If It’s Broken, May I Fix It?

摘要

As the old saying goes, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” But what happens if a component in an industrial gas turbine does break? Are you free to fix the part in any manner you see fit? Industrial gas turbine engines are complex aero-mechanical systems containing many advanced technology pieces. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) spend millions of dollars to develop and commercialize these gas turbine components. In order to protect their investment as well as future market share, OEM’s seek patent protection in the United States as well as countries around the world to cover their innovative gas turbine components, systems, and processes. Through this process, OEM’s lay web of patents over their technologies in order to prevent others from making or repairing their parts, or at the very least, make the process more difficult for an end user or non-OEM repair facility to navigate. Failing to pay careful attention to these patents in the gas turbine industry can be a costly mistake, resulting in years of litigation, potential monetary damages, and a tarnished reputation in the industry. It is necessary to understand the fundamental aspects of the US patent system, its application to the power generation industry, as well as how it impacts the repair of gas turbine parts when repairing or making gas turbine components.