But Raden,
Usually, keris makers are people with traditional attitude. In someway: a little bit anti-modernism. Mr Sukamdi too. Very-very traditional. He likes to sleep in cemetery, watching stars and moon, long haired and not tidy. Of course, doesn't think to patent his "invention" on dhapur. Not only this new dhapur he had created. I keep one other dhapur, maybe it called "sepang luk". Keris with sor-soran sepang, but with seven luks upward.
Sukamdi seems to learn hard all the pakems of kerises. So, everytime he invented or created a new model or dhapur, always based on pakem but modified with "philosophical" reason. Like the "peksi dewata" dhapur, actually he made this model after he was looking at my mata tombak (spears). I remember, he turned the tombak upside down, and show me a kind of hidden carving, showing two birds with jambul. I think it was "peacock" bird. Quite long time, he watched that ornament in my old tombak (dhapur baru kuping, tombak with two "ears" in sor-soran). Upside down the kuping, Sukamdi saw ornament of two birds. And some months later, he made this dhapur. I bought this Sukamdi keris from the first hand owner, Kanjeng Raden Tumenggung Benny (sorry I forgot his last name)...
I don't think people like Sukamdi is thinking about patenting his keris model. Maybe there must be someone else who may encourage him to do that. Otherwise, people won't know that such dhapur is his.
Like motives of pamor. Who can claim to patent the pattern? If you see in the website, the development of pamors (patterns) in damascus steel is incredible. Event they can comercialized the pamor itself, and sell the pamor by inch per inch, in such dollar... Just watch the website of Devin Thomas (please
http://www.devinthomas.com see the products)
Yes, they are machinal. But in a certain way, keris world now is far behind the development of damascus steel world. At least in commercialization of the new product. This world of keris is still looking back and admiring at the past all the time. Yes, of course "describing the past, inscribing the future", like the thesis of Dr Nancy Florida (specialised in Javanese litterature of Ranga sasmita -- not Ranggawarsito -- on Babad Jaka Tingkir). But actually, we must not forget to look forward, the future...
Ganjawulung