SmartParts press release.

[Buddha 3]

Smart Parts and National Paintball Supply reach patent license agreement.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2003

Smart Parts Website:
www.smartparts.com

National Paintball Supply Website:
www.nationalpaintball.com


National Paintball Supply and Smart Parts Sign Patent License Agreement
August 22, 2003

Smart Parts, Inc. and National Paintball Supply, Inc. today announced the
signing of a Patent License Agreement giving National Paintball Supply
rights to make, sell, offer for sale, and distribute products covered by
Smart Parts¹ electronic paintball gun patents.

Smart Parts owns several issued patents and pending patent applications
related to the use of electronics in the control and operation of paintball
guns. These include, for instance, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,881,707; 5,967,133;
6,035,843; and 6,474,326 B1.

 

[Leper]

Only speculation, but if SP and NPS were to ally, surely that leaves the other companies in a very weak position? Maybe Smart Parts have realised that they can't take NPS on...but for them to have embarked on this action without considering that seems unlikely to me.

The "pending" aspect is interesting also, does all of this hinge on the patents being approoved by a judge?

 

[Rabies]

Maybe it's the opposite - NPS have realised that it's better (and cheaper) to toe the line and come to an amicable agreement with SP rather than spend a year or two feeding lawyers? NPS are one of the few companies with the bargaining power to beat SP down on their demands, thus being able to reach a compromise that NPS can partly absorb in costs, partly pass on to customers, whilst still making the brothers Gardner even richer.

More pure speculation, of course, and I doubt you'll be hearing any genuine details of the deal they've signed any time soon, especially with the other patent suits currently in progress over the same issue.