Curse

Fril Estelin · Dec 30, 2008, 07:21 PM // 19:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ctb

I don't know what you think happened there, but it dragged on for years, likely cost IBM and Novell millions, if not tens of millions or dollars, and was ultimately dismissed.

I wasn't thinking of what the court in the end decided (no one really cared), but rather the behind-the-scenes arrangement between companies. I'm not a lawyer but followed with attention this "affair" and learned to read between the lines, as when Microsoft purchased licenses officially and unofficially through several companies. Stuff like that, that lies outside of court and we rarely see.

Quote:

In my perfect world, a single NCSoft lawyer would go into the court room with a copy of Ultima Online, slap it on the judge's bench, and leave without saying a word. Then, the judge would turn into a 500 foot long cobra and bite every rep from "Worlds" in half. This would be televised live as a warning to other lazy bumpkins who can't be arsed to go get a real job.

That would be awesome.

Lawyers don't see themselves as lazy, but as "effective". I once attended a presentation by a very famous ex-lawyer (defended Britney spears and showbusiness people) who told us to volunteer and help her to strenghthen her nice kid-helping organisation. She could do it because she earned dozens of millions of $ and retired at around 45.

Sir Skullcrasher · Dec 30, 2008, 08:49 PM // 20:49

Correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't a big company (Sony) got sued and lost against a small company over the claim that they shouldn't been using the rumble technology.

It's weird how the rumber technology for controllers has been around for years yet Sony was the one that took the fall on it.

Even thought this case isn't similar to whats happening now, it proves that sometime a small company can make bigger one paid for patent infrigentment.

BenjZee · Dec 30, 2008, 09:12 PM // 21:12

Theres always problems with crap like that ^^...not long ago i was reading about patented ideas that coulda got guitar heroe and singstar games in trouble. I doubt anything will come bad at this as the patent is too vague and there is so many loop holes as it were. I think it will piss of pretty much the entire world if it did, c'mon who ever filed the lawsuit they shuold think about the corruption to the IT users across the world

Takeko Nakano · Dec 30, 2008, 09:32 PM // 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera

I hereby claim patent on the phenomenon 'breathing'. Everybody who breathes without paying me, will be sued.

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but someone supposedly patented various methods for using a swing.

Joe Fierce · Dec 30, 2008, 09:36 PM // 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera

I hereby claim patent on the phenomenon 'breathing'. Everybody who breathes without paying me, will be sued.

That's basically what worlds.com are doing.

I hereby claim patent on the idea of jeebus, or any other higher power. And to all of that which he has created, including the notion of a world surrounded by a body of stars with life forms bearing his likeness upon it.

Abedeus · Dec 30, 2008, 09:58 PM // 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Fierce

I hereby claim patent on the idea of jeebus, or any other higher power. And to all of that which he has created, including the notion of a world surrounded by a body of stars with life forms bearing his likeness upon it.

Sorry, but unless you prove God exists, you can't get anything from that patent.

Also, you can't patent something that you didn't actually create. While you can claim you created breathing and explain how it works and demonstrate, you can't do same with any superior beings. You can claim you created them, explain how they work or what's their domain, but unless you show them, then no way, Jose.

Crom The Pale · Dec 30, 2008, 10:55 PM // 22:55

If the US is allowing concept patents then maybe its not to late for me to get one for Internet Searching?

Google, Yahoo...PAY UP!

Dante the Warlord · Dec 30, 2008, 11:25 PM // 23:25

Something is fishy here.... MMORPGs have been around for quite a LONG time, back to runescape maybe even longer. If they were to file a suit, why wouldn't they do it when the first ones were coming out? And also, why do it now, when it HAPPENS to be a recession and while the video gaming industry with chatting has slowly accumulated all the money. Someone is getting greedy here...

immortius · Dec 30, 2008, 11:39 PM // 23:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumlekar

Now for the legal standpoint:
I don't know my MMO history or patent laws as well as I should, but as far as i know there were no MMOs operating with a 3D engine before 1997. NWN was 2D from my understanding, and ultima was isometric.

Meridan 59 - 3D graphical mmo first launched late 1995.

MUDs aren't prior art to the patent because it describes a server-client system where the client has a database of the game objects, allowing the server to send object ids and the client to handle the display. MUD clients have no smarts, so the server has to send the full ascii object descriptions.

