It also renders many of them NON patentable as they are not
different enough as to be a unique idea.
In fact, it means that nearly any version of that particular
product, even a directly copied one, is not any infringement.
There are many circuits in electronics which were designed by one,
yet reside in the public domain. Same thing for some mechanical
devices.
You want a patent? Do not attempt to patent the entire product.
Find some small feature that you have incorporated into it, and patent
only that. THEN a direct copy by an unsuspecting plagiarizer is
prosecutable as patent infringement.
I wouldn't do it just so I could catch the unsuspecting. That would
cost me more money to defend as opposed to discouraging
infringement by clearly stating somewhere obvious that certain
parts are patented. I've seen it in product lit. "Patented Howling
Hyena (TM) Polysyllabic Woofer Wafer System" or whatever. That was
a hypothetical example.
My favorite - I think it was patented separately. If not, it was
still funny. It had me ROFLMAO at work when the project mgr read
it. We hacked a RS freq counter for an indicator on a prototype
demo.
"Anti-oscillation detection routine." IOW, if the thing doesn't get
the same count so many times out of so many attempts, the count is
discarded as erroneous.
I've seen *multiple* patents on products, too. That'll keep someone
from just changing one subcircuit and patenting a whole new
product. Patent every little thing you can for one product.