regarding patents and their value...
Thanks, Joan. Rick Kaiser called me this morning. I had left him a message last night, but he called after talking with you.
Rick's impression was that the patents protected AIRP from competetion, but then he detailed what I believe are their true protections. They have a good lead on the manufacturing technology necessary to make the AirBox packaging.
Remember that a patent is an *offensive* weapon, not defensive. A patent does not keep anyone from infringing on your rights. You must enforce the patent yourself by sueing infringers. I did not ask Rick if they were prepared to take on copycats.
I believe their market position is protected better by the difficulties of manufacturing the product. They have bonded a polyethylene (PE) liner to a nylon outer layer. That thermobonding step requires everything to be just right. They have also incrementally improved their valves over the last decade. They feel it would be difficult to copy without substantial experience.
My concerns still stand, though. I believe that a strong competitor such as 3M could develop a competitive product and flood the market in a short time. AIRP's protection from this type onslaught is that they are seeking a niche market. Once they grow outside that niche's boundaries, though, I expect they will face competition. For now, their niche in high-value, reusable, shock-resistant shipping containers for semiconductors looks good to me, but I'd be surprised to see them grow into a shipping container giant.
-bob mackey
bmackey@ucsd.edu |
