Smart Parts Patent Will Destroy Paintball! - Read!

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

how do you get that anti smart parts banner in your profile? i tried practically everything..(i guess it isnt as simple as copy and paste)

Sig disabled. Please don't have your sig scroll like that.

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

nevermind i got it

[phatpat47]

Does someone have a link to a site that has all the info current and old organized?

[1stdeadeye]

Originally posted by manike


Why wouldn't it?

lower sales of their current products and lower the residual value of the products already sold (so people don't want to buy new?)

You don't think that wouldn't effect SP any?

Well if SP wins this case, would they even care if we boycotted them? They could then sit back, set their terms and live off of the patent royalties.

Now if they lose, a boycott could drive them under right?

This whole situation is FUBAR!! Why can't any of the parties involved just come out and state their case. I have a tough time buying the SP line. Electros have been out for so long that I can't comprehend why this is being allowed to proceed. Isn't this case 5 years too late?

[Spray Painter]

I agree with alot of what people have said and i think what smart parts is doing is wrong, but has anyone emailed ICD about it to get their siad of the story?

[Star_Base_CGI]

They can't sue everyone at one time. People would just gang up on them but if they go after a couple of weak companies like ICD. Than they can take the profits from the lawsuit and go after more companies.

The company I ordered my eframe from no longer makes them and is going bankrupt. Tom is sidesteping so Im definetly fraid for the electronemo people.

If you have an electronic gun already they cant do squat but they can go after people if they get this bogus patent thing and tax them. SOme guy a while back won a patent suit on Wiper delays.

For whatever reason the paten system is screwed up. Certain Patents like Mickey mouse have been good for 75 years and got extended another 50. So people can keep making money pedelign the same old busted junk.

[icegod]

Originally posted by Spray Painter
I agree with alot of what people have said and i think what smart parts is doing is wrong, but has anyone emailed ICD about it to get their siad of the story?

no email but i called and as i stated earlier (which was the basis of my post) they stated they could not confirm or deny anything. There is legal action going on, however nothing can be said at this time what it is concerning due to incrimination.

[jinxed]

Originally posted by Spray Painter
I agree with alot of what people have said and i think what smart parts is doing is wrong, but has anyone emailed ICD about it to get their siad of the story?

Well, the core of it is that SP thinks that ICD and WDP electros have violated the "updated" shocker patent, which magically includes the Impulse.

It would be nice to know what SP thinks, but they are telling conflicting answers.
Should be assume anything they tell us is factual?

Well, we all know that Adam Gardner and George Davidson of Smart Parts were sued by the FTC for illegally manipulating the patent system to steal money from inventors a few years ago.

Now, I'm a firm believer that people can learn from there mistakes, and become better people from it.
So, this means that I don't automatically think that Smart Parts is lying to us.
But it also means that I won't give them the benefit of a doubt.

It "looks" like they are again manipulating the patent system to steal money from other inventors.
It "looks" very bad.

So this greatly effects paintball, they should be very clear and honest to us, the consumers.

I think they probobly have a legitimate claim to the layout and style of the Shocker. Great, so anyone crazy enough to make a Shocker-clone can be sued.
But SP needs to explain why they modified the Shocker patent to make such outragous claims.

-Nick Brassard
-Master of the Pan Flute

[phatpat47]

thats true, but what you said just reminded me. How is piranna and other companies alive when it is such a blatant copy of Kingman's products. Did Kingman not Patent it?

anyway heres a site that summarises everything, and has info.

Site

[TheTramp]

Originally posted by jinxed


Well, we all know that Adam Gardner and George Davidson of Smart Parts were sued by the FTC for illegally manipulating the patent system to steal money from inventors a few years ago.

This issue in that case wasn't about them manipulating patent law. It was about them taking peoples money for services involving patenting and marketing new inventions that the didn't, and in some cases couldn't, provide. Stealing basicly

Originally posted by jinxed
It "looks" like they are again manipulating the patent system to steal money from other inventors.
It "looks" very bad.

-Nick Brassard
-Master of the Pan Flute

I agree and this is why what they are doing is "moraly" wrong (IMHO). It would appear that they have deliberatly broadened their patent so they could try and cash in on other companies markers. It is the fact that they broadened then sued as aposed to sueing under an existing patent that I, and it seems many others, don't like.

[SocialD]

here are my 2 cents

Now, I don't even own an electro-marker and I don't intend to anytime soon. I would love an X-Mag, but I have a difficult time dropping $1300 on any paintball marker.

However, I'm very upset that someone would even consider doing this. If SP doesn't win this suit, I think that they have just committed sucide. I know that I will never again knowingly purchase another SP product and I'm sure that many other people out there feel that same.

If they do win. I think that the idea of an electro-marker might as well be dead.

The other problem, as I see it, is AGD spent however much money on R&D for the X-Mag and are finally reaching a point where they can recoop some of the money that they invested in their design. Now, you have someone coming out saying, "If you want to continue producing this marker, you are going to have to give us 1 million bucks, plus $75 per marker." I don't know if AGD and other companies will be able to afford to this. As I stated before, I'm not about to drop $1300 on a new marker. Furthermore, I'm certainly not going to spent $1500+ on a new marker.

This whole thing is a complete load of crap and I really hope, along with the rest of you, that SP doesn't win. Then, they will have to find a way out of this public relations nightmare that they have brought amongst themselves.

Good Luck to all of the other electro manufactures.

[jinxed]

Originally posted by phatpat47
thats true, but what you said just reminded me. How is piranna and other companies alive when it is such a blatant copy of Kingman's products. Did Kingman not Patent it?

Well.
The Kingman Spyder is a NEAR EXACT COPY of the ICD Promaster.
The ICD Promaster was loosely based on the Sheridan PMI3, which was not patented to "encourage the market to produce aftermarket parts". (only the PMI3 detent is patented).
The PMI3 itself was loosely based on the "Enforcer Semi" designed by Chauncey of CooperT-.

How does this relate to the SMart Parts case?
Someone in 2002 just patented the generic stacked-tube blowback!!!! 12 years after the PMI-3.HERE IS THE LINK

This fact alone proves that the patent system is a compelete waste. How could the patent office grant that patent?
But they did, which partially explains how they awarded SmartParts its ridiculous patents..

Nick

[Benfica4ever]

Dont worry i will boycott smart parts(1 reson being i dont need anything from them :)

But its soo stupid what they are doing.

[lack of grace]

whatcha could do

what people could do is just manufacture upgrade kits (grip frames yadda yadda...Then they wouldn't be selling or manufacturing a electro pneumatic paintball marker.

blah....just a thought.

Buy a cocker then buy an eblade for it..or a mag then a hyper frame etc. etc.

[bryceeden]

Originally posted by jinxed


So Bill Gardner is being "very open about the patent".

But then DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHY HE IS SUING ICD AND WDP.
SO THIS IS LIE #1

Then it completely contradicts the statement from SPESH.
SO ThIS IS LIE #2.

So until SP comes forward and actually tells us what there intentions are, then I have to assume they are going to contunue to lie to us.

So, in a way you helped confirm the worst for us!!

Nick

They are sueing ICD and WDP because they belive that the Angel/bushy triggers are too close to the shocker/impulse triggers. I don't think that they lied about anything, I also don't think they will go after everyone right away because that would do them more damage then good, and they know it. I feel that thier side of the story is important because several people posting here don't really even know what is going on and it shows that it isn't as bad as was speculated origonaly. All I can say is call them and talk to them directly about it. I am a smartparts distibuter so I may get some special info, but they were very open to talk about it so try.