Smart Parts Patent Will Destroy Paintball! - Read!

[Off Center]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but it looks like smart parts (they don't deserve capital letters) has patented markers with a battery AND a switch. So, how about if companies start selling their electro markers without switches; just put the battery in and take it out to turn the marker on and off. Or better yet, have a quick change battery pack (like on a power drill). Unless the switch refers to the trigger actuation. If this is the case, I am at a loss. Can anyone clarify the term switch in this sense?

[icegod]

as fishsticks stated with digital paintball, Maximum Velocity Paintball has also decided to suspend all smartparts related stuff from their paintball mod for ultimate tournament 2k3 mods. With the following statement.

Taken from http://www.mvpb.com
In light of the events that have taken place with Smartparts, MVPB has decided to do its part and suspend all Smartparts product from its mod pending total ban. This means we are halting any & all production currently taking place on Smartparts products, not beginning developement on any new Smartparts products, and are placing all completed Smartparts products in indefinate storage.

Actions such as those taken by Smartparts can not be tolerated by the public. This kind of business can only hurt the paintball industry that we love so much. Everyone MUST do anything they can to show Smartparts, and companies like them, that we care too much, and have worked to hard for the sport of paintball to have it set back dramatically by actions such as these.

[Wahooka]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but other than the fact that SP owns several patents and the current law suit against ICD, isn't everything else just speculation and rumors?

I've spent the last 3 hours reading various threads on several different forums, and it seems to me that this anti-SP craze borders on mass-hysteria.

I have not seen any factual information regarding lawsuits other than the current SP vs. ICD suit. And, no one even knows the specifics of that!

Smart Parts Patent Will Destroy Paintball!

A strongly worded thread title followed by a post full of speculation. How will the Smart Parts Patent DESTROY paintball? That's a strong claim.

The facts as far as I can tell are that SP owns several patents, some of which are very broad and general. And, they are currently suing ICD for a yet to be released gun design. Will this destroy paintball?

I've read posts describing how Smarts Parts will charge royalties driving up marker prices and forcing some companies out of business. Isn't this just speculation? We're boycotting based on speculation? Is it okay if I wait to boycott until after they do something other than just own a patent? I must be missing something.

I'll freak out when I'm reading factual information; not hype, rumors and speculation. Sorry, but people are going a little overboard.

And please, enough of the Nazi/Swastika BS. Seriously. That ticks me off more than anything I've seen. Connecting that tragic period of history with something this trivial (yes trivial!) is offensive, irresponsible and just plain foolish.

[BlueFish28]

simma down now

ok so i skipped the last 12 pages to post this.

A spring biases the bolt towards the rearward position. A pneumatic circuit is provided to drive the bolt towards the forward position and includes a control valve in the form of a solenoid valve to receive gas under pressure and direct it into a chamber at the rear of the bolt when the gun is shot. An electronic circuit controls the pneumatic circuit and is operated by an electrical switch operated by the trigger

ok so what doesnt fall under this is: IR3s, eBlade, other optical triggers.
basically, the patents that they have only cover the type of gun that the impy is. i dont believe that they can even add to this if an existing patent is owned by another company that covers the same thing.

also, when sp bought pvi, they also got the patents for the shocker.

[sps16]

How bout this: SP stands for Screwing Paintballers

[Doc Nickel]

Bluefish: The patent was recently expanded. This isn't reflected in the online version.

Wahooka: I agree, we could be mistaken. However, the liklihood of that is slim.

We've heard, for example, from Tom Kaye and Larry Alexander directly, and Bud Orr indirectly. Kaye has gone so far as to invest major time and effort into developing a mechanical trigger that's nearly as light as an electro trigger. (I'm sure he has other reasons as well, but he stated as such in this thread.)

Secondly, one does not sue another for patent infringement without also intending to demand compensation and/or punitive damages.

If the suit clears as SP hopes, they'll be able to have the courts award retroactive royalties- meaning ICD could very well have to pay royalties on every electronic marker they've made since the advent of the semiauto Bushmaster in, what, '98 or '99?

