Thursday, February 29, 2024

Terminology – Leap year 2024 (année bissextile 2024)

Copyright ©Françoise Herrmann

Curious about “leaping”? Here is the scoop.

It takes a bit more than 365 days for the Earth to revolve around the sun. To be precise, it takes 355 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 56 seconds or 365.242190 days for the Earth to complete its revolution around the sun. The extra time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the sun amounts to about one-quarter of a day (i.e., about 6 hours) each year, or about one day (i.e., about 24 hours), about every four years. Thus, to re-align (or sync) the calendar year of 365 days, with the real time it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun, one day is added every 4 years, at the end of February, the shortest month of the year.

However, this neat leap year adjustment to the 365-day calendar year, every four years, would still create a calendar year that would eventually become out of sync with the time it takes to revolve around the sun, considering that everything after the decimal point in 365.242190 days does not amount to exactly 6 hours, multiplied by 4. Thus, intercalary (leap) days are added every four years, except those years that are multiples of 100 (i.e., centuries), but not multiples of 400. Thus, for example, the year 2000 was a leap year, but the year 2100 will not be a leap year, for the same reason that the years 1900, 1800 and 1700 were not leap years.

As a result, the term “leap year” really means “sync year”. The French term bissextile (which also exists in English as an archaic term) is derived from the Latin terms (bis)sextus, meaning “twice sixth”. Thus, February 29th is twice sixth day of the month of February because the extra day that is added at the end of February is the second sixth day before March 1rst (calend martius), using the ancient Roman way of designating days, relative to the ones that effectively had a name. In the Roman case, just the calends (first days of the month) or new moon days, and ides (the middle of the month) or full moon days, had names. For example, the nones were the ninth days before the ides of every month, using the same dating system. 

Revolution and rotation of  planet Earth
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

References 

Merriam Webster – Bissextile.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/bissextile-#:~:text=The%20extra%20day%20fell%20on,to%20refer%20to%20leap%20day. 

NASA Spaceplace–What is a leap year?

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/leap-year/en/ 

Gif file – revolution and rotation of the Earth (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/leap-year/1day-1year.en.gif 

Friday, February 2, 2024

Oh, patents! Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017) – ‘Papa’ bag logo clasp

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Azzedine Alaïa hit piece Papa bag is adorned with a patented logo clasp. A clasp that was granted the US design patent  USD983526S1, titled  Clasp for leather goods, on April 18, 2023.  The patent was awarded to Angela Lauria, also the Papa bag designer. 


Below the patent Figure 1.1, shows a perspective view of the clasp, and an image of the geometric clasp in gold tone, mounted on two Azzedine Alaïa Papa bags.  As a reminder, a US design patent covers only the ornamental aspect of an invention. In this case, the patent covers only how the clasp looks, in contrast to how the push-lock clasp works.   





Reference
USPTO MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent.
https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1502.html

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Oh, patents! Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017) (1)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann


The Tunisian-born couturier, Azzedine Alaïa, established his fashion house in Paris, France, in 1964.  Since then, several iconic Azzedine Alaïa pieces have been granted US design patents. For example, the it-pièce (in English, hit piece) Le Papa bag, is a patented design. The US design patent USD979236S1, titled Shoulder bag, was granted on Feb. 8, 2023, to Angela Lauria, and assigned to Azzedine Alaïa SAS, in Paris, France. 


Le Papa bag honors the deceased founder, Azzedine Alaïa, and his eponymous fashion house, known to function more like a family. A family that is continuing his legacy. According to fashion lore, Azzedine Alaïa developed close working relationships with his models, including  Grace Jones, whose costumes he designed, in 1985, for the 14th James Bond movie, A View to Kill.  


Below, the patent Figure image 1.1, together with black and white marketed models of the treasured Le Papa piece. A piece produced in three different sizes and several different materials. A design that turns the "A", representing the house's name, Alaïa, upside down.

As a reminder, a US design patent covers the ornamental aspects of an inventive design, or how the design looks. In contrast, a US utility patent covers the functional aspects of an invention, or the way the invention works. Thus, this patent excludes all but the stunning looks of Alaïa's Papa bag.





References

A View to Kill (1985). James Bond movie, starring Roger Moore and James Bond and  Grace Jones as May Day and music by Duran Duran. (Original Trailer)

https://youtu.be/pxQS8iAlr9w

Bobard-Deliere, M. (2022). It-pièce : Le Papa d’Alaïa, le nouvel intemporel. Elle Magazine France.

https://www.elle.fr/Mode/Accessoires-de-Mode/It-piece-le-Papa-d-Alaia-le-nouvel-intemporel

Maison Alaïa (website)

https://www.maison-alaia.com/us

Thomas, M. (2022). Le Papa, nouveau sac emblématique de la maison Alaïa. Marie Claire Magazine France. 

https://www.marieclaire.fr/le-papa-nouveau-sac-emblematique-de-la-maison-alaia,1429533.asp