iPhone Bra: British Man Sues Over University of Washington Students' Bra Patent

Ladies, have you ever wanted to put your iPhone or your ATM card in your bra for safe keeping? Well, two college students at the University of Washington created a bra in which you can do just that. However, the students are also learning that sometimes, a great idea is unfortunately something that strikes twice, like lightning.

Mariah Gentry and Kyle Bartlow, student-inventors of the so-called "Joey Bra" are facing legal action from Charles Robinson who claims he patented a bra with a pocket in 1999. A judge recently vetoed the students' efforts to throw out the lawsuit.

Gentry and Batrlow are confident they will win the day, however. They released a statement to Geekwire stressing the difference between their design and the patent's claims:

As you can see from Robinson's patent filing, the pocket is located on the inside of the bra near the cup. It is very small, most likely the size of a key. In 1999, it was not designed to store a phone, as our design is today. Being that our pocket covers the whole side of the bra, is on the outside, and is large enough to hold a phone, credit card, ID, etc. the claim of infringement is a stretch at best.

Patent lawsuits are nothing new in the collegiate sector. Recently, the University of California sued Facebook and Disney (among other companies) for patent infringement.