Hypothetically speaking..........

[excelscior]

Here's the story....My buddy goes back about 50 years. Taking with him a DVD player and the original blue prints on how it was built. Now he tries to get a patent on it. He tells them that his dead uncle built it in his garage. Here's why this story came here and what caused a disagreement between a co-worker of mine. The other guy says it will be easy to get a patent and then from there he will be able to get a corporation to buy his idea with no problem. I disagree with him. I tell him that somewhere along the way. Either from the patent office or an established corporation. He will be asked to validate his claim that his dead uncle created the DVD player. Either with proof or witnesses. His blue prints will have a date on it. But it will be marked with a current manufacturing date. So as not to suggest it's from the past. I tell him that if a company will invest in any invention they must protect their own interest. His DVD could of been stolen from someone else for all they know. He would need to show proof that his story checks out. He's insistant that he would have no such trouble or questions asked of him. When money is involved, companies want to cover themselves legally I tell him. What do you people think? What are the possible outcomes here? Remember he is going back in time to a place that does not know him. He's only 35 now in real time and he's going back 50 years. We'll assume he will not age either way. I say he will need to prove his address, occupation, or his uncle's address and this ficticious garage etc. And also where did the uncle get the money to build such elaborate machine with lazer technology. Needless to say the uncle's education. Will assume the uncle was a car mechanic. I know this story sounds wierd, but we always discuss this kind of stuff at work when it gets boring. :r Thanks....Laterz.:t

[sm8000]

He would be better safe than sorry if he covered all the bases. I don't see the point in going back 50 years when television was just entering the home, did not get out of black and white for a good while, and the idea of portable movies is also fairly recent. If he goes back 20 years he wouldn't be so far out of time. And to hell with the dead uncle story, he should be able to have enough tech knowledge to explain the inner workings and claim the invention as his own.

[AllGamer]

it'll not be possible cuz time travel is not possible, and even if it's possible, he'll have not been born, and if he's not born then nothing can be done

end of story :D

:t

[2penguins]

You would have a hell of a time finding all the ICs and other parts you would need to build one....

The first silicon chip wasn't made until 1968.


To reproduce something back then that would even come close to working would have been the size of a house....the White House...:p

[RampageIII]

It's like the Star Trek movie where Scotty has to produce some sort of alloy that wouldn't be invented for like 300 years(forget which one). If the military got wind of it you'd probably be jailed for espionage!:p

[excelscior]

It was transparent aluminum. The guy and the company Scotty and Mccoy beamed down to made a fortune. They were looking to make a huge wall to encase the wales on the romulan bird of prey. But seriously people, what my buddy and I were focusing on was either he would get a patent or not. With only the DVD device/blueprints in hand and his story of his dead uncle creating it in his garage. We are not talking about circuitry or lazers or color T.V.'s not available then . We are aware of that. Legal issues is more of what our dissagreement was based on.:rolleyes:

[Billforce]

If time travel were possible you would only have to go back ONE day to be wealthy, not go thru the scenario of invention, patents etc. Just get a copy of the L.A. Times, go to the sports page and get a rundown of all of the winners at Santa Anita...and you could retire...run a 7 horse parlay and you would have more money than God!.

[RampageIII]

Guys like Galileo, Socrates, Morse, and Bell would probably have creative rights to it anyway. There hasn't been anything new under the Sun since the invention of the wheel, just updated versions.:)

[2penguins]

Yep, I agree with Bill....one tri-fecta and it's off to the Ferrari dealer...:)