Michael Lindell, pillows, and intellectual property

Michael J Lindell founded MyPillow in 2004. He is the listed inventor
on US US 7461424, filed November 23, 2005, with first claim


An apparatus, comprising:

a case; and
a plurality of polyurethane foam pieces disposed in the case, the plurality including a first plurality of foam pieces of a first average size, a second plurality of foam pieces of a second average size, and a third plurality of foam pieces of a third average size, with the first, second, and third average sizes being different, and with the first, second, and third pluralities of foam pieces disposed in the case in a mix, with the first plurality of foam pieces representing approximately 20 to 30 percent of the plurality of polyurethane foam pieces, and with the second plurality of foam pieces and the third plurality foam pieces constituting the remaining foam disposed in the case, in an approximately equal proportion by volume;
wherein the plurality of a polyurethane foam pieces has a density of from about 1.8 pounds per cubic foot to about 1.9 pounds per cubic foot, and an indent force deflection at 25% of from about 27 to about 35.



The design logo MyPillow is a registered trademark. Lindell used many of his own resources to fund the development of MyPillow.

Wikipedia notes an additional IP issue:


On November 1, 2016, My Pillow agreed to pay $1 million ($995,000 in civil penalties and $100,000 California charities benefiting the homeless and victims of domestic violence) to settle a false advertising lawsuit brought in Alameda County Superior Court by Alameda County and eight other California counties. The lawsuit challenged the company's marketing claims, which asserted without proof that its pillows could treat symptoms of fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, cerebral palsy, acid reflux, and other conditions.