Dominic is the CEO of Lawpath, dedicating his days to making legal easier, faster and more accessible to businesses. Dominic is a recognised thought-leader in Australian legal disruption, and was recognised as a winner of the Australian Legal Innovation Index and recently a winner of the LexisNexis 40 Under 40 (APAC).
Self-driving cars is the most-hyped technology in 2015, along with the Internet of Things. From automobile makers like Mercedes and Tesla, to Silicon Valley giants like Google and Apple, there is no shortage of companies seeking to break that frontier.
On 21 August 2015, the US Trademark and Patent office approved an exciting patent by Ford, taking the next step in the driving experience (or rather, the passenger experience).
Take a look at one of Ford’s patent application diagrams:
Yes, you got that right!
Ford has gained a US patent for ‘swivel’ chairs in the car cabin.
Rather than staring at the road while your car drives you, you’d be able to swivel around to play with your kids, chat with your mates, or even share a drink while discussing how your car may possibly be a Transformer (Autobot, hopefully).
If you have a great idea, now may be the best time to consider patenting it.
To learn more about patents, see our “What is a patent?” and “Patent Application Process” articles.
Feel free to contact a LawPath Consultant at anytime to learn more about how you can protect your ideas on 1800 LAWPATH.
Let us know what you think about Ford’s patent or the Transformers by tagging us with #lawpath or @lawpath.
