Hook-and-loop fastener Mestral's patent expired, prompting a flood of low-cost imitations from Taiwan, China and South Korea onto the market. Today, the trademark is the subject of more than 300 trademark registrations in over 159 countries. George de Mestral was inducted into the national inventors hall of fame for his invention. The big breakthrough George de Mestral made was to think about hook-and-eye closures on a greatly reduced scale. Hook-and-eye fasteners have been common for centuries, but what was new about hook-and-loop fasteners was the miniaturisation of the hooks and eyes. Shrinking the hooks led to the two other important differences. Firstly,
George Jacobs (inventor) George Jacobs (inventor) George Jacobs (1877 – 1945) was an American inventor, who invented enamel insulation for magnet wire. He founded Dudlo Manufacturing, which became part of General Cable Corporation, and Inca Manufacturing, which became Phelps-Dodge Magnet Wire. In 1901, George Jacobs was working as a chemist working in the General Electric factory in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he met co-worker Ethel Mossman. In 1905, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio to take a position with Sherwin-Williams, and continued to work in his own time on an enamel insulation for magnet wire. In 1907, he perfected his formula, and asked Ethel