Comments on: Patent Troll Tactics Target Infrared Camera Use of Home Inspectors

By: Kurt Shafer

Kurt Shafer — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 07:34:01 +0000

The latest info I get from
The latest info I get from ASHI and NACHI is that NACHI has a license to protect their members. In a related conversation I was told that NACHI bought the patents. That is not confirmed. If you have any way to confirm the facts, please write.

By: Kurt Shafer

Kurt Shafer — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 01:10:31 +0000

Just spoke with a salesman
Just spoke with a salesman with an environmental testing company who met the President of Homesafe Inspections and later talked with a patent attorney he knows. I am told that these patents are, indeed, real and could be of great concern. The salesman I spoke to is going to buy Legal Shield legal protection from me.

By: Kurt Shafer

Kurt Shafer — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 20:23:29 +0000

For the record, I am not a
For the record, I am not a patent expert, even though I have some patents. I am concerned when people like Mr. Crowley say "their invention is new, useful, and non obvious". I see their invention as old, useless and obvious. I would hope that all posters would please tell us your qualifications. I have none except that I own a FLIR and have concerns.

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 18:47:27 +0000

Robert C.:
Robert C.: I also read their patents closely and believe you're the one being naive. Maybe you should read what I wrote above more carefully. If that's not enough, go read the long discussion of this topic that happened in the LinkedIn RESNET BPI group around the same time I wrote this article.

By: Robert J Crowley

Robert J Crowley — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 21:36:09 +0000

I've now read one of their
I've now read one of their patents closely and don't see a problem with their enforcement of their invention, which is new, useful, and non obvious. Articles such as this are naive because they don't tell enough about the breadth of claims in the patent, which the inventors are restricted to in their enforcement. They never claim to have invented the assessment of buildings, homes etc. with IR, only the very narrow, and specific method they teach. That method does have some value. If someone can show they were practicing it prior to the patent filing date or date of inception, they have little to fear.

By: Kurt Shafer

Kurt Shafer — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 10:19:46 +0000

I have the solution for all
I have the solution for all of us infrared camera inspectors – I am a sales rep for Legal Shield – call me. You get $500 an hour lawyers for $39 a month flat rate. I know. I have saved 1000s already. use my email kurt at ifimissitifixit dot com.

By: Colin Genge

Colin Genge — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 08:09:45 +0000

Searching HomeSafe in MS
Searching HomeSafe in MS doesn't indicate they have an active business. I am outraged at their affront to the livelihood of hard working auditors. Even though I don't have bags of money, I would help fund a challenge to their patent. You are right that this type of activity must be discouraged.

By: Scott Warga

Scott Warga — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 05:41:20 +0000

I am on the ASHI task force
I am on the ASHI task force that is looking at this issue. I can assure you we are talking to the manufactures as well as the schools, we are also going to be contacting several others including RESNET and BPI.
WE are putting together a coalition to determine the best way to resolve this issue. We are also working with our lobbyist.

This could cost a great sum of money and I'm sure the manufactures will be donating large sums, we will also allow individuals to make donations.
If we could get every person that uses IR to donate $1-200 then we would have a pretty good war chest.

After the battle is over and the smoke has cleared, any money left would be donated to charity so no one thinks any of the parties are making a profit off of this.

ASHI tried to address this in 2011 but it stalled as the plaintiff had not filed a suit so the manufactures decided to wait. That has now changed so we are working on it again.

Stay tuned, we will try to keep you informed.

Scott Warga
ASHI Vice President 2013

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 20:56:34 +0000

greg l.:
greg l.: Good point. There may be a glimmer of hope in this case, though, because I don't think the patent trolls have the same kind of pull in Congress that Wall Street has.

Don B.: Violence is not a solution to the problem.

By: Don Bosworth

Don Bosworth — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 05:26:02 +0000

As an AEE member and a Level
As an AEE member and a Level 2 Certified Thermographer, the only advice I can offer isn’t going to sound very professional…. HomeSafe is a “bully” – they are using the legal system to shake-down small businesses! Bullies are lazy and don’t like pain. Pain comes in many flavors, but for the sake of brevity, let’s discuss financial & physical remedies. The big companies can band together and develop a legal defense fund to take on both the perpetrators and the Patent Office: full frontal assault! The only winners are the “whores” who are called in to clean-up after the last group of “whores”. 7 digit$ later, you MAY have positive results. Another avenue is a good old-fashioned beat-down! We are not talking murder, just using the Human body’s ability to use pain receptors to deliver a message directly to the area of the brain responsible for long-term memory. The caliber of this audience should be able to fill in the blanks.