Court Deflates Plea for Inflatable Bra

PITTSBURGH — A federal judge has let the air out of an inventor’s petition to protect his idea for an inflatable bra.

Alex David, an inventor who lives in Singapore, wrote to U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond saying he feared that Davison & Associates, a patent developer, would steal his idea for the air-cushioned underwear.

But the judge said David had not filed a formal complaint and thus his court had no jurisdiction over the matter.

David contended that he sent a prototype of the brassiere--along with diagrams and written material--to Davison, in hopes of launching it on the marketplace. But he said Davison never returned the items.

Gordon Davison, director of research for Davison & Associates, said his company would never steal an idea. He said David’s invention isn’t novel--another manufacturer has been selling an inflatable bra for more than a year.