Hey Jakob,
From which country are you? Me and my team are looking for people who have experience in developing foils, motors and battery’s (actually everything which is happening on this forum). If you’re looking for a cool project for you and your students let me know!
We have played the patent lawsuit game in hydroflight. The sport has suffered because of it and declined. The holder of the wrongly issued patent could retract it.
We have gained far too much knowledge of the workings of the patent and legal system. We continue to produce, but have zero faith in the patent examination/issue process and also in the re-examination process. The legal process has cost the patent holders, (the guys that pushed out the “inventor” that filed it in the first place) more money in litigating it than they will ever see from it by a significant factor.
The dream of a patent is often turns out to be more of a curse.
If any body needs one to defend, we have a great law firm. 
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Please all check out the interviews @E-Surfer.com just posted on the patent topic. https://e-surfer.com/en/questionable-patent-slowing-e-foil-trend/ . A great step towards making everyone aware of the situation. Thanks Andreas!
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Hello Merten,
thanks for this effort in collecting data and proof that the Patent filed by Mr. Langelaan is wrongfully issued. As we did not see any other projekt or proof of his invention it is furthermore obvios that he filed this patent based on knowledge reached by the former projects like the" Evolo" from Prof. Kuttenkeuler. As Prof. Kuttenkeuler is not connected to Prof. Langelaan it appears like a copy of research and invention.
We assume that this patent is not valid and will sooner or later be corrected. If Mr. Langelaan is not deleting his wrongfully patent himself, there will be a lot of lawsuit games about it in the future. And it will cost a lot of money even himself. I´m confident that he agrees on this sooner or later, allthough not expecting him to delete it instantly;-)
Thank`s Prof. Kuttenkeuler you and your team did the real invention back in 2009! and all our effort and future designs are based on this 
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What bothers me here is that Liftboard, the makers of the eFoil is using lawyers to reach out to businesses to inform them that they need to license the idea.
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I’ve done a lot of work with intellectual property. As hobbyists, no one is going to bother us for building a couple efoil boards for personal use. The only folks who need to worry about patents are folks who are trying to sell products commercially. Patent litigation is really expensive and time consuming, which is why many small business choose to license bogus patents rather than challenge them.
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Even if they don’t go after the hobbyists, it will impact everyone, including the DIY community. Several of the commercial efforts are considering to sell components to us makers, things that are really hard to source for us right now and not designed for our use case. Special motors, custom ESCs, BMS, remotes, etc… Many things that will make our efoils better and most important safer. Therefore we all need to educate the world and push against this bogus patent and clear the path for unhindered efoil innovation.
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I totally agree with you - if there’s good prior art, then the 2013 patent is likely bogus. However, an issued patent is valid until challenged.
After a brief review of the two patents in question (the second is a continuation of the first patent), the patents cover the entire system (“a watercraft”). The drive train components we are discussing here could be used for many applications and are, by themselves, not covered by this patent. You could sell an entire drive train kit without violating these patents.
Trying to sell a complete efoil board or a complete efoil board kit commercially is a different story.
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FYI, here a patent discussion where Nick (Lift) chimes in. @David (Flite) posted a very good reply. I completely agree with David. Electric Hydrofoil patent? - #10 by Lift - eFoil from Lift Foils - eSurfboard, Jetboard & eFoil Forum
Nick says “the DIY community shall not fear”. In fact nobody should fear, the Langelaan pantents won’t hold up. I encourage everyone interested to read the 500 page Evolo report linked above to see the prior art for themselves. Easy with Google translate.
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At last, with priority date from 2016-09-12, the JetFoiler / Kaï Concept LLC patent from Don Montague et al :https://patents.google.com/patent/US20180072383A1/en
Unexpected because it seems to be granted, a likely Austrian patent (Scubajet design ?) with priority date from 2017-06-21 (2 months after PacificMeister’s first video on YT) Electrically powered hydrofoil
https://patents.google.com/patent/DE202017103703U1/en
Inventor : probably same as this other patent called Hydrofoil
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Each of these patents has a small “innovation” which is not yet part of the former patents.
Kai Concept uses “a throttle coupled to a top surface of the board” which is different from the remote control of Prof. Langelaans patent.
Also the first austrian patent claims that all electronics are in a capsule under water, which is then mounted to the mast, and the batteries are not in the board. The second patent about the hydrofoil only concerns the mounting of the wing to the keel fin.
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Curious, has anyone talked to Lift about licensing and fees yet?
Legendary. Thanks for sharing
Most patents are not worth the paper they are written on. Once again Pacific Meister SAVES THE DAY
Patents are meant to drive innovation NOT KILL IT without so much as an alibi
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Some good info about hydrofoils on this page: Hydrofoiling History - hydrofoil.org
The part that starts with “Mike Murphy and Bud Holst in 1972” is especially interesting since the drawing looks identical to most modern foil boards aside form the double strut (which was apparently replaced with a single strut, unfortunately there are no pictures of that version).
Langelaan’s patent says “The watercraft of the present invention is specifically designed to achieve desired levels of stability and controllability without the need for moveable surfaces. This is done through a combination of airfoil design, planform design, and tailoring the span-wise twist distribution to achieve desired outcomes.”
If he thinks his design was novel because it can turn simply by shifting your center of gravity, then he was about 50 years late.
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NJ EXACTLY.
I hate patent squatters, they ruiin so many industries.
The US patent office is cracking down on them.
It is the responsibility of the inventor NOT the patent office to find prior art…
Inventors think they are “fooling” them when they “accidently” dont find prior art… it just means they wasted money trying to fool ppl like those on this forum… or reaql progress and innovation in the sport…
I am a huge proponent of using a durajet type device and it MIGHT be patentable but WHO cares…
I say might because my area of expertise is/was oring designa nd IP , with a couple (but several patents around the world in seven countreis…my boss wasted his money-tiny tiny market-all ego driven)…
I would love to see people on the forum try a durajet combined with a gear case and a flat motor on top like a normal outboard…
I windsurf but came to the forum for ideas on motors for a powered surf board like water wolf but i am used to making 500 of something and the prototyping costs for one of something are horrific…
here is the durajet link…
http://premier-marine.com/durajet-jet.php
the above link avoids the need to reinvent the wheel and it provides VAST increases in efficiency compared to a “jet” drive
I am a former R&D engineer with several patents in my name and prior art is the issue with all this stuff
Lastly, WATER gets into everything, so the ultimate solution is a gear case just like in the 50-70 year proven design of the standard OUTBOARD 
Prof. Jakob Kuttenkeuler came to visit us in Alameda and we took the foiling toys out with him. It was an honor to ride with the godfather of all efoiling! 13 years ago, in the year 2008/2009, Jakob led a team of passionate students through project EVOLO. They invented the weight shift controlled electric hydrofoil. It was the worlds first team building and riding what we know as efoil today. In 2009 it was shown on the boat show, covered on television and YouTube. A research report was published, all details above.
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Wow great follow up on an old thread, really nice to see many “godfathers” enjoing it together and also displaying the Candela which originates from same city is the Evolo project.
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Great thread, have missed this totally. My own theory is that Mr. Langelaan and the Lift team knew exactly what they where doing, acting mala fide regarding the patent. They also knew that as the original invention was made in Europe, USPTO would let it pass through rather easily(still incredible it worked though). They also knew they will loose if it will be challenged properly. However, the main point is that the paten helps a lot when collecting money from investors. They needed it in the initial stage, now it s probably not so important anymore for them, as they are probably already makin money and possible don’t need new investors along… Still it will probably scare someone so it good to keep this thread alive telling the true story and credit the real inventors!
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