DW-Link Patent Protection Just Ended. Here’s What Might Happen Next
Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast
Singletracks.com
4.7 • 574 Ratings
🗓️ 17 October 2023
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The patent for the acclaimed DW-Link suspension design recently expired, and we wanted to know: What does its expiration mean for the mountain bike industry?
Matt and Jeff interviewed several industry experts, including those involved in licensing the DW-Link patent, to make sense of it all. Originally published online as an article, this audio version includes snippets from select conversations that were featured as quotes in the written version.
Words by Jeff Barber and Matt Miller. Photo by Matt Miller.
--Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Olivia Culpo here to tell you all about the launch of the new Abercrombie spring denim collection, |
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| 0:17.5 | Shop in the app, online, and in stores. |
| 0:29.2 | Hey, everybody. |
| 0:31.1 | Welcome to the single tracks podcast. |
| 0:34.1 | My name is Jeff. And today we're going to be sharing an audio version of an article that we published recently about the DWLink suspension design. |
| 0:43.0 | This is an article that Matt and I collaborated on, and we interviewed a number of people in the industry, including the patent holder for DWLink, Dave Weigel. |
| 0:54.0 | We hope you enjoy it. |
| 0:56.0 | On September 23, 2023, U.S. patent number 7128329 expired. |
| 1:03.6 | While few outside of the mountain bike design world know this patent by number, |
| 1:08.0 | consumers are likely familiar with its street name, DW Link. |
| 1:12.2 | Designer and engineer Dave Weigle patented the highly regarded suspension design in 2003, |
| 1:18.8 | and this year marks its 20th anniversary. |
| 1:21.9 | It also marks the end of U.S. patent protection for DW Link. |
| 1:26.3 | Few mountain bike suspension designs have been referenced more than number 7128329, with |
| 1:32.5 | dozens of subsequent patents from brands including Yeti, Santa Cruz, and Nollie seeking to |
| 1:38.4 | improve and build upon, or at least differentiate themselves from patent number 7128329. |
| 1:45.8 | While a total of five brands licensed DWLink back when it was new, |
| 1:50.1 | two are still using the design today and with no shortage of success. |
| 1:54.8 | Ibis and Pivot cycles have both taken DWLink to new heights |
| 1:58.3 | and use the linkage to build global brands. |
... |
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