Patent Law
Lawyers Remember Michael Jackson for ‘Smooth’ Shoe Patent
Posted Jul 1, 2009, 05:27 pm CST
By Martha Neil
As many remember Michael Jackson for his Thriller work or read his will in the Smoking Gun today, some lawyers recall him for an innovative dance shoe patent.
The design, which was patented in 1993 by the pop singer and two partners, contains a special heel slot. Retractable pegs in a stage floor allowed the singer to anchor the shoes so he could lean forward beyond his center of gravity, as he did in his "Smooth Criminal" video, reports USA Today.
"Most people think of Michael Jackson's intellectual property in terms of his songs and the Beatles catalogue. They usually don't know about his other endeavors," says Los Angeles attorney Milord Keshishian.
Attorney Gene Quinn of IP Watchdog tells the newspaper he's used the shoe patent in law classes for years to help students understand what they can and cannot patent.