Mojang, Square Enix, EA and Others Sued For Patent Infringement

[SacremPyrobolum]

Sounds like one of those utility patent lawsuits.

Utility patents are bad news, as it allows someone to create something like, I don't know, keys, and then gives them the ability to sue everyone who does not buy the rig to use keys on there product from them.

One story like this happened a while ago, where a man sued all the software companies in the world for using a loading screen, claiming it was his idea to represent it as such.

You see how these things can be a problem to creativity and innovative start-up businesses?

Also: Gabe Newell's evil twin? Here at 11.

 

[Dafttechno]

Considering the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft alone has made over $60 million just since its May 9th release, even after Microsoft's share, taxes, and paying 27 Mojang employees, Notch can easily afford to bury this guy in litigation.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

This country (the U.S.) really really needs to revamp the lawsuit area of the justice system. Well a lot of areas need revamping, but frivolous lawsuits that end up costing taxpayers money (paying judges, bailiffs, stenographers and all the other people involved that work for the gov't) are ridiculous. Not to mention the mountains of money that litigators get paid whether they win or not...
To be honest, lawsuits should have some form of deterrence on them, perhaps putting a limit on how much a lawyer/law office can make from a lawsuit, penalties for lawsuits that are proven to be a waste of everyone's time... I don't have answers on how it should work but I think that its ridiculous what people can sue for.

Great example: That dumbass lady who dropped hot coffee in her lap and got burned and sued McDonalds because "there was no warning label". That is fucking ridiculous, and even more ridiculous that she won.

Anyone else know of some stupid ass suits that should never have been considered?

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Like everyone else has said, it sucks. Exploiting the hell out of that loophole in the current patent and copyright laws is a shamefully efficient way to make a living, actually. You just have to have enough evidence, enough clout to stand up against a corp with an army of lawyers, and time to waste.

Sue enough people frequently enough and someone's bound to agree to a settlement just to shut you up. Not everyone's Sony, Microsoft or Mojang. Ka-ching! Free cash, usually at the tune of a few million bucks!

Not that it has any chance of happening now, though. Like others have said, Notch can afford to bury this guy in court appeals and other attempts at litigation until the end of time.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

This country (the U.S.) really really needs to revamp the lawsuit area of the justice system. Well a lot of areas need revamping, but frivolous lawsuits that end up costing taxpayers money (paying judges, bailiffs, stenographers and all the other people involved that work for the gov't) are ridiculous. Not to mention the mountains of money that litigators get paid whether they win or not...
To be honest, lawsuits should have some form of deterrence on them, perhaps putting a limit on how much a lawyer/law office can make from a lawsuit, penalties for lawsuits that are proven to be a waste of everyone's time... I don't have answers on how it should work but I think that its ridiculous what people can sue for.

Great example: That dumbass lady who dropped hot coffee in her lap and got burned and sued McDonalds because "there was no warning label". That is fucking ridiculous, and even more ridiculous that she won.

Anyone else know of some stupid ass suits that should never have been considered?

Woman received third degree burns from the coffee. Please actually study that case.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I fuckin' hate patents. Ideas should be free for everyone as long as people are not blatantly ripping other peoples ideas off.

These guys are obvious patent trolls. And as such they should be shot.

that...doesnt make any sense.

patents are there so people dont blatantly rip other peoples ideas off.
just ask china with their Ipud tablets, rulex watch.....

Wow, I want to go to star fucks now.

As do I. Remember their motto:
"We'll get you up in the morning."

 

[rbstewart7263]

Give that fat ass a weeks worth of KFC thatl solve this case pretty quickly.



Can you say diabetic coma? Lol

 

[Shjade]

If anyone can beat a patent troll incredibly hard into the dust, it's Notch.

Because he's demonstrated a knack for swinging around the legal system before? If that were the case I think his tiff with Bethesda would've gone differently.

With Bethesda, it wasn't actually certain he would win, and he didn't seem to care much either way.

