Can I patent my empty holes please, and then sell them?

The Electric Drill

It is not the drill itself that amazes us for its ingenuity. Neither does it qualify as the product that has revolutionised the world (although I am sure it has helped considerably the world of engineering and of course the humble DIY’er). It now comes in many assortments and attachments, many of which come along with their own patents and wonder. But, the true magic around the electric drill, is the fact that nearly every modern household around the world has one of these devices, covered in dust lying dormant and lonely the majority of its life – some of these devices cost hundreds of pounds; yet it is not the drill that we have ever desired – all we actually ever wanted, was a hole…an empty hole. And we want lots of them.

I am sure the inventors never thought they would inadvertently patent trillions of empty holes of varying sizes and shapes, and then go on to sell them to us, but the award for the best patent definitely has to go the power tool that gave us the most abundant and expensive empty holes on earth.

Submitted by: Thomas Hamilton