CRITICS of the patent system argue that it encourages inventors to make simple ideas look complicated by dressing them up in long-winded language. Sandra Wyzykowski, of Pocono Summit in the US, excels in this respect.
She has filed a patent application in 90 countries on a 鈥減ersonal carrier for partially consumed confections鈥� (WO 95/31916). The technical description of her lollipop carrier runs to 19 pages, with extra drawings and legal claims.
The patent helpfully defines a lollipop as a 鈥渉ard sucking candy adapted for partial or total placement in the mouth for progressive dissolution鈥�. The document then explains how children take a suck and put it down so often that 鈥渢he total time taken to consume a lollipop may frequently approach infinity鈥�.
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The 鈥渢ransportable retaining means for used lollipops鈥� is shaped like a miniature violin case. Two matching halves snap together to seal a lollipop inside. It has a cord at one end for hanging round the neck. If people will only use these devices, half-sucked lollipops will no longer 鈥渕ysteriously show up on chairs,鈥� says Wyzykowski.