Snake Oil and Patents

["Osterbrink, Mark (AFS-Warren)" <Osterbrink@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've noticed that many of the "snake oil" products have patents, and some
people think that lends them credibility.  It does not.  A patent IS NOT A
GUARANTEE FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT A PRODUCT WORKS AS CLAIMED.  It simply
means that no one else has applied for a patent on that particular
invention.  As far as I know, the patent examiners, while certainly
intelligent, are not super geniuses who can look at any invention and
instantly analyze whether or not it is based on sound scientific principles,
violates any of the laws of thermodynamics, etc.  What they do is compare it
to any similar existing patents, and if the new invention isn't covered by
any of them, it gets a patent.  So beware of products with outrageous claims
and nothing to back them up except anecdotal testimonials and patents.

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