Question: I want to know if Mary Geddry, CEO of Rogue River Wind, has a patent on the wind turbine she is developing? Who is paying for the development of the prototype and her expenses? Does Rogue River Wind have any principals other than Ms. Geddry?

Answer: Geddry says she filed a full utility patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office in November 2008. It normally takes the patent office 18 months to publish a patent and even longer to review it, said a spokesman for the office. He couldn't confirm that Geddry had filed an application because his system only includes published applications, but he said it's likely she has one in the works. 

"If she says she has a patent pending and she doesn't, she'd be violating the law," he said.

Geddry is the only principal of the company, though she has several investors from outside Coos County whose money has helped pay expenses. She's also invested some of her own money, Geddry said.

The project has been delayed as she recently cut ties with Ric Morrisonn, who was tasked with building the prototype. Geddry is working with a company in Portland to complete the first model and hopes to have it ready for testing by the end of the month.

"I'm really anxious to get them done," she said.

I Want to Know offers readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can send questions to The World newspaper, P.O. Box 1840, Coos Bay Ore. 97420; or by sending e-mail to news@theworld link.com.