Blawgletter not too long ago got one of those machines that heats water and then blasts it through a canister of coffee essence to make — voila! — a steaming cup of joe.

These devices come from a Wide Range of sources, but many of them appear to spring from people who make the coffee-essence-canisters (CECs) — your Starbucks, your Nespressos, your LaVazzas, and your Keurigs.

We learned today that Keurig took out patents on its method for brewing mud right there in your kitchen with CECs. We also found out that Keurig sued a not-Keurig that made CECs you could use in Keurig devices.

Did Keurig win? No. The sale of its coffee-maker, the Federal Circuit ruled, "exhausted" Keurig's patent rights. Keurig thus couldn't collect damages for the sale of not-Keurig CECs.

We suspect the razor-blade people might have the same kind of problem.