I hope this is not true. Apparently a big company is in very serious trouble

[Robbo]

What i'm saying there is, "most of us might but would we"

Well to be as accurate as I can, I know I wouldn't but that's as far as I can go mate ... I don't know other people's minds Tom and as for predicting, well, I have been surprised many times before when it comes to money ...... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised anymore ... which gives you an idea I suppose as to what a lot of people choose to do when it comes to vast amounts of money or 'friends' .......

 

[Robbo]

i suppose you could say

"i kicked the crap out of a granny because i thought she might have got in my way.........i was only protecting my property."

What's wrong with that..?????????????

That's a pretty skewed (and crafted) similie Tom ...it weren't like that whatsoever mate.....

 

[Buddha 3]

SP are like a verruca on every paintball players foot, their patent bull**** caused a lot of innovation in paintball to cease.

How? If it infringed on a patent (owned by whoever), it can't really be called innovation, can it? It would just be more of the same. True innovation would be different enough to skirt around any existing patents.

I ain't afraid to stick my hand up and say that if I was in a position to get a patent that had the potential to make me a lot of money, I'd do it. It's legal, there's not much wrong with it.

 

[John C]

How? If it infringed on a patent (owned by whoever), it can't really be called innovation, can it? It would just be more of the same. True innovation would be different enough to skirt around any existing patents.

I ain't afraid to stick my hand up and say that if I was in a position to get a patent that had the potential to make me a lot of money, I'd do it. It's legal, there's not much wrong with it.

That works as long as the industry can stand leaking a load of money to lawyers.



When Tom Kaye invented the compressed air system for paintball. He could have patented it.
Same with the automag. Which was the earliest of spool valve guns.

But he deliberately didnt do that.
Choosing instead to spend that money and effort making a better product.
The side effect of this method is that the customers enjoy a better product.




The difference between the Kaye philosophy and the Gardners.

The Gardners wanted a larger peice of the pie.
Kaye wanted the pie to grow big enough for everyone to share.



Im with Tom Allen on this one.
I hope they go under and we never have to hear about them again.
Good riddance smarty pants and dont let my toe get stuck in your ass on the way out.

 

[Tom Allen]

How? If it infringed on a patent (owned by whoever), it can't really be called innovation, can it? It would just be more of the same. True innovation would be different enough to skirt around any existing patents.

it's the way sp bullied smaller companies with threats of lawsuits that led to their demise, or made them concentrate their efforts away from paintball.

I ain't afraid to stick my hand up and say that if I was in a position to get a patent that had the potential to make me a lot of money, I'd do it. It's legal, there's not much wrong with it.

That's ok as long as the patent is actually yours and legal.

 

[Robbo]

The Gardners wanted a larger peice of the pie.
Kaye wanted the pie to grow big enough for everyone to share.

.

John, this is absolute romantic poppycock and you should know better than to indulge yourself with it.

Tom was at best naive, he didn't apply for patent rights in a deliberate ploy to grow the pie for everyone, that's an absurd proposition and an outright lie.

You suggested as much so as to contrast the two sets of interests and thus cast Billy and Adam as the baddies but you ain't gonna do it on that premise John ..... not on this site..it's complete and utter BS!

I know all these people a lot better than yourself and even though it may annoy some people, I will play that trump card when I see posts such as this that imply Tom was sitting on a white horse with the interests of every baller out there in one hand and a sword of justice in the other .... it weren't like that!!!

Tom is a great, kind and nice guy but he is also a businessman, albeit a naive one.

 

[Fisz]

Whatever happened, it did. Regardless of whether any of us here would have done the same thing if we were in the same position to do so or not, it's not going to change the fact, that Gardner Bros were and they did just that. And what they did was unethical but legal within the laws of US. There's plenty examples of actions like that in the recent history of mankind...Bankers' bonuses anyone?

PS. Kamikaze Chris, please...Try not to murder the english language every time you post. It will make everyone's life easier when they don't have to decipher what you meant and your arguments will be received much better.

 

[Buddha 3]

That's ok as long as the patent is actually yours and legal.

Didn't the courts decide it is/was?

 

[kamikaze_chris]

i do agree with that statement,, all the money wasted on lawyers by everyone would of gone better into the sport,, but its done now,, and they had there reasons, they are not big bad wolfs, just wanted to protect there business, ultimatly paintball is there love the same as everyone else,, sp have done alot to develop the sport etc, the amount of money they have lost trying to make it a televised sport etc, everybody chooses there own path some things right and some wrong we stand by what we do,, im sure we have all done that at some part of out lifes,,

but it shouldnt be a discussion about that, the only point i was trying to make to pages ago was that i hoped sp didnt go out of business as i believe them to be good for the sport on a whole, same as all the other companies out there producing kit for us all

 

[Tom Allen]

Didn't the courts decide it is/was?

i think they decided that the patent was not sp's, and it is currently owned by WDP, DYE and sp.