V80s Are In Canada

[DSMITH]

11 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Where are the lawsuits against Garrett and XP for infringement of the '839 patent owned by Minelab? Both of those companies have SMF detectors that are sold in the USA and American Detector distributes those detectors and their parts.

Minelab/Codan has made millions of dollars on the sale of their Equinox 600/800 detectors and rightfully so since they are outstanding metal detectors.

However, the Legend with version 1.09 or 1.11 software is simply better than the Equinox 600/800 from my experience with all three at least where I hunt and how I use them and for the simple reason that the Legend has proven to actually be waterproof down to 16 feet.

Reading that lawsuit makes me want to sell all of my Minelab gear.

I go to Canada a lot. I will get a Quest V80 eventually just to symbolically raise a middle finger at Minelab.

Agree with you, I will end up getting one eventually, as Ridge Runner stated where there is a will there is a way

[midalake]

On 8/14/2023 at 8:44 PM, DSMITH said:

Agree with you, I will end up getting one eventually, as Ridge Runner stated where there is a will there is a way

I am in Canada next week. Find a dealer between the border of Michigan and Trenton Ont. and I will pick you one up! 

[Geotech]

'839 is narrowly defined to cover sine-weighted demod clocks. You can avoid the patent by using square-wave demod clocks, which is likely what Garrett & XP did.

I live 20 miles from Canada, unfortunately no detector dealers in Grand Forks. I had planned a drive up to Jasper in a couple of weeks but the Kelowna wildfire has caused travel restrictions.

Quote

I really don't know who to side with on this stuff, Patents are there to protect their R&D and income stream from the invention...

The use of sine-weighted demodulation dates back at least 100 years in tube radios, and at least the 1980s in software radio architectures. '839 is one of those patents that should never have been issued, as it's a commonly-known technique simply applied to a metal detector, which is otherwise just like any other quadrature demodulation application (like your cell phone). There was no actual invention here.

[Ridge Runner]

Midalake  

 To not cause a dealer in Canada trouble I myself wouldn’t say even the location I made a buy . 
 What I see the Q80 has to have offer I would have a hard time to step down to something less. My problem right now is I don’t know not one person in Canada. 
 I’ve said will and way but you have to know I have no pride to complete whatever it takes to accomplish the end results. My problem right now I’m not sure what that is.haha  

 I wish the best to the one that can get their hands on the Q80.

 Chuck 

[Geotech]

Keep in mind that if you buy a Q80 in Canada and then take it into the US you will be personally infringing the ML patent and legally exposed. I can't imagine that ML would go after an individual but you never know. Loose lips enable lawyers to buy expensive ships.

[midalake]

15 hours ago, Geotech said:

Keep in mind that if you buy a Q80 in Canada and then take it into the US you will be personally infringing the ML patent and legally exposed. I can't imagine that ML would go after an individual but you never know. Loose lips enable lawyers to buy expensive ships.

Hogwash. Unless there is a document you sign off on or a user warning stamped all over that detector. 

[Geotech]

1 hour ago, midalake said:

Hogwash. Unless there is a document you sign off on or a user warning stamped all over that detector. 

Sorry, ignorance of the law isn't much of a defense. Plus, it's documented that everyone here knows of the patent issue. I don't think ML would ever come after an individual who brings a Q80 into the US, but if they did, the first thing they would do is issue a letter of infringement and demand surrender of the unit. That would probably be the end of it, unless the infringer would rather dance with ML than kiss $700 goodbye.

P.S. -- Discussion of intentional infringement, such as encouraging someone to go to Canada and buy a Q80 to bring back, can be considered "inducement to infringe," also illegal. All I'm sayin' is, "Be careful what you say in public."

[Ridge Runner]

Geotech  

 On what you said that is the reason why I said I wouldn’t let anyone where it came from so not to do harm to the dealer . Another thing I myself may let some know on here my opinion of it bye PM but not talk about it openly.

 You could be right about someone taking it away from whoever but I can assure you that after they won’t know if they got it by looking at it .

 I don’t believe you will be able to return it if you have trouble .That could be a real problem are a quick loss to someone.

 Chuck 

[Geotech]

2 hours ago, Ridge Runner said:

I don’t believe you will be able to return it if you have trouble .That could be a real problem are a quick loss to someone.

On the bright side, the patent expires Nov 3, 2024.

[Steve Herschbach]

I've been involved in "gray market" issues and Geotech is completely right in this. However, it is pretty unheard of for a manufacturer to go after a end user in cases like this, so the risk is minimal. But it's not zero. Anyway, before people start proclaiming things as untrue, it would be best to get educated on the subject first.

In this case however there is no evidence at all of a patent violation so I don’t think it’s the same thing as of yet. Nobody is buying or promoting that anyone buy an item that has been proven to violate any patents at all. There has not even been an accusation made by Minelab that it might be the case. Just lots of assumptions and insinuations being made here with no evidence at all.