Atlas Brace Technologies

Ride Smooth
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Ride Smooth 2/2/2012 5:32pm
2/2/2012 5:32pm
I may be wrong but I believe I just read something about this brace yesterday and how they were now being sued by Leatt. Can anybody confirm? I will see if I can find a link to the story
bish153
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bish153 2/2/2012 6:06pm
2/2/2012 6:06pm
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the sport, or at least the idea of making the sport safer. However what are they more conerned with money or rider safety. You would think that anyone who truly cared for the riders of our sport would welcome any idea or device that may save a life. Instead they want to sue every other company that tries to produce a neck safety device, just seems a little greedy.
haydos25
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haydos25 2/2/2012 6:16pm
2/2/2012 6:16pm
bish153 wrote:
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the...
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the sport, or at least the idea of making the sport safer. However what are they more conerned with money or rider safety. You would think that anyone who truly cared for the riders of our sport would welcome any idea or device that may save a life. Instead they want to sue every other company that tries to produce a neck safety device, just seems a little greedy.
Or they were the first company to do it, and thus all the original development costs and any research that was done fell on them. Then other companies come in and use alot of there design ideas with none of the original development costs and undercut them.

They have every right to be pissed and demand compensation from the other companies if it can be proven that there product was copied in any way. By all means copy my design, just dont think you can do it for free.

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Crush
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Crush 2/2/2012 6:21pm
2/2/2012 6:21pm
I already like the fact that there is a larger area for the force to distribute down and around the back...
bish153
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bish153 2/2/2012 6:33pm
2/2/2012 6:33pm
bish153 wrote:
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the...
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the sport, or at least the idea of making the sport safer. However what are they more conerned with money or rider safety. You would think that anyone who truly cared for the riders of our sport would welcome any idea or device that may save a life. Instead they want to sue every other company that tries to produce a neck safety device, just seems a little greedy.
haydos25 wrote:
Or they were the first company to do it, and thus all the original development costs and any research that was done fell on them. Then...
Or they were the first company to do it, and thus all the original development costs and any research that was done fell on them. Then other companies come in and use alot of there design ideas with none of the original development costs and undercut them.

They have every right to be pissed and demand compensation from the other companies if it can be proven that there product was copied in any way. By all means copy my design, just dont think you can do it for free.
You sound like a business man. Do you own your own company?
CamP
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CamP 2/2/2012 6:37pm
2/2/2012 6:37pm
bish153 wrote:
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the...
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the sport, or at least the idea of making the sport safer. However what are they more conerned with money or rider safety. You would think that anyone who truly cared for the riders of our sport would welcome any idea or device that may save a life. Instead they want to sue every other company that tries to produce a neck safety device, just seems a little greedy.
I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if you invented a product, went through the process of getting it patented, spent millions on R&D, searched out vendors that could produce the product, developed a distribution channel, then "a bunch of cock suckers" ripped off your idea.
haydos25
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haydos25 2/2/2012 6:42pm
2/2/2012 6:42pm Edited Date/Time 2/2/2012 6:51pm
bish153 wrote:
You sound like a business man. Do you own your own company?
Far from it actually. I can just see it from their point of view. Just because its a piece of safety equipment doesnt mean it should be open slather. Somebody had to put there neck on the chopping block with coming and developing this idea first and it sure as shit wasnt Atlas. There was no guarantee that the product would even be embraced by the dirt bike community, but now it has become an accepted piece of equipment among many, everybody is trying to cash in, some with a blatant rip off of many key design elements that leatt researched and implemented first. That has to come at a cost to them.
40Plus_922mx
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40Plus_922mx 2/2/2012 8:24pm
2/2/2012 8:24pm
Research data. Pffffft! I love it. Here's the data. There is a 100% chance you will crash riding dirtkes. You are rolling the dice anyway. Might as well throw that on too.
nwrider82
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nwrider82 2/3/2012 4:13am
2/3/2012 4:13am
bish153 wrote:
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the...
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the sport, or at least the idea of making the sport safer. However what are they more conerned with money or rider safety. You would think that anyone who truly cared for the riders of our sport would welcome any idea or device that may save a life. Instead they want to sue every other company that tries to produce a neck safety device, just seems a little greedy.
haydos25 wrote:
Or they were the first company to do it, and thus all the original development costs and any research that was done fell on them. Then...
Or they were the first company to do it, and thus all the original development costs and any research that was done fell on them. Then other companies come in and use alot of there design ideas with none of the original development costs and undercut them.

