1897
J. King Harness is Born
Jake Harness, as he is known to friends and family, is born in Corydon, Kentucky, on April 17, 1897.
100 Years of Innovation
Notable Patents and Trademarks
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U.S. Patent No. 1,867,358
Client: Chrysler
Year Obtained: 1932One of at least two patented technologies that the founder of Harness IP, Jake Harness, invented himself. He also prosecuted the patent and assigned it to Chrysler, where he served as in-house counsel at least one day per week for nearly forty years. He spent the rest of the week leading the team at Harness IP.
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U.S. Patent No. 2,546,038
Client: Monroe Auto Equipment Company
Year Obtained: 1951Harness IP obtained U.S. Patent No. 2,546,038 on behalf of client Monroe Auto Equipment Company and then successfully enforced it at trial. At the time of the decision, the ‘038 patent and another patent also obtained by Harness IP protected about 90% of the client’s shock absorber product line. Interestingly, the lawsuit was a frequent topic of law school debate over whether the acts of a repair shop or remanufacturer constitute permissible repair or impermissible reconstruction of a patented device.
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U.S. Trademark Reg. No. 599,684
Client: La-Z-Boy
Year Obtained: 1954The La-Z-Boy trademark protects a famous American brand with whom Harness IP is proud to have a long relationship dating back to the 1950s. Both La-Z-Boy and Harness IP were founded in Michigan in the first half of the twentieth century, and are still going strong today.
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U.S. Patent No. 4,609,334
Client: Copeland Corporation
Year Obtained: 1986The ‘334 patent, among other Copeland patents, relates to scroll compressor technology for use in industrial and commercial refrigeration. The move to scroll compressor technology marked a big leap forward as it was both more efficient and more reliable than other refrigeration technologies that existed at the time. Both Copeland Corporation and Harness IP were founded in Detroit around the same time, and Harness IP has represented Copeland nearly continuously since the 1920s, including in its current form as a division of Emerson.
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U.S. Patent Nos. 4,830,010; 5,256,684; and 5,601,848
Client: Dr. Barry Marshall
Year Obtained: 1989, 1993, and 1997, RespectivelyThis trio of patents protected the work of Dr. Barry Marshall and helped him win the 2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of the role of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. The firm was involved in two ways: Harness IP attorneys helped deliver a successful outcome over a patent dispute that arose, and the patents themselves were largely prepared and prosecuted by attorney David Suter, who was in-house counsel at Procter & Gamble at the time and is now a Principal of the firm.
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U.S. Trademark Reg. No. 1,816,946
Client: Joe Rocket
Year Obtained: 1994Harness IP obtained U.S. Trademark Registration for JOE ROCKET, which was owned by a popular manufacturer of motorcycle jackets and gear. When the attorneys learned their client’s trademark was being infringed, however, they sprang into action to enforce the client’s brand position. The resulting actions included working with Federal Marshalls to carry out a raid and successful seizure of counterfeit goods.
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U.S. Patent No. 5,395,194
Client: Thad Johnson
Year Obtained: 1995Up until the late 1990s, bolting an oil pan to the bottom of a car engine was done by hand on the auto assembly line. Lining up the oil pan, engine, and bolts, and then using the bolt driver required a considerable amount of coordination and time. Thad Johnson, a solo inventor, found a way to use grommets to align everything, allowing a robot to come in and drive in the bolts. The result was a faster and safer process for workers. The inventor eventually sold his patent to one of the Big Three auto companies and made enough profit that he was able to launch a new career as a serial-entrepreneur.
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U.S. Plant Patent 15,103
Client: Michigan State University
Year Obtained: 2004On behalf of Michigan State University, Harness IP obtained U.S. Plant Patent 15,103 for the blueberry plant known as “Draper.” MSU Professor James Hancock invented the new variety, which later became the basis for other new and improved varieties. According to Richard Chylla, the Executive Director of MSU Technologies, MSU earned more than $4.7 million in royalties from licensing the blueberries to growers worldwide. The small but mighty Draper led to a clear win-win: millions of dollars in additional revenue for MSU and farmers around the globe, and more delicious and healthy fruit for the rest of the world.
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U.S. Patent No. 8,080,304
Client: WP Innova
Year Obtained: 2011Harness IP obtained the ‘304 patent, which is based on a Canadian filing, and successfully enforced it at trial. The patent was found valid and willfully infringed in a jury trial, allowing the firm to also secure treble damages and a permanent injunction against the defendant.
U.S. Patent No. 1,867,358
Client: Chrysler
Year Obtained: 1932
One of at least two patented technologies that the founder of Harness IP, Jake Harness, invented himself. He also prosecuted the patent and assigned it to Chrysler, where he served as in-house counsel at least one day per week for nearly forty years. He spent the rest of the week leading the team at Harness IP.