Yeah, but the Bethesda case was muddy. I could see some poor blind grandma picking up Skyrim instead of Scrolls, like her grandson wanted. Poor kid...

This is purely some bastard trying to steal money from people who earned it. Even EA is preferable to this cancerous blob. I would literally buy a round-trip plane ticket to Texas just to dance on his grave when he dies. Which will hopefully be soon, and of starvation.

To be fair, Notch was (accidentally) totally in the wrong for that one.

I don't see him being in the wrong on this one.

All true statements.

None of which support the notion that Notch has the knowledge or ability to beat someone who specializes in this kind of lawsuit, much less that he is someone who can be depended upon for it ("If anyone can do it, it's Notch.")

I think my statement of skepticism stands.

 

[Harmondale2]

He looks kind of like a young Plinkett? Anyone else see the resemblance?

 

[dangoball]

It would be kinda fun to see all those companies and corporations join forces and *****-slap that bugger to his place in a court.

 

[suitepee7]

awesome tweet from notch, but this guy is fucking mental. i think this is proof that there is SOMETHING wrong with current patent laws, although i have no understanding of them so i can't really say what

 

[Twilight_guy]

That description isn't of a patent, its of a type of patient. That's like trying to patent 'A device with an engine and enclosed space that is designed to move people form place to place' and suing every company to ever make a car. Patent need to be actual things. I know they make them vague to avoid similar but not he same devices but this is ridiculous. Never mind the balls he has to file the suits, who the hell is the patent clerk that didn't immediately trash that idea?

 

[bliebblob]

Step 1: patent copyright trolling
step 2: become counter-trolling legend

 

[Zefar]

Not sure who the biggest pricks are.

1: Lawyers helping these patent trolls and charging like $500 per hour. Also $500 per hour? WHY do they think they are worth so much?

2: The patent troll itself.

3: The judge who agrees with patent trolls.

This has been going on for years as well and it still hasn't changed. Make some demands on when you can issue an suing order.

I remember watching a Youtube video about this and one way to win was to go like "I'm gonna drag this out as much as possible!" and it usually got them to stop. The other way was to demand they show proof of the infringement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_lb3D7Ay-M

Good video to watch.

 

[Stabinbac]

We get all pissed of when things like this happen to smaller businesses, but this guy really is just a tiny part of the problem.

Look up "Rockstar Consortium". Apple, Microsoft, and Sony, and some others, have set up this group to patent troll the tech industry.

edit:
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/05/rockstar/

"?Pretty much anybody out there is infringing,? says John Veschi, Rockstar?s CEO. ?It would be hard for me to envision that there are high-tech companies out there that don?t use some of the patents in our portfolio.?"

 

[uncanny474]

All true statements.

None of which support the notion that Notch has the knowledge or ability to beat someone who specializes in this kind of lawsuit, much less that he is someone who can be depended upon for it ("If anyone can do it, it's Notch.")

I think my statement of skepticism stands.

Notch's knowledge and ability don't amount to a hill of clams. What matters is his LAWYER'S knowledge and ability. I mean, unless he represents himself, which would make me headdesk through my computer.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

In the business of finding big ideas

base in Texas

Ok, ok, that was needless. It's two in the morning and I needed to make a flippant comment. I apologise to all progressive and forward thinking Texans.

[sub]Shouldn't take long...[/sub]



OT: This guy obviously makes his 'living' by trying to cash in on the successful ideas of other people. With any luck the legal system will see him coming a mile off and drop-kick him into next week.

 

[RvLeshrac]

Correction: You *SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED* to patent vague concepts.

You most certainly CAN obtain a patent for vague concepts - otherwise, IP patents would not exist. Amazon holds the "One-Click" patent, which is just "Not requiring that the user enter all of their data again when buying something." In order for that to not be a concept, it would need to patent very specific code in a specific language.

[citation needed]

(ed: You know what, nah, here's the citation: GOOGLE)