SP -v- AKA

[Mark790.06]

Originally posted by Mario
How can a company sue for patent infringement when there is definite prior art?

I believe the same thing happened with the telephone. Two guys were neck and neck (Bell and some other dude), the other dude made a mechanism that he thought didn't work and discarded it. Bell made a similar doo-hickey a short time later and patented it, and it later proved to be intergral in making the telephone a reality. It's not about who made it first, it's about who was smart enough to get it patented.

Originally posted by Mario
Also does this patent not get in the way of technology which is in essence the one thing a patent can not do?!

Henry Ford won in court when he demonstrated that his model T was far superior to the automobile the patent was granted to. WGP's had the patent on their autococker body and front block. AKA, I think, argued that some holes drilled in a block of aluminum was hardly patent worthy. If so, the AKA design was an improvement none the less.

Originally posted by Mario
To be honest the american patent system must suck ass...

Not really. With millions of patents on the books, deciding which have validity and which do not is an impossibility. I really don't think anyone to this point has had the means and/or motivation to fully fight the SP patent. To my knowledge everyone thus far has settled. No one has fought the suit until a decision was made by a judge. It's not the patent, it's the cost of litigation that has made other businesses back down. Now you'll get no argument from me about our suck ass legal system.

Originally posted by Mario
on a side note i know of another company who are preparing a defense against sp.

If I'm right, and no decision has yet been made in all the previous infringement suits SP has filed, this "company" better find out whether AKA is going to go the distance or not. Because once a judge rules on it, there will now be a decision, in addition to the patent, that must be reversed.

 

[Bolter]

regarding being against any team or player who is sponsored by SP, personally I have no problem with that as that is a normal run of business and developement. I have no problem with Dynasty going to SP, but I do think that SP have some underhand tactics going on.

Should they (or did they?) have told the other paintball companies that they have this patent, when they got it? Maybe then companies would have taken a different route on paintball gun design. Its very sneaky.

 

[le-pig]

it's buisness m8,i don't agree with what they are doing,but can understand why
and as for teams,how many of you would turn down full sponsorship if they offerd it

 

[Collier]

Originally posted by le-pig
it's buisness m8,i don't agree with what they are doing,but can understand why
and as for teams,how many of you would turn down full sponsorship if they offerd it

not me

I have nothing against any team sponsored by SP or the products.

Paul

 

[snowythehobo]

im all for AKA

tort cant u muster up a pro-AKA/anti-smartparts avatar?!

 

[Collier]

The best way we can support AKA is to buy their products

Paul

 

[garycarrot]

I dont like what S/P are doing, but dont have any grudges against any sponsored teams, its not the teams fault.

Having read about this over the last couple of months, hope that AKA go the distance, and win the case.

Seems to me that S/P do not want a "fair" chunk of the pie, they want it all!...........Bill Gates anyone??

Think AKA should make some stickers, that we all can buy, thus helping them pay for the cost of the battle. With Mr Collier being the U.K. contact.

 

[shamu]

Originally posted by Bolter
Should they (or did they?) have told the other paintball companies that they have this patent, when they got it? Maybe then companies would have taken a different route on paintball gun design. Its very sneaky.

SP have said for some time (a few years minimum) that they would protect their patents, so it's not like they've been secretive about their intentions.

 

[Itchy]

Originally posted by Mark790.06
AKA, I think, argued that some holes drilled in a block of aluminum was hardly patent worthy. If so, the AKA design was an improvement none the less.

However, even if you patent an improvement in a device that is already patented, you can not manufacture that improvement without the permission of the holder of the original patent (unless the improvement is separate.) I.e. if someone patents TVs, and you patent remote control TVs, you still can't make remote control TVs without a license on the TV patent. You can make remote controls to your heart's content though.

AKA would have had to show that the Worr patent did not apply to whatever they were making for whatever reason.

 

[Twizz ECI]

Re: Team Ecstasy

Originally posted by Dannefaerd
Way to support your sponsors ...

i would just like to say to you that i have a lot of freinds in paintball and my freindship with them is more important than anything,so i don't want to spoil that because of something thats out of my control!!!!!! MATE