They have every right to be pissed and demand compensation from the other companies if it can be proven that there product was copied in any way. By all means copy my design, just dont think you can do it for free.
The thing is though, the Atlas brace is nothing like the Leatt. The only thing similar between the two is that they both go around the neck. I wonder what patents specifically they are alleging Atlas is infringing on?
HNR Engineer 2/3/2012 4:28am
2/3/2012 4:28am Edited Date/Time 2/3/2012 4:32am
nwrider82 wrote:
The thing is though, the Atlas brace is nothing like the Leatt. The only thing similar between the two is that they both go around the...
The thing is though, the Atlas brace is nothing like the Leatt. The only thing similar between the two is that they both go around the neck. I wonder what patents specifically they are alleging Atlas is infringing on?
Eddie Cole is surely not going to just go away, so it will be an interesting battle to follow, as his Industry experience far outweighs Leatt. I am sure he has also had his fair share of court room battles to and with his previous company selling neck rolls etc from way back that might come into play to.

Surely Atlas have done their homework before they spent money on producing their product, actually it is almost a given. I have not seen any press releases about Astars being sued even though they are almost identical to Leatt, so perhaps the new technologies are the targets, of off the sternum and spine with a flexible design. If this new technology does not work then why bother suing, just show it does not work, surely that is cheaper and simpler way for Leatt to go.

Here are the patents they were granted although they look extremely similar:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u…

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u…
flyinb501
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flyinb501 2/3/2012 5:37am
2/3/2012 5:37am
bish153 wrote:
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the...
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the sport, or at least the idea of making the sport safer. However what are they more conerned with money or rider safety. You would think that anyone who truly cared for the riders of our sport would welcome any idea or device that may save a life. Instead they want to sue every other company that tries to produce a neck safety device, just seems a little greedy.
haydos25 wrote:
Or they were the first company to do it, and thus all the original development costs and any research that was done fell on them. Then...
Or they were the first company to do it, and thus all the original development costs and any research that was done fell on them. Then other companies come in and use alot of there design ideas with none of the original development costs and undercut them.

They have every right to be pissed and demand compensation from the other companies if it can be proven that there product was copied in any way. By all means copy my design, just dont think you can do it for free.
bish153 wrote:
You sound like a business man. Do you own your own company?
Haha you sound like a socialist. Or you're just not too bright.

Do you have any idea how big of an investment of time and money go into a product like this. This is why we have intellectual property, and patents. If not no company would risk developing any product knowing they will just be put out of business when they get ripped off by the next copy cat.
ktm212
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ktm212 2/3/2012 7:09am
2/3/2012 7:09am
this really bugs me, The a-star is almost identical to the leatt and the atlas, visually shares almost no common ideas to the leatt. the atlas looks to be revolutionary and is clearly a step forward in neckbrace technology and leatt is seeing the table turn on them and its a damn shame. i wore a leatt, absolutely hated it. i dont wear a neckbrace anymore, i actually have an atlas on preorder so i hope this gets sorted out soon.
kawi195
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kawi195 2/3/2012 3:16pm
2/3/2012 3:16pm
ktm212 wrote:
this really bugs me, The a-star is almost identical to the leatt and the atlas, visually shares almost no common ideas to the leatt. the atlas...
this really bugs me, The a-star is almost identical to the leatt and the atlas, visually shares almost no common ideas to the leatt. the atlas looks to be revolutionary and is clearly a step forward in neckbrace technology and leatt is seeing the table turn on them and its a damn shame. i wore a leatt, absolutely hated it. i dont wear a neckbrace anymore, i actually have an atlas on preorder so i hope this gets sorted out soon.
you must ride 4 wheelers
kawi195
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kawi195 2/3/2012 3:20pm
2/3/2012 3:20pm
Leatt patented the term neck brace and all companies that want to call their product a neck brace have to send them through leatt and be approved by them in order to sell it under that name. This is why atlas and evs will also be running into issues unless they call it a neck support instead of a brace
mx317
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mx317 2/3/2012 4:54pm
2/3/2012 4:54pm
HNR Engineer wrote:
Eddie Cole is surely not going to just go away, so it will be an interesting battle to follow, as his Industry experience far outweighs Leatt...
Eddie Cole is surely not going to just go away, so it will be an interesting battle to follow, as his Industry experience far outweighs Leatt. I am sure he has also had his fair share of court room battles to and with his previous company selling neck rolls etc from way back that might come into play to.