U.S. Patent No. 2,546,038
Client: Monroe Auto Equipment Company
Year Obtained: 1951
Harness IP obtained U.S. Patent No. 2,546,038 on behalf of client Monroe Auto Equipment Company and then successfully enforced it at trial. At the time of the decision, the ‘038 patent and another patent also obtained by Harness IP protected about 90% of the client’s shock absorber product line. Interestingly, the lawsuit was a frequent topic of law school debate over whether the acts of a repair shop or remanufacturer constitute permissible repair or impermissible reconstruction of a patented device.
U.S. Trademark Reg. No. 599,684
Client: La-Z-Boy
Year Obtained: 1954
The La-Z-Boy trademark protects a famous American brand with whom Harness IP is proud to have a long relationship dating back to the 1950s. Both La-Z-Boy and Harness IP were founded in Michigan in the first half of the twentieth century, and are still going strong today.
U.S. Patent No. 4,609,334
Client: Copeland Corporation
Year Obtained: 1986
The ‘334 patent, among other Copeland patents, relates to scroll compressor technology for use in industrial and commercial refrigeration. The move to scroll compressor technology marked a big leap forward as it was both more efficient and more reliable than other refrigeration technologies that existed at the time. Both Copeland Corporation and Harness IP were founded in Detroit around the same time, and Harness IP has represented Copeland nearly continuously since the 1920s, including in its current form as a division of Emerson.
U.S. Patent Nos. 4,830,010; 5,256,684; and 5,601,848
Client: Dr. Barry Marshall
Year Obtained: 1989, 1993, and 1997, Respectively
This trio of patents protected the work of Dr. Barry Marshall and helped him win the 2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of the role of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. The firm was involved in two ways: Harness IP attorneys helped deliver a successful outcome over a patent dispute that arose, and the patents themselves were largely prepared and prosecuted by attorney David Suter, who was in-house counsel at Procter & Gamble at the time and is now a Principal of the firm.
U.S. Trademark Reg. No. 1,816,946
Client: Joe Rocket
Year Obtained: 1994
Harness IP obtained U.S. Trademark Registration for JOE ROCKET, which was owned by a popular manufacturer of motorcycle jackets and gear. When the attorneys learned their client’s trademark was being infringed, however, they sprang into action to enforce the client’s brand position. The resulting actions included working with Federal Marshalls to carry out a raid and successful seizure of counterfeit goods.
U.S. Patent No. 5,395,194
Client: Thad Johnson
Year Obtained: 1995
Up until the late 1990s, bolting an oil pan to the bottom of a car engine was done by hand on the auto assembly line. Lining up the oil pan, engine, and bolts, and then using the bolt driver required a considerable amount of coordination and time. Thad Johnson, a solo inventor, found a way to use grommets to align everything, allowing a robot to come in and drive in the bolts. The result was a faster and safer process for workers. The inventor eventually sold his patent to one of the Big Three auto companies and made enough profit that he was able to launch a new career as a serial-entrepreneur.
U.S. Plant Patent 15,103
Client: Michigan State University
Year Obtained: 2004
On behalf of Michigan State University, Harness IP obtained U.S. Plant Patent 15,103 for the blueberry plant known as “Draper.” MSU Professor James Hancock invented the new variety, which later became the basis for other new and improved varieties. According to Richard Chylla, the Executive Director of MSU Technologies, MSU earned more than $4.7 million in royalties from licensing the blueberries to growers worldwide. The small but mighty Draper led to a clear win-win: millions of dollars in additional revenue for MSU and farmers around the globe, and more delicious and healthy fruit for the rest of the world.
U.S. Patent No. 8,080,304
Client: WP Innova
Year Obtained: 2011
Harness IP obtained the ‘304 patent, which is based on a Canadian filing, and successfully enforced it at trial. The patent was found valid and willfully infringed in a jury trial, allowing the firm to also secure treble damages and a permanent injunction against the defendant.
Client Stories
Serving Growth Companies
For the rapidly growing company Algae to Omega, we are happy to serve as their outside patent counsel and guide them through the process for protecting their technology for large scale, sustainable, and eco-friendly algae production.
A Colorful Success
While watching his daughters make friendship bracelets one day, a Michigan engineer named Cheong Choon Ng was inspired to invent the Rainbow Loom, a toy that lets children turn rubber bands into creative and colorful bracelets. Mr. Ng and his family soon built their new company into one of the most popular brands in the country. The Rainbow Loom was named the #1 toy in America in 2015 and hand-made Rainbow Loom bracelets were proudly worn by Michelle Obama.
Consumer Products Launched Safely and Smartly
When entrepreneur and serial inventor Joe McDonnell had an idea for a new household consumer product, he turned to his long-time patent attorney, Harness IP Principal Gary Yacura, for counsel on the necessary due diligence and freedom-to-practice studies. Gary’s analysis helped guide the new product’s development by navigating around competitor patents.
