Patent Troll Ready to Sue World of Warcraft, Second Life

[Radelaide]

I bet L. Ron Hubbard has the same patent.

 

[PhoenixFlame]

I don't see the problem with that... care to enlighten me?

Al_ pretty much beat me to it, but he explained it for me. Just because you hold a patent, doesn't mean that you should control innovation on the idea behind said patent into perpetuity, especially when A)you have done nothing with said patent and B)someone develops an idea that is similar to, but not exactly like, what was patented.

Unfortunately all it takes is one successful suit to create the basis for future suits. So if I patent some idea I have about "whatsits", but then don't bother to do any of the work for it, and then you come along and develop a successful "whosits" over a period of years, money, and resources, that you could possibly compare to a "whatsits", why should I have to be able to get money from you?

RIM, the makers of Blackberry, ran into a similar situation a while back with NTP. The ruling, which favored NTP, threatened to shut down Blackberry service. The only reason we still have Blackberries is because of the persistence of the technology and settlements. So while technically the ruling upholds the patent, that doesn't mean the patent system itself couldn't use an overhaul or a prevention of this kind of "I want in too" lawsuits.

The last thing I would want is a perpetuation of that kind of thinking, when patents weren't really intended to protect laziness.

 

[Nunka]

I don't see the problem with that... care to enlighten me?

Al_ pretty much beat me to it, but he explained it for me. Just because you hold a patent, doesn't mean that you should control innovation on the idea behind said patent into perpetuity, especially when A)you have done nothing with said patent and B)someone develops an idea that is similar to, but not exactly like, what was patented.

Unfortunately all it takes is one successful suit to create the basis for future suits. So if I patent some idea I have about "whatsits", but then don't bother to do any of the work for it, and then you come along and develop a successful "whosits" over a period of years, money, and resources, that you could possibly compare to a "whatsits", why should I have to be able to get money from you?

RIM, the makers of Blackberry, ran into a similar situation a while back with NTP. The ruling, which favored NTP, threatened to shut down Blackberry service. The only reason we still have Blackberries is because of the persistence of the technology and settlements. So while technically the ruling upholds the patent, that doesn't mean the patent system itself couldn't use an overhaul or a prevention of this kind of "I want in too" lawsuits.

The last thing I would want is a perpetuation of that kind of thinking, when patents weren't really intended to protect laziness.

Okay, maybe I should rephrase my comment... I don't see how this is a problem worthy of anyone's attention, i.e., a problem bigger than any other a potential innovator is likely to face. Unless there's some law already in effect that declares patents obsolete if their owners haven't properly utilized them (doubtful, if higher courts have to set a precedent, as has been discussed)... well, I just don't see anything wrong with it on a legal level. Ethics be damned---if there's a loophole, why not exploit it?

 

[angryscotsman93]

Fuck, if those guys in Texas let Worlds.com get away with this, I suggest we KICK TEXAS OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. Seriously, this case is grade-a, depleted uranium BULLSHIT.

Watch yer figgins.

Just fuckin' try it. We have more guns than you.
We also produce and process a huge portion of your oil. Enjoy your inflated gas prices, suckers!
Also, our small short-crust pasties containing raisins are just fine, thank you.

Now, in all seriousness:
The Nintendo case seemed pretty clear-cut to me - it was the squishy shoulder buttons and analog sticks that Anascape were upset about, and they had quite clearly filed a specific patent on that idea.
While I agree that $26 million was a bit steep, I think this was (probably unintentional) patent infringement.

This case, though, is pretty broad. I don't think the idea of MMOGs is patentable, necessarily, though architectural specifics (which is kinda what this sounds like it's really about) might be.
In any case, I'm sure some form of justice will be had.

My friend, you generally tell a person you have more guns than him when you want to break away from him . I don't remember hearing about any founding father screaming, "Give me no liberty, or give me death!"

Just messin' with you, Texas dude. The thing is, I find it just plain idiotic to wait this long to make a cash grab for the MMO license, you know? And besides, they've probably just been sitting around this whole time with their fingers up their asses. I mean, wen was the last time your ever heard about a product from Worlds.com?

Exactly: NEVER.

