MICHAEL JACKSON - STARS WHO INVENT UNVEILED ON NEW SEARCH FACILITY

MICHAEL JACKSON, EDDIE VAN HALEN and MARLON BRANDO were yesterday (08JAN07) revealed to have all patented inventions, after a new online search facility launched. Internet users can now look on website Google to see the seven million inventions filed with the US Patents Office between 1790 and 1996. In 1992, Jackson designed a pair of shoes with heels that latched onto knobs, allowing him to lean at extreme angles onstage without falling over. Van Halen designed a "musical instrument support" in the mid-1980s, on which he could rest his guitar and play it horizontally. Late actor Brando patented a device allowing the user to tighten the skin on a bongo drum. And TRADING PLACES star JAMIE LEE CURTIS designed a special nappy with a waterproof pocket where parents can store disposable wipes.