Via Insty, I saw this little snippet over the past weekend:
BMW Patent Reveals Branded Screw Design That Limits Access to Vehicle Repairs
BMW has filed a patent for a new fastener design that underscores the automaker’s long-standing willingness to chart its own path, even when that path complicates ownership. The newly revealed screw head is shaped like BMW’s roundel, creating a proprietary design that standard tools cannot engage.
Unlike familiar Torx or hex fasteners, the patented screw uses a circular head divided into four quadrants. Two of those quadrants are recessed to accept a matching driver, while the remaining sections remain flush. The BMW logo is embossed around the perimeter, leaving little doubt about the fastener’s origin or intended exclusivity.
Uh-huh. While I like Glenn’s thought (everyone needs a damaged-screw extractor), that’s not how this will play out.
Here’s a preview of the timeline, as I see it:
- BMW gets patent for new screw design approved
- 24 hours later, you’ll be able to buy the following BMW screw-design screwdrivers at Amazon.com, all made in China:
Regular handle ($4.99)
T-handle ($7.99)
Cordless ($24.99, with charger included)
As usual, the marketing- and engineering assholes at BMW (a.k.a. the Control Freak Division) will be handed their asses by the market.
You saw it here first.
