Yes. Thanks, PhysDoc. Gunman, do you know when Greener first used an adaptation of the Needham ejector patent? If it was during the term of the patent, was Greener licensed by Needham or any successor owners of the patent? The laws and patent term were affected by international treaty and patent legislative changes on both sides of the Atlantic, but for rough estimation purposes I am figuring that Needham's patent term ran 20 years from the April 1, 1874 date of his English patent, meaning Needham no longer had patent protection in England or the U.S. after about April 1, 1894. Although he patented his ejector design in the U.S. in 1881, I am confident that he would not get 20 years of patent protection here in the U.S. from the 1881 date but that it would cut off or end 20 years from the original patent in England. So even though the U.S. patent term is 20 years, I believe that on both sides of the Atlantic his patent protection would end no later than 20 years after his 1874 English patent. If anyone has a more precise and educated understanding of the Needham patent term on both sides of the Atlantic, I would welcome the information. Thanks.
