Hello Beekeeper Friends

Today we received in the mail a letter that other beekeepers in our area are talking about.

Apparently, a local (I am so sad to say) beekeeper has 'patented' the screened bottom board.  This guy was going on and on about the board a couple years ago, and my Dave bought one from him mostly to shut him up.  It is still in the bee shed, never been used.  Well, this beekeeper tells us in this letter that only the patent holder can profit from the screened bottom board design.

At a meeting months ago one of the other beekeepers made a joke that he would just make some and not tell the patent owner.  Well that guy got a letter from the patent owner's attorney telling him that he had better not copy the board design, or he would be in deep legal doo-dah.

Others, who are closer to this beekeeper, have told of stories of suing all the bee supply companies for a share of their screened bottom board sales.  Most of us have really been hoping that this was a joke.  Not.  Apparently the patent was granted on 10/22/02.

Never ceases to amaze me the volume of odd people we meet in this beekeeping business.

Judy
(Embarrassed to be from Kentucky, USA)
(Many Ohio beekeepers will also know this gentleman.)