GI Sports files lawsuit against Virtue

[Spikerz]

For patent infringements relating to the Spire (agitating hopper) and the VIO (it looks a lot like a mask drawing they have a patent for).

No idea whatever happened to the Valken paint lawsuit for the marbelizer shell thing.

I support companies needing to protect intellectual property, but we're such a small community this just feels frivolous and annoying.

 

[lettucecheesecake]

remember they (gi) got a cash injection from outside business men. this is obviously these guys being business men unfortunately

 

[Spikerz]

True, this patent is also set to expire this year, design patents are for 14 years and utility patents for 20. So...seems like a last gasp attempt to cash in while they can on the patent. ]

 

[Shepherd:03]

Really?
I'm guessing they're mostly hoping to use the legal fees to hurt virtue, win or lose it won't be cheap to defend.

I think one of the conditions for renewing patents is that they're actually used by its owner too, you can't just hold it to stop someone else doing it forever.

 

[Tony Harrison]

For patent infringements relating to the Spire (agitating hopper) and the VIO (it looks a lot like a mask drawing they have a patent for).

No idea whatever happened to the Valken paint lawsuit for the marbelizer shell thing.

I support companies needing to protect intellectual property, but we're such a small community this just feels frivolous and annoying.

The Spire was released 2012, the Vio in 2013. So they are (roughly) six and five years old respectively. That's a lot of time that's passed between product release and the lawsuit stage.

You could argue that any company with a goggle system and a loader are infringing on another's patent, as each are very similar to another.

JT was the first paintball goggle system, and Viewloader was the first motorised loader. You didn't see them suing everyone else. You have to wonder who is advising GI to take action and how frivolous these claims are.

 

[Gieberto]

G.I.Sportz own both the J.T brand and all it's copy rights and ( I think , not 100% sure , Viewloader aswell ! ? ) saying that I think G.I are pathetic !

 

[Missy-Q]

It's like you guys are completely detached from reality or something.
In order for paintball to grow it has to professionalise. If you buy a company that owns important IP, it6s then 'pathetic' to exercise your right to defend what you bought?
I don't have the time to put this into an every-day analogy, but GI are doing what every one of us would do in their position. If you think you wouldn't you're kidding yourself, or your too young and naïve to understand the way IP works everywhere in the world.

The reason we have law-suits is because people don't think they have to license other peoples IP. The company that thinks it shouldn't pay is the pathetic one, not the company that invested 10's of millions into paintball.

Plus, Virtue already licensed, this info is old and inaccurate. Don't believe everything you read on PBN. Its the blind leading the blind.

 

[Missy-Q]

The Spire was released 2012, the Vio in 2013. So they are (roughly) six and five years old respectively. That's a lot of time that's passed between product release and the lawsuit stage.

Not really no. Plus, you are unaware of any 'cease and desist' communication that starts the ball rolling, and of all subsequent communications prior to the document you have stumbled upon online.

You could argue that any company with a goggle system and a loader are infringing on another's patent, as each are very similar to another.

That would appear to be the exact argument, yes. Does not make the argument invalid though. If you copy from your neighbor in a school (or any other) exam, you get kicked out of that exam, right? It's not like you tell the exam moderator "that's not fair, why can't I just copy and use the same answers as the person sitting next to me, because I think they will have answered correctly"... That argument doesn't stand up. Does it? yet that's the argument you guys are using, isn't it?

JT was the first paintball goggle system, and Viewloader was the first motorised loader. You didn't see them suing everyone else. You have to wonder who is advising GI to take action and how frivolous these claims are.

Actually yes, that's exactly what you're seeing. In the case of the loaders this may be the 12th lawsuit regarding that exact patent. Lots of people license that patent and have done for years. It surely is the most defended patent in the industry, except for the 'solenoid use in a gun' one perhaps. Every company that's owned that IP has defended and licensed it. Those companies and their IP were purchased by Kee, who was in turn purchased by GI. So VL and JT is actually exactly who you do see suing everyone else, via their parent company.
FYI I imagine it's GI's legal team that are advising them to defend their IP. Such would be their jobs I imagine. You know who isn't doing their jobs? The guys that don't research their IP infringements and just hope to get away with it.

Why don't people get this?
Paintball still has a lot of growing up to do.
Missy Out.

 

[Spikerz]

Those patents expire in 2018. Roughly.
Makes the future interesting

 

[Missy-Q]

How does it?
if people already use and copy the IP already without bothering to license it (the reason for the thread) how would the expiry of that same IP have any impact on the future? If they weren't already doing it I could see your point, but they are...