STOP the Patent Troll!!!

[Vinkman]

The big question is how they could get a patent for something that has been in existence for two decades.

I'm sure thier "patent" is in conflict of a patent that was existing before thiers.

Often times a patent is granted for things that are currently public domain if it is not widely known it is in use. There was a famous patent case against the Ford motor company because a group of investors had a patent for a motor powered car. After initially being found guilty of infringement, the case was later appealed and under the Apeal, Ford successfully argued that the patent was too broad, and useless since it patented no actual design, just the concept of a car. I would think in this case the Code developers can only patent the actual agorythms for employing their idea, not the idea itself.  A similar case was brought By Apple who sued Microsoft over the "look and feel" of a mouse operated OS, with drop down windows. Apple lost.

This Patent doesn't sound like it's worth the paper it's printed on.

[Bear76]

I liked the response from the CEO of Bad Pug Games.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/153654507/Bad-Pug-Games-response-to-Patent-Troll


ack-ack

He's using my picture in his letter...I am so gonna sue him!!

[HL117]

Leech info below:

https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/scr/cc/CorporationsCanada/fdrlCrpDtls.html?corpId=7984707

[John Galt]

If they sue Hitech, the should receive their money in cold hard perkie points, and maybe a smallpox infested blanket.

[doright]

The big question is how they could get a patent for something that has been in existence for two decades.

I'm sure thier "patent" is in conflict of a patent that was existing before thiers.

The basic problem is that the patent system is broken. The patent office doesn't have time or staff with the technical expertise to evaluate the deluge of patent applications. So a lot of worthless patents get issued. The only way those patents get properly evaluated is when they are challenged and end up in court. So the lawyers make out big time on both sides of the patent fight.

We could demand that congress fix the patent law. But that is like asking a zombie horde to diagnose and cure my headache.

[MADe]

Shakespere got it right, 1st thing we do is kill all the lawyers.

[EagleDNY]

HiTech, I have direct experience in this area professionally (am a cofounder of one of the world's largest publicly traded patent-licensing companies, have managed IP legal teams and strategy, and have been involved in a number of patent fights related to being a cofounder of a couple of biotech companies -- patent wars are a standard part of the biotech business).  There are ways that can potentially greatly minimize or eliminate such threats that are fairly quick and inexpensive to try.  As a long-time AH enthusiast (and AW enthusiast before that), I'm happy to talk to you about it.  My e-mail is brooke at customarrayinc.com -- if you want, just send me a an e-mail, and we can arrange a time to talk.

Hey guys - if you need some assistance looking for prior art to invalidate this trolls patent, we used to sell the Worldgroup BBS and games back in the early 1990s.   There are definitely worldgroup games that were 1) multiuser, 2) over the internet, and 3) allowed for the creation of characters and the keeping of data, both in real time and saved about those characters and their status.   Feel free to drop me a line and I am more than happy to put you in touch with people that have more info on this stuff.