Coney · Dec 30, 2008, 11:46 PM // 23:46

This patent was filed 8/3/2000. I started reading the patent's tripe at the US site, and it sounded a lot like what had already been done previously, in DooM/Quake, Everquest, etc. In fact, that's almost exactly what the abstract describes.

Then I got to this delightful masterpiece of English diction:

"... and (d) displaying the set of the other users' avatars from based on the orientation of the first user's avatar as monitored is step (c), ..."

And skimmed the rest, deciding it was pretty much a low-level description of what had already been in place in client-server FPS and MMORPG games for at least 5 years...

slowerpoke · Dec 30, 2008, 11:59 PM // 23:59

Im going to patent patents

Sir Skullcrasher · Dec 31, 2008, 12:11 AM // 00:11

I'm beginning to think this suit will not go through since there isn't any news coverage on this. Not to mention, places like gamespot and other sites hasn't said anything in regard to this.

Maybe NC-Soft already dodged a bullet from this case?

YunSooJin · Dec 31, 2008, 12:12 AM // 00:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoondockSaint

Will most likly not achieve anything. If you notice, they are not seeking to shut down these MMO's but rather seek damages. Intreasting to me because I just started my first year of law school and one of our classes delt with patent issues. My guess is that it will be overturned because the patent is to vague, or that such a thing (online avatars) is essentually unable to be patented, I however have not completly read the patent.

Will be intreasting to see.

What law school accepted YOU? likly? intreasting? essentually? completly? delt?

I mean sure, you can say they're all typos but buddy you just spelled interesting wrong twice in one post.

credit · Dec 31, 2008, 12:18 AM // 00:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by YunSooJin

What law school accepted YOU? likly? intreasting? essentually? completly? delt?

I mean sure, you can say they're all typos but buddy you just spelled interesting wrong twice in one post.

grammar fgsfds

snaek · Dec 31, 2008, 12:26 AM // 00:26

no need to insult...
english may not be his first language

Konig Des Todes · Dec 31, 2008, 12:29 AM // 00:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nessar

I lol'd irl reading this. I doubt this will get anywhere.

This and:

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormDragonZ

Interesting to know that just about anything is viable for suing people over.

Already knew this. My family has been sued over the most pitiful things ever. We always have won.

You can go and purposely injure yourself on someone else' property and claim it is their fault because it's their property.

Dr.Jones · Dec 31, 2008, 12:55 AM // 00:55

LOLOLOLOLOL hahahahaha oh man that is soo baller. it will be very very interesting to see where this leads.

The Red Messenger · Dec 31, 2008, 01:22 AM // 01:22

so basically...

1) start a company using somebody else's idea
2) buy the patent for a part of that product that nobody has thought of yet
3) sue the guys you copied for using your patented product

im sure this has been attempted before in some way or another

anyone know if this case has a precedent?

pumpkin pie · Dec 31, 2008, 01:24 AM // 01:24

just don't RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO up Guild Wars 2 .... kick worlds.com

i'll patent www3.____.com or did someone already patent it?

Scalable virtual world chat client-server system

Abstract

The present invention provides a highly scalable architecture for a three-dimensional graphical, multi-user, interactive virtual world system. A plurality of users can interact in the three-dimensional, computer-generated graphical space where each user executes a client process to view a virtual world from the perspective of that user. The virtual world shows avatars representing the other users who are neighbors of the user viewing the virtual world. In order that the view can be updated to reflect the motion of the remote user's avatars, motion information is transmitted to a central server which provides position updates to client processes for neighbors of the user at that client process. The client process also uses an environment database to determine which background objects to render as well as to limit the movement of the user's avatar.

question: what worlds.com patented was a chat program in 3d environment

and guild wars is a game client how does that infringe the patent?

also don't understand the word neighbours use in that description? could one argue that most of the players on guild wars client aren't neighbours? infact i don't think theres even one gw players in my neighbouring town.

and funny can't even find any information regarding the patent on worlds.com yesterday, today its all there, did anyone visited that webpage yesterday?

what the hello is that diagram showing?

CyberMesh0 · Dec 31, 2008, 02:14 AM // 02:14

I fell out of my chair laughing irl. Do they really believe they have a basis here? I thought this was an april fools joke.