: If this is true, how do you explain the fact that all car manufacturers use
: essentially the same systems on their cars and yet they are never in court
: over patent infringements?

: It is not in a companies financial interest to pay outrageous sums of money
: for the rights to a patent and then not develop it. They can only stay
: solvent if they make money off of these ventures.

: I too have heard of G.M. stealing/buying/etc. various ideas and then sitting
: on them. The most notable would be the 200 mpg carburetor. Now if you
: think about the logic behind a 200 mpg carburetor you will see that an
: engine decides how much fuel it will need to go 200 miles not the
: carburetor. A engine of given displacement will require so much energy to
: go this distance depending on the size and design of the car it is
: propelling. There is only so much energy in a gallon of fuel!! Hell a 50cc
: motor scooter can only get about 100- 120 miles to the gallon how does one
: expect the V8 in the family sedan to achieve this while pushing a 4000
: pound car.

: Was it G.M. on the grassy knoll?? {:o)

Interesting theory!

: Ian

Hi Ian

I to heard of the Patent buy ups back in the 60's when a few interprising folks first invented the 4 valve per cylinder, two sparkplug per cylinder heads for a race car motor. It was in the hot-rod mags. and then disappeared for years until just in the past few years. They ran the motor and raved about what it could do, and the FEUL SAVINGS and HORSEPOWER INCREASE. It was then bought up by the oil companies ( reportedly ) and never heard of again. The articles were there in the mag. and the write ups were by a supposedly reputable firm, and then it just didn't exist any more. I saw the mag. and the heads that they built. Now, all of a sudden, there are all sorts of folks using the technology. ??? Interesting developement. It seems that everyone just started using the 4-valve, two plug setups at around the same time, and no mention about the fantastic NEW type setup. Be interesting to see just who patented them, and the design and when? Wonder why it took 30 years for something so inventive to actually hit the market. The only ones to have lost out by their invention would have been the oil companies, back when the Muscle cars were drinking feul at around 10 to 12 miles per gallon instead of 20 to 30.

Food for thought. I'm sure it happens more than folks think.

Rehd