They've been negligent in regards to using their license, and this is what happens when you do that: you get, as my buddies in NJROTC would put it, boned up the ass . Boo-fuckin'-hoo, Worlds.com, you should've made better use of that patent. Before, back in, like, 2001, you would've had a legitimate claim.

Now World.com is just being a prick.

 

[PayNSprayBandit]

Go man, go. Teach the world to check with the patent office first.

 

[Erana]

...And while I'm at it, I'm going to go marry the guy who claimed the moon and be the real moon princess!

Wait, no... I'm not an inexplicably blond Japanese Highschool ditz...

Damn...

 

[Lukeydoodly]

You shouldn't even be allowed to patent something like that.

 

[runedeadthA]

if they had the rights since 1995 , then why are they now starting a lawsuit?

Because they were waiting for the MMO company's to have enough money for them
*sigh*
Sometimes I think USA will sue country's for the intellectual rights for the idea of democracy....

 

[merf1350]

The patents don't cover virtual worlds specifically but rather "an architecture for enabling thousands of simultaneous users in a 3D virtual space."

REALLY?...I mean come on, REALLY?!

Lets just hope that retard doesn't realize it gives him bullshit claim, not just to MMOs, but any multiplayer in existence today.

Can we maybe take this guy out behind the shed and beat him with Jack Thompson please?

 

[merf1350]

Okay, maybe I should rephrase my comment... I don't see how this is a problem worthy of anyone's attention, i.e., a problem bigger than any other a potential innovator is likely to face. Unless there's some law already in effect that declares patents obsolete if their owners haven't properly utilized them (doubtful, if higher courts have to set a precedent, as has been discussed)... well, I just don't see anything wrong with it on a legal level. Ethics be damned---if there's a loophole, why not exploit it?

I may be wrong on this, but I think I did hear somewhere there is some sort of expiration, at least with certain types of patents. I.E. source code for old versions of Windows coming up so that other comanies can use it as a starting point. That would provide for the explanation of constantly making new OS's, instead of upgrading one forever. In theory 3.1 could have been updated over time into something like XP/Vista, but the code would be out there for all to see eventually. Multipl OS releases reset that clock with each new version.

But I may be wrong on that, that was an explanation I got so long ago I can't judge now if it's really accurate or not.

 

[LeonLethality]

How can you patent something like that, maybe if its advertised in those words, but thats not really patentable is it? if so, thats just stupid, plus im sure blizzard could hire a good lawyer, I mean ffs they WILL want to keep all the income WoW makes...

Oh please. What a whiny little idiot.

Why would he wait this long to start suing? 3D MMOs have been around for a long time now.

Because now there's preposterous amounts of money in the MMOG business, which he thinks he's entitled to. His project didn't make him ridiculously rich, so he's trying to make money off of others' success.

It's called leaching, I dont think this guy even deserved royalties(Sp?) I mean ffs, a patent like that, FFXI would be down, Ragnarok, Conquer Online, Eudemons, the list goes on and on, you cant just own something like that, maybe if its a specific world and story HE CREATED, then yeah I would understand but all in general, thats just stupid and the patent should be revoked

 

[Meshakhad_v1legacy]

He'd better not win. Otherwise, Texas will have to face the full fury of the internet.

 

[t.tocs]

If this works, I'm suing my neighbor for having a toilet in the same spot in their house as it is in mine...that's creativity copyright...or something.

 

[Wedlock49]

if they had the rights since 1995 , then why are they now starting a lawsuit?

money. If they had filed back when it all started they would have gotten a pityful amount of money in comparison with what they can and will make now, MMORPG's are too popular to die out now, if this had happened earlier in its life time it would have most likely killed the genre.

 

[crepesack]

Whoever is the kid that invented the game Cops and Robbers should sue all the FPS games. This lawsuit is stupid, Blizzard will probably counter-sue.

 

[squid5580]

So let me get this straight. A guy walks into an office and says I got this great idea about 1000's of players in a virtual world. I have no tech experience, no design just a thought in my head. And he can sue?

And does the patent account for millions of players? If not Blizzard might be safe.

 

[chinangel]

so Blizzard sues a woman for 88 million then has this handed to them. I sincerely hope they lose.