Looks like someone thinks NCSoft is an easy target
By
Assailant,
Posted on: 2008-12-29 22:58 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
[ QUOTE ]
"a system and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space."
Surely something this vague would apply to MUD's as well, and they've been around for donkeys years!
[/ QUOTE ]
Afraid not, the patent does specify three-dimensional, look up the patent number with google if you want to check the full details.
Just thought I'd post this for your amusement. Looks to be a funny storyline.
Ludicrous.
Why they did not go for Second life instead (seems that is more near the mark) i dont know.
But patenting mmo, what have they smoked? And who the heck are they?
Guess Blizzard and every other mmo will help.
/em shakeheadfromthisstupidity
Lady Arete on Unionhandbook
My Excel Badge tool
Just posting this as it seems a pretty accurate representation from Penny Arcade.
Edit: Should you be easily offended by bad language, don't view the link. Just a little disclaimer.
[ QUOTE ]
Ludicrous.
Why they did not go for Second life instead (seems that is more near the mark) i dont know.
But patenting mmo, what have they smoked? And who the heck are they?
Guess Blizzard and every other mmo will help.
/em shakeheadfromthisstupidity
[/ QUOTE ]
It'll be shot down pretty quickly, like Khorak said, they've basically hung onto the patent for over ten years, allowed an entire industry to build using their patent, and now only just realized it.
Yeah right, it'll be shot down faster than a Longbow Flyer over Grandville.
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah right, it'll be shot down faster than a Longbow Flyer over Grandville.
[/ QUOTE ]
What if it was stealthed?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah right, it'll be shot down faster than a Longbow Flyer over Grandville.
[/ QUOTE ]
What if it was stealthed?
[/ QUOTE ]
Have you seen how many enemies have better perception that hide these days? Basic stealth would be gone faster than...a very very fast thing XD
Yes, this IS IDIOCY. They'll be hated by the entire MMo industry and its players if they win...so they need to lose 
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
 |
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah right, it'll be shot down faster than a Longbow Flyer over Grandville.
[/ QUOTE ]
What if it was stealthed?
[/ QUOTE ]
Have you seen how many enemies have better perception that hide these days? Basic stealth would be gone faster than...a very very fast thing XD
Yes, this IS IDIOCY. They'll be hated by the entire MMo industry and its players if they win...so they need to lose
[/ QUOTE ]
To me it stinks of a marketing ploy along the lines of "All Publicity is Good Publicity."
They're gonna be hated either way unless they drop the case, people are going to keep an eye on them as a company and what they make, this may lead to a case of people checking something out and enjoying it even if they don't want to.
Then again, I'm willing to be that if it goes past the opening day of trial, Blizzard will get behind NCSoft to avoid being Worlds.com's next target.
[ QUOTE ]
Then again, I'm willing to be that if it goes past the opening day of trial, Blizzard will get behind NCSoft to avoid being Worlds.com's next target.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well obviously their entire battle plan has already been derailed. The point is to pick on a bunch of people like NCSoft in a court that apparently hates foreigners, get the desired decision, and then use the precedent to defeat big companies like Blizzard without ever having to face them.
It got reported all over the world and the big companies are now going to be staring intently at the situation with baseball bats in hand.
Chairman of the Charity of Pain; accepting donations of blood and guts.
Prophet of the Creamy Truth; "If it's empty, fill it with cream."
[ QUOTE ]
Well obviously their entire battle plan has already been derailed. The point is to pick on a bunch of people like NCSoft in a court that apparently hates foreigners, get the desired decision, and then use the precedent to defeat big companies like Blizzard without ever having to face them.
[/ QUOTE ]
I doubt the battle plan contains going to court at all, except as a plan B. Seems like a pretty standard patent bully strategy. What you want is to force your target to accept an out-of-court settlement, so you want to target someone that's got enough money to be worth your while, but not so much money that they can take the cost of a lengthy legal process on the chin.
You certainly don't want to target someone like Blizzard, because even if you actually did have a good case, Blizzard has the resources to make the legal process drag on for years, slowly bleeding you dry, and they have the motivation (in the form of sacks of money their millions of subscribers are sending them) to want to defeat you soundly and loudly in court.
[ QUOTE ]
I doubt the battle plan contains going to court at all, except as a plan B. Seems like a pretty standard patent bully strategy. What you want is to force your target to accept an out-of-court settlement, so you want to target someone that's got enough money to be worth your while, but not so much money that they can take the cost of a lengthy legal process on the chin.
