is there a patent on the geoboard?  The geoboard is a board with a
series of pegs that is used to streach rubber bands across to create
unique designs.  Are there any known marketing restrictions?

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Clarification of Question by narley-ga on 23 Jan 2005 15:48 PST

To Clarify,  I would like to begin making and selling the "geoboard"
under my own name.  I will begin to sell at craft fairs and festivals,
but want to make sure that there are not any patents, etc before I
begin.

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 25 Jan 2005 01:20 PST

Hello narley-ga, 

://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=geoboard
http://images.google.com/images?q=geoboard%20&num=100&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=wi

My guess is that the concept of the geoboard cannot be patented but
you can probably get patent/trademark/copyright protection for your
version of the geoboard if there is something new and unique about it.
Searching Google and Google Images turns up dozens of versions of this
math teaching tool. I've also found one vendor who claims a "unique
patented linking system" for their geoboards.

Please let me know if this is sufficient information to answer your question.

~ czh ~

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Geoboard.html
Geoboard
A board covered by a lattice of pegs around which one can span rubber
bands to form segments and polygons. It was invented by the English
mathematician and pedagogist Caleb Gattegno (1911-1988) as a
manipulative tool for teaching elementary geometry in schools.

The applications range from the comparison of shapes to the arithmetic
computation of areas (e.g., Pick's theorem), and the study of
transformations in the plane.

http://www.curriculum.org/occ/resources/R6534.shtml
Geoboard, 5 x 5 pin
Exclusive Educational Products

'Geoboard' sounds like a Trade Name.

Something else to consider.

you can do the search yourself at:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=rubber+bands&FIELD1=&co1=AND&TERM2=designs&FIELD2=&d=ptxt

note that I used the search terms of "rubber band" and design

I'd suggest being thorough and use variations of these words and other
descriptive  words while searching...

Tradename of any type expired:



Word Mark GEOBOARD 
Goods and Services (CANCELLED) IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S:
computer graphics input device, namely digitizer board and mouse sold
as a unit. FIRST USE: 19940701. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19941101
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING 
Serial Number 74568254 
Filing Date August 31, 1994 
Current Filing Basis 1A 
Original Filing Basis 1B 
Published for Opposition July 25, 1995 
Registration Number 2049492 
Registration Date April 1, 1997 
Owner (REGISTRANT) ARISTO GRAPHIC SYSTEME GmbH & CO. KG KG FED REP
GERMANY Schnackenburgallee 117 D-22525 Hamburg FED REP GERMANY
Attorney of Record Warren E. Olsen 
Type of Mark TRADEMARK 
Register PRINCIPAL 
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD 
Cancellation Date January 3, 2004