Gregory L. Mayback, a patent attorney and shareholder in the firm Lerner & Greenberg, P.A., has successfully obtained a patent from the United States Patent Office for an adapter that will allow fly fishing rods to be secured to standard rod holders on boats (U.S. Patent 6,626,409).
Standard rod holders aboard fishing boats cannot accept fly fishing rods because the short distance between the reel and the butt of the rod prevents the rod from entering far enough into the holder, Mayback said.
David Thompson, whose company, Signature Marine, manufactures acrylic boat parts in Hollywood, Fla., designed the adapter as a favor to a friend, he said. My friend had a shop in Stuart where he manufactured and sold fly fishing rods. He guaranteed the rods and was tired of filling warranty claims because the rods were stepped on or flew off the deck when the boat hit a wave, because they could not fit into conventional holders, Thompson said.
It took Thompson about three months to design the patented adapter, which is three pieces of pipe glued together. The adapter is flexible enough so that, when the rod is slipped in the adapter, the groove allows the butt of the rod to enter sufficiently far therein to eliminate unintentional removal. Further, an L-slot in the adapted can be used to lock the rod in place.
The adapter, which retails for $29.95, can prevent the loss of a fly fishing rod, which can cost as much as $3,000, Thompson said. The adapter is featured in major catalogues, including Bass Outdoors, and Thompson also supplies the adapter to fishing and outdoor sports shops. He anticipates the market to be in excess of $500,000, especially because fly-fishing is gaining in popularity in Florida.
The patent application was filed on January 7, 1999, and issued in September, 2003. This is a very strong and broad patent that would protect Mr. Thompson against any potential competitor, Mayback said.
Lerner & Greenberg, P.A. advises clients in key issues of intellectual property law, such as patents, trademarks, unfair competition, licensing, trade secrets, international patents and dispute resolution, as well as issues concerning the Internet and domain names. Lerner & Greenberg, ranked among the top 25 patent firms in the country by Intellectual Property Today magazine, is based in Hollywood, Fla. You can learn more about the firm at www.patentusa.com.
