________
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Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3288
From: Victoria, BC
| Posted: 2005-11-16 10:10 am Permalink
Thanks very much for posting this, very, very cool!
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1564
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-11-16 2:02 pm Permalink
Glad you guys are receptive.
Here's what good ol' Trader Vic had to say about his mug:
"To whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, Victor J. Bergeron, a citizen of the United States and a resident of the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, state of California, have invented a new, original, and ornamental Design for a Mug, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part thereof.
Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the mug showing my design.
Figure 2 is a side elevational view.
Figure 3 is a top plan view.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of figure 1.
I claim:
The ornamental design for a mug substantially as shown.
VICTOR J. BERGERON"
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1564
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-11-16 2:08 pm Permalink
Here's two views of Vic's Vicious Virgin mug.
ONE
TWO
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Dr. Shocker
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 17, 2004
Posts: 370
From: Ventura
| Posted: 2005-11-16 2:16 pm Permalink
These Rock.....
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1564
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-11-16 6:20 pm Permalink
Here's the "martiki" glass on page 95 of the BOT.
See it!
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tiki junkman
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 148
From: Kava Lava Lounge, Aurora, IL
| Posted: 2005-11-16 8:17 pm Permalink
Such an interesting topic. Keep em coming!
tj
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Nightmaretony
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Oct 02, 2005
Posts: 39
From: Meadowbrook, CA
| Posted: 2005-11-16 8:32 pm Permalink
Tangaroa: VERY kewl, got a bunch as well for amusement park rides. Found a book listing a ton of ride patents, will have to key them in someday. Are you an ACE member, by any chance?
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1564
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-11-17 08:29 am Permalink
Holy Smokes! It really is the Mai Kai's decanter.
See it!
Not a tiki mug--more like a lotion bottle.
See it!
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