[/ QUOTE ]
One problem; Worlds.com ain't exactly big either. In fact, they're currently restructuring, which is the party line of a company that knows it's going down the toilet without learning a new game. They've been making pants looking virtual environments (you can tell this because the best examples they have adorning their site....suck) for private concerns or are so small we didn't even know they exist. They're not loaded, unless Aerosmith happened to have signed over their entire fortune. Even NCSoft could drag them through the mud long enough to make it a financially losing battle, especially since NCSoft are the ones making large sums of wonga every month.
What they want is to stack the deck far enough in their favour to get a court to uphold their supposed 'patent', and then start the real bullying, because after that point Blizzard or the like have to pay out their pocket to drag an appeal to that decision through a higher court while Worlds.com just watch. Sod that, say Blizzard and Co, we can't grind these suckers to death straight up, we'll lob them just under our legal costs getting that idiot court decision overturned as a settlement.
Chairman of the Charity of Pain; accepting donations of blood and guts.
Prophet of the Creamy Truth; "If it's empty, fill it with cream."
[ QUOTE ]
One problem; Worlds.com ain't exactly big either.
[/ QUOTE ]
That doesn't matter if you don't have to fight a legal process, and while NCSoft migh hope Worlds run out of money and won't be able to raise any more on the strengths (or whatever) of their claims, they can't presume that'll be the case.
What Worlds wants to do is to make it more enticing for NCSoft to accept an out-of-court settlement than to spend money on the court case. Unfortunately, it rarely makes good business sense to reject an out-of-court settlement under the US legal system, even though you are in the right.
[ QUOTE ]
What they want is to stack the deck far enough in their favour to get a court to uphold their supposed 'patent', and then start the real bullying, because after that point Blizzard or the like have to pay out their pocket to drag an appeal to that decision through a higher court while Worlds.com just watch.
[/ QUOTE ]
No, patent law doesn't work that way. A successful patent claim against NCSoft has no direct bearing on any future claims for the same patent towards any other defendants. If they intend to sue Blizzard eventually, it makes no sense not to sue them today.
[ QUOTE ]
A successful patent claim against NCSoft has no direct bearing on any future claims for the same patent towards any other defendants. If they intend to sue Blizzard eventually, it makes no sense not to sue them today.
[/ QUOTE ]
But presumably, if successful, moving against NC could help raise funds for any future claim against Blizzard.
Even without precedent in patent rulings, it might help them judge if they could win a case against Blizzard or if it'd be a complete non-starter. i.e. if they couldn't even win vs NC then they wouldn't have a cat in hells chance vs Blizzard.
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
Funny: Ee-Ai-Ee-Ai-Oh! #3662 * The foul-mouthed Handyman! #1076 * City of Norms #132944
Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)
[ QUOTE ]
No, patent law doesn't work that way. A successful patent claim against NCSoft has no direct bearing on any future claims for the same patent towards any other defendants. If they intend to sue Blizzard eventually, it makes no sense not to sue them today.
[/ QUOTE ]
Unless Worlds things Blizzard would be likely to say "bring it on" to a court case, being able to write off whatever costs are needed to empty Worlds' wallets a lot more readily than NCSoft.
Worlds might want to try building up their reserves by getting a few out-of-court settlements with the smaller players that would be seriously hit by an actual trial.
With a bit more money in their coffers, they might then be able to make Blizzard back down rather than commit to a trial that could go on for a fair while.
Blizzard have enough cash and a big enough legal team to either crush a suit or drag it out for pretty much as long as they like.
This is why people try not to sue them directly these days.
Well, stumbled across this today and lol'd a little
linky
And in related news this Update .....and a special reference goes to this part
[ QUOTE ]
NCsoft takes all legal action seriously -- even if the company believes a lawsuit has no merit
[/ QUOTE ]
Well heres hoping for a good outcome for NCsoft and the MMO community as a whole.
(edited the original pic to remove the language...just in case it was offensive)
Art of War Co-Leader - Union *Global@Warscythe*
"The box said Windows Vista or better - so I installed Linux"
"a system and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space."
Surely something this vague would apply to MUD's as well, and they've been around for donkeys years!
My MA IDs:
Fiend Space: 211464