Surely Atlas have done their homework before they spent money on producing their product, actually it is almost a given. I have not seen any press releases about Astars being sued even though they are almost identical to Leatt, so perhaps the new technologies are the targets, of off the sternum and spine with a flexible design. If this new technology does not work then why bother suing, just show it does not work, surely that is cheaper and simpler way for Leatt to go.

Here are the patents they were granted although they look extremely similar:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u…

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u…
I didn't know Eddie Cole had anything to do with it. Did he buy into Atlas?
nwrider82
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nwrider82 2/3/2012 5:07pm
2/3/2012 5:07pm
mx317 wrote:
I didn't know Eddie Cole had anything to do with it. Did he buy into Atlas?
AFAIK Eddie Cole isn't directly involved in the company, but his sons (Chadd and Cameron?) are along with Brady Sheren and Brad McLean.

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nwrider82
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nwrider82 2/3/2012 5:11pm
2/3/2012 5:11pm
kawi195 wrote:
Leatt patented the term neck brace and all companies that want to call their product a neck brace have to send them through leatt and be...
Leatt patented the term neck brace and all companies that want to call their product a neck brace have to send them through leatt and be approved by them in order to sell it under that name. This is why atlas and evs will also be running into issues unless they call it a neck support instead of a brace
Umm... you can't patent a term like "neck brace," but you could trademark it. With that said, I highly doubt they successfully trademarked "neck brace" as it's far too vague.
race
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race 2/3/2012 5:29pm
2/3/2012 5:29pm
Anyone know if Omega is still around as a business?

Or did they fold?
sbarrington314 2/3/2012 7:38pm
2/3/2012 7:38pm
race wrote:
Anyone know if Omega is still around as a business?

Or did they fold?
dont quote me on this, but i think its the same people that are now nexis.
HNR Engineer 2/4/2012 7:12am
2/4/2012 7:12am Edited Date/Time 2/4/2012 7:14am
mx317 wrote:
I didn't know Eddie Cole had anything to do with it. Did he buy into Atlas?
The fact the his sons are involved means he is involved and yes perhaps not directly but they will surely draw on his vast experience and knowledge of how to handle this situation. Also i am sure some of their funding came from their dad to do this whole venture so again he will step in to protect his investment.

Here is what their website says:
/// ABOUT THE TEAM

Brady Sheren and Brad Mclean both grew up racing MX and in the motorcycle industry, their fathers both were Icons in the Canadian motorcycle industry; Brady’s father, Rick Sheren was the founder of R&M Motorsports, President of Tucker Rocky Canada and President of Mechanix Wear Canada and SIXSIXONE Canada. Brady has had a very prestigious career as a top Canadian MX racer, racing in both Canada and the United States, and is now transferring that experience over to designing innovative products made to fit racers needs. Brad’s father Bill Mclean was a multi national Canadian MX champion and founder of Pacific Yamaha in Vancouver, BC. Brad also has many years experience as a MX racer, race team manager, retail shop employee, and sales associate at SIXSIXONE Canada.

Chadd and Cameron Cole have a similar story, being the sons of Eddie Cole who was the founder and President of Answer Products, Protaper, Manitou, SIXSIXONE, Tag Metals, Sunline and Filtron. Both Chadd and Cameron were introduced to the motorcycle industry at an early age, and continue to be heavily involved year after year.

Brady, Brad, Chadd, and Cameron are also the founders and owners of Matrix Concepts. Matrix was launched in 2009, and is now in over 30 countries and is used by nearly every professional Factory Race team in the USA.


SO THERE IS ALOT BEHIND THE ATLAS NECK BRACE FOR IT TO JUST GO AWAY, AND I AM SURE THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN.
CamP
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CamP 2/4/2012 7:22am
2/4/2012 7:22am
race wrote:
Anyone know if Omega is still around as a business?

