[Peter Matteson]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

this sounds very fishy! how can you possibly get a patent on a system that someone else has designed and produces? If they are selling it, and they did not patent it, then it is public domain.

If I buy something I am free to use it for any purpose I want. Nobody can tell me I can not use a screwdriver to open paint cans, because they patented opening paint cans with screwdrivers, and I have to buy my screwdrivers from them if I ever intend to open a paint can with it.

That is nonsense!

thats not how patents work. You patent the design, the system... not all possible uses it may be put to.

It sounds like some patent lawyer has taken your company for a ride!

We patented a non-obvious use of a chemical product that the company who created it did not know exists. Using a chemcal in a process is a patentable subject and therefore we have blocked anyone else from using it for our application. The inventor of the chemical product still has all the rights to use it traditional methods. We have no right to make or manufacture the product. We can hawever purchase and use the product in our way and prevent anyone else from doing so. This is a perfectly legal and common type of patent similar to the improvement patent where you improve on an existing patent and the original patent holder if it is not you can not use your improvement.