# #008: Blood In The Water: Americas Assault on Innovation - Kip Doyle - Patent Process, Product Innovation, Defending Patents, Napkin Sketch to Manufacturing

- Show: [Designing in the Wild](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild)
- Published: 2022-02-14
- Length: 58m
- Episode: 8
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p

## Summary

Kip Doyle, inventor of the Card Shark credit card wallet skin and author of 'Blood In The Water', recounts her decade-long struggle to protect her intellectual property against major tech companies like Speck and OtterBox. She details the transition from a napkin sketch to utility and design patents, explaining how the America Invents Act (AIA) and Inter Partes Review (IPR) processes have made it nearly impossible for independent inventors to defend their rights. Doyle advises creators to document their ideas meticulously, hire local or student lawyers to manage costs, and join communities like USInventor.org for support.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p#t=0) Introduction: Kip Doyle and the Card Shark
- [14:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p#t=853) The Origin Story: Napkin Sketch to Prototype
- [17:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p#t=1053) Patent Strategy: Utility vs. Design Patents
- [11:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p#t=699) The Patent System's Failure: AIA and IPR
- [25:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p#t=1528) Manufacturing and Licensing Challenges
- [31:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p#t=1918) Product Evolution: Materials and Design Details
- [42:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-14-008-blood-in-the-water-americas-assault-on-innovation-kip-doyle-patent-process-p#t=2526) Advice for Inventors: Documentation and Community

## Topics

- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Card Shark (product)
- Speck (company)
- OtterBox (company)
- Incipio (company)
- Blood In The Water: America's Assault on Innovation (product)
- USInventor.org (company)
- Apple (company)
- Blackberry (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [116: How to Turn an Invention into a Product Business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-03-02-116-how-to-turn-an-invention-into-a-product-business) (Product Startup)
- [S1E06 First to file, secrecy, & fast-tracking patents | Tom Galvani](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-13-s1e06-first-to-file-secrecy-fast-tracking-patents-tom-galvani) (Being an Engineer)
- [Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then Built a $10 Billion Company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-23-square-jim-mckelvey-he-lost-a-2-000-sale-then-built-a-10-billion-company) (How I Built This)
- [#046 - When not to start a startup - how to license your idea (Part 2), with Stephen Key of inventRight, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-01-17-046-when-not-to-start-a-startup-how-to-license-your-idea-part-2-with-stephen-key) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [Episode 280: It’s great to have a few extra brains around](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2020-10-09-episode-280-its-great-to-have-a-few-extra-brains-around) (Making It)

## Citing this page

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