Or did they fold?
sbarrington314 wrote:
dont quote me on this, but i think its the same people that are now nexis.
Omega is from the same Italian company that produces Jett boots.
crf250pilot
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crf250pilot 2/4/2012 7:43am
2/4/2012 7:43am
GuyB wrote:
Heck, there's also another new brace that I'm checking out this weekend.
newmann wrote:
Are you qualified to check these things? Where is your degree from? Where is the data you are compiling? Are you a doctor? Are you a...
Are you qualified to check these things? Where is your degree from? Where is the data you are compiling? Are you a doctor? Are you a biomedical engineer? People are going to want to know these things.
Of course GuyB is qualified, he stayed at a Holiday in last night.
ToolMaker 2/4/2012 11:55am
2/4/2012 11:55am
bish153 wrote:
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the...
The Leatt people seem like a bunch of cock suckers. Don’t get me wrong I really appercinat what that have done for the safty of the sport, or at least the idea of making the sport safer. However what are they more conerned with money or rider safety. You would think that anyone who truly cared for the riders of our sport would welcome any idea or device that may save a life. Instead they want to sue every other company that tries to produce a neck safety device, just seems a little greedy.
CamP wrote:
I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if you invented a product, went through the process of getting it patented, spent millions on R&D...
I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if you invented a product, went through the process of getting it patented, spent millions on R&D, searched out vendors that could produce the product, developed a distribution channel, then "a bunch of cock suckers" ripped off your idea.
There's a lot more to it. Of course they are concerned with rider safety, they want to sell you a leatt to be safe when you ride. To be fair, that's how they will get a return on their investment. If they do not defend their patent, they lose the right to do so later. Then the next copy cat will use the defense we copied company xyz's product. But in fairness to Atlas, their product may be an evolution product which may or may not infringe. Several years from now there will be a mini hearing (markman hearing) prior to the patent trial where the judge determines what the claims actually mean. Then, there will be a trial and the jurors will decide if the atlas brace infringes on the definition of what the judge decided the claims actually mean. Chances are this will never go to trial, Atlas may end up paying a royalty to leatt. There are many outcomes to this, at this stage it's only legal posturing.
TM
mx317
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mx317 2/5/2012 11:58am
2/5/2012 11:58am
mx317 wrote:
I didn't know Eddie Cole had anything to do with it. Did he buy into Atlas?
nwrider82 wrote:
AFAIK Eddie Cole isn't directly involved in the company, but his sons (Chadd and Cameron?) are along with Brady Sheren and Brad McLean.
That's cool and if they listen to ole dad, I'm sure it will work out. Not many as knowledgeable as Eddie Cole in the MX industry.
notmystyle
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notmystyle 2/5/2012 12:23pm
2/5/2012 12:23pm Edited Date/Time 2/5/2012 2:14pm
newmann wrote:
Where's the research data? How'd they test it? Where's the research data? What prevents the metal hinge from breaking and severing an artery? Where's the research...
Where's the research data?

How'd they test it?

Where's the research data?

What prevents the metal hinge from breaking and severing an artery?

Where's the research data?

What prevents the cable from severing your head in a crash?

Where's the research data?

Are they paying royalties to Leatt?

Where's the research data?

Is it patented?

Where's the research data?

Can I copy them?

Where's the research data?


Just saving everyone else the hassle of asking the list of questions that comes up every time a neck brace thread pops up...
Leatt is a doctor. This doctor invested millions of his own money in researching his brace before bringing it to production. Dr. Leatt has also had his brace testeted at the lab that certifies braces to be fit for use in NASCAR and formula 1 ie. Hans device. I do agree with you in that we need data for all braces. An independent testing facility would be a great start. I think that a percentage of each sale from protective gear go to funding this.

I have spoke with some of the Asterisk medical staff about data and they keep stats on every injury they see. Helmet, knee braces, neck braces, boots, wrist braces. Was rider wearing them or not. They know how many collar bone were broken and if that rider had a neck brace on or not. How many concussions and what helmet went with each.

The data is out there. The question is who is going to pony up the money to pay for the research?

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