A clothing fastener people already used
A fastener copied from a burr
Grew into a worldwide fastening company
George de Mestral came home from a walk with burrs stuck to his dog. Buttons and zippers already existed. He copied the burr: one strip of tiny hooks, one strip of loops.
The everyday problem
People already closed clothes, shoes, and bags with buttons, laces, and zippers. A burr showed a simpler close. Press two strips together and they hold. Peel them apart and they open.
The simple change
- He looked at a nuisance from the woods and turned it into a product.
- He patented the hook-and-loop fabric in the United States in 1955.
- He built a company around the patent and licensed the fastener so others could make it.
What happened
The fastener became the VELCRO brand and a company that sells it around the world, from shoes to medical wraps. The original patent has expired. The business it started is still here.
What you can take from this
A useful copy of something in nature can be a patent. The money came from owning that simple close before everyone else could sell it.
A public story, told here as an example. It is not a client of this practice, and I had no part in it. Results like this are rare. Most patents never earn money, and nothing here is a promise that your idea will be patented or will make money.