The world just became a little bit more ridiculous today

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2004-11-02 08:25pm

News Article

The actual patent in contention

Damaramu · Post by **Damaramu** » 2004-11-02 10:12pm

That's just fucking rediculous. I wish those fuckers luck with their lawsuits.....

Tech^salvager · Post by **Tech^salvager** » 2004-11-03 12:35am

hmm Different but the patent is a bit vague on the subject. Though I do think they brought this up because of money, but they do own a pantent on it.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2004-11-03 12:52am

Tech^salvager wrote:hmm Different but the patent is a bit vague on the subject. Though I do think they brought this up because of money, but they do own a pantent on it.

That's right, they own an ancient patent on a SPHERE. Ridiculous...

Furthermore, the description in the patent describes the way every 3d modelling program handles 3d objects. It's IMPOSSIBLE to make a 3d game without using these methods.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-11-03 01:23am

It would be interesting to see what happens.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2004-11-03 01:41am

They're only targeting game distributors cause those are easy targets.

If they tried to take on the likes of SGI, Adobe, and Avid, hahaha.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2004-11-03 02:52am

Shinova wrote:They're only targeting game distributors cause those are easy targets.

If they tried to take on the likes of SGI, Adobe, and Avid, hahaha.

If they beat the gaming companies, that's exactly what they'd do. If they win against a company for selling games created with those methods, then the next thing they'd do is target the big companies that sell the programs that create them in the first place (3ds Max, Lightwave, Maya, Strata, etc, all very expensive).

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2004-11-03 12:53pm

Huh? Wtf? Seriously, WTF?! How the fuck could he get a patent for that? The asshole must have done that just to wait until enough companies where using 3D and then just file massive amounts of lawsuits against them!

What will happen if he win? Will he get a percentage of the sales of every single 3D application in the world?! Will he get exclusice rights to everything 3D on computers? Yes, that's probably it! I can see it; 3D gaming banned because of an ancient patent...

Well, I guess that's what you get from software patents...

(not that this is any actual software, it's just a fricking simple algorithm)

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2004-11-03 03:52pm

Shinova wrote:They're only targeting game distributors cause those are easy targets.

If they tried to take on the likes of SGI, Adobe, and Avid, hahaha.

You think EA is an easy target? EA takes in nearly three times as much revenue as SGI, Adobe and Avid put together, they can let the case drag on until the people bringing it have bled their pockets dry.

Besides, the case may last as long as someone setting up an Apple II in the courtroom and firing up Elite. What? Prior art? Where?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-03 04:53pm

Vendetta wrote:
You think EA is an easy target? EA takes in nearly three times as much revenue as SGI, Adobe and Avid put together, they can let the case drag on until the people bringing it have bled their pockets dry.

Besides, the case may last as long as someone setting up an Apple II in the courtroom and firing up Elite. What? Prior art? Where?

As if they're going to let commonsense get in the way of making a quick buck.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2004-11-03 06:18pm

Vendetta wrote:
Shinova wrote:They're only targeting game distributors cause those are easy targets.

If they tried to take on the likes of SGI, Adobe, and Avid, hahaha.
You think EA is an easy target? EA takes in nearly three times as much revenue as SGI, Adobe and Avid put together, they can let the case drag on until the people bringing it have bled their pockets dry.

Besides, the case may last as long as someone setting up an Apple II in the courtroom and firing up Elite. What? Prior art? Where?

Good point. Even the old Apple Scotty used in Star Trek 4 used similar principles I believe.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2004-11-03 06:30pm

This patent makes just as much sense as patenting bianary. I think the court might just revoke the patent outright.

Besides, I thought there was a shelflife on patents, 8 years or so I heard.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2004-11-03 07:14pm

That's only slightly less stupid than trying to patent the wheel and sue car companies...

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2004-11-03 07:16pm

Alyeska wrote:Besides, I thought there was a shelflife on patents, 8 years or so I heard.

20 years.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-03 07:53pm

darthdavid wrote:That's only slightly less stupid than trying to patent the wheel and sue car companies...

Remember the April Fools where Microsoft wanted to patent "1" and "0"?

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2004-11-03 10:03pm

Vendetta wrote:
Alyeska wrote:Besides, I thought there was a shelflife on patents, 8 years or so I heard.
20 years.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you get extentions for them?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-03 10:13pm

Vertigo1 wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you get extentions for them?

That depends on the premise. Disney for instance has boosted their Mickey Mouse copyright to 80 years (the original length of time is 50 in the UK and US after the owner's death, IIRC). Once something goes public domain, anyone can do what they want with it and that scares Diznee so imagine how certain software companies are reacting.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-11-04 06:08am

This'll be thrown out.

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2004-11-04 11:47am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Vertigo1 wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you get extentions for them?
That depends on the premise. Disney for instance has boosted their Mickey Mouse copyright to 80 years (the original length of time is 50 in the UK and US after the owner's death, IIRC). Once something goes public domain, anyone can do what they want with it and that scares Diznee so imagine how certain software companies are reacting.

Patents and copyrights are not the same thing, at all.