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(CNN) -- If you have tried to lean your seat back on a plane and find it will not budge, it is probably not a new airline plot to make flying even more uncomfortable, but a new gadget.
The plastic device wedges against the frame of the seat in front and allows you to stop passengers from reclining their chairs during a flight.
The novel widget, which can be bought on the Internet, may not only worry airlines, but could lead to a whole new era in air-rage.
A polite passenger with long legs might ask a reclining traveler to straighten up or ask the flight attendant for a bulkhead seat, other flyers just purchase the Knee Defender.
Its inventor claims business has been "manic" since its launch a few months ago. With a price tag of just under $15, the company now ships the device internationally.
"We have thousands of customers who have bought the Knee Defenders," creator Ira Goldman told CNN.
"We have also sold Knee Defenders to many older people, they indicate that they have sensitive knees and they had stopped flying because of concerns about reclining seats."
During one flight in the mid-1990s, the six foot three inch (191 cm) business traveler decided to take action after many seat-knee encounters.
"I noticed the way that tray tables and seats move relative to each other and realized that by placing something between them I could protect my knees," says Goldman.
He believes airlines do not give tall people enough space in economy class and was motivated to help those suffering from knee batterings.
If you use the "U" shaped bits of plastic, you can also download a "Knee Defender Courtesy Card" from the Web site, which explains to upset passengers in front that you are using the device to protect your knees.
"We do know that some airline staff have even bought Knee Defenders for when they fly as passengers," explains Goldman.
He also claims the device helps as a warning or safety device for laptop computer users in-flight when a seat is being reclined, or if space is needed for a child on your lap.
The new device has led airlines to consider passenger reclining privileges in-flight.
According to Business Traveller magazine, Northwest Airlines have banned the Knee Defender, saying that flyers have the right to recline seats. American Airlines have not banned it, but feel passengers also have this right.
According to the Times of London, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) wants the Knee Defender banned on safety grounds.
The CAA told the Times that: "Anything that affects the seat could jeopardize safety. We may take action if people use it."
"Last year the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority stated that they may be used on aircraft other than during taxiing, takeoff, or landing," says Goldman.
