Heated Windscreen - UK Models?

[andylel]

As I understand it the windscreen heating function patent is owned by a single entity in the UK (Ford?) and unless a particular manufacturer is affiliated with or owned by Ford or has licensed the technology then they are unable to fit it to their vehicles for the UK market. As I say, this is my understanding rather than a statement of fact but it does explain the market difference.

:lol:

AFAIK you can't patent a "function" only the means to achieve it - otherwise somebody would have patented baby manufacture a long time ago :lol: In fact, I seem to remember somebody tried to have a master patent such as this for the ICE in the early days of motoring but got stepped on in the courts.

So the word 'function' was not well chosen but I was trying to help the o.p. understand why heated screens are not available on UK models. Hopefully with a little 'googling' anyone reading this may be able to establish the link between patent, licensing and market availability for the technology / function / method / whatever they want to call it.

 

[greendwarf]

As I understand it the windscreen heating function patent is owned by a single entity in the UK (Ford?) and unless a particular manufacturer is affiliated with or owned by Ford or has licensed the technology then they are unable to fit it to their vehicles for the UK market. As I say, this is my understanding rather than a statement of fact but it does explain the market difference.

:lol:

AFAIK you can't patent a "function" only the means to achieve it - otherwise somebody would have patented baby manufacture a long time ago :lol: In fact, I seem to remember somebody tried to have a master patent such as this for the ICE in the early days of motoring but got stepped on in the courts.

So the word 'function' was not well chosen but I was trying to help the o.p. understand why heated screens are not available on UK models. Hopefully with a little 'googling' anyone reading this may be able to establish the link between patent, licensing and market availability for the technology / function / method / whatever they want to call it.

And my point was that Ford (or whoever) can't prevent another manufacturer designing & developing their own heated windscreen. So the answer is either the cost of doing so is prohibitive and the patent holder charges too high a licence to make it worthwhile OR, more likely, there is no perceived demand in the UK - I'm not saying they're right about this merely that their market research doesn't throw it up as a "must have" for UK buyers.