As I said in my SP Suit FAQ, if SP "only" charged $50 per unit royalty, ICD could very well have to come up with nearly two million dollars.

On top of court costs.

Yes, it's entirely possible that SP will merely charge a token fee, five or ten dollars per unit, and a fair licensing fee- maybe $25,000.

But I doubt it. The history of the company speaks otherwise- things like $100 aluminum barrels back in the days when any other barrel might cost you $50. Charging $150 more for a Shocker Sport (full auto) over the Shocker 4X4 when the only difference is a microswitch on the circuit board. (The circuit and software being identical- we regularly soldered $1.50 switches on to get the FA modes out of a 4X4 board.)

Charging $350 for a replacement Shocker vertical-feed body. Charging $200 for an Impulse solenoid when the damned $50 thing blew in the first place because it was designed to operate at 100 psi and the gun's forcing it to use twice that.

No, as I said, I hold little hope for the company's altruism and charity. I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong, if indeed I am, but I feel that is not very likely.

Doc.

[Digits]

^^

The mans full thoughts..

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=9013&messageid=1058842375

Just to let you know.. I agree 100%

[Digits]

Oh, and Tom should patent the ULE trigger, and then allow other companies to use it.. EXCEPT FOR SMARTPARTS..

Seriouslly I hope whoever it was at smart parts that thought up this crap burns in hell, and I mean it.

[yurchikcs]

Too bad the ULE trigger only works with 'mag pattern valves, made exclusively by AGD.

[Digits]

But I want smart parts to burn...

I KNOW.. AGD put a patent on hpa tanks.. And sue the basterds at smartparts for there stupid maxflows.

AGD FOR LIFE.. $#^% SMART PARTS!

[BlueFish28]

thanks doc

thanks for the clear up doc, i skipped the second half, im getting tired and bored. heres my solution, i was planning on buying a BKO to vaporize, now i'll buy two. even if sp gets a chunk of the profit, they are losing my business because i was considering briefly an impy of soeme sort.

[manike]

Originally posted by bryceeden
I spent some time on the phone with smartparts, and yes this is definatly a bad deal it isn't as bad as this thread makes it sound. SP only plans on sueing WDP and ICD, so while it will greatly affect Angels and Bushmasters it won't realy change anything else too much. In the end AGD and WGP won't even be afected unless smartparts is lying to thier distributers.

Yeah right and you believe that? :)

They set a precedent against the smaller companies and the one they don't like (WDP) and then you think they will stop there rather than raking in the extra millions from the other companies? If you believe that... I have some swamp land I want to sell you

Originally The Smart Parts reply from "Spesh" at SP:[/B]

Notice how they say "Indian Creek at the moment"...

The only gun they invented or rather had designed for them is the shocker. Everything else has been ripped off from other people's designs.

Funny how they have a problem being ripped off by others but not ripping off others...

Funny how they submarined their patents (a classic tactic) in order to adapt them to cover things invented and designed by other people that were outside of their original patented ideas.

Stop me before my sides split please!

Jinxed patents do have life spans, so the USA one will be completely public domain no and everyone is allowed to use technology described in it.

Surreal, they are only sueing ICD and WDP at the MOMENT! Also the Bushmaster was designed and on sale long, LONG, before the Impulse.

[shartley]

[manike]

Originally posted by shartley

Nothing new there then :)

Many of us who follow paintball patents have known this was coming for years. But no-one took it all that seriously until a year or two ago.

The latest broadest patent was granted Nov 5th 2002 and so Tom has had plenty of time to develop the ULE trigger, even if it was only at that point that he became concerned.

Before that those of us that knew about it, hardly took it seriously. The latest 2 patents changed that.

I thought it was all too broad and with too much prior art to be valid. But they kept getting the patents broadened and are now going to court with them... so now we all take it very seriously.

[shartley]

Originally posted by manike
Nothing new there then :)

Many of us who follow paintball patents have known this was coming for years. But no-one took it all that seriously until a year or two ago.

The latest broadest patent was granted Nov 5th 2002 and so Tom has had plenty of time to develop the ULE trigger, even if it was only at that point that he became concerned.

Before that those of us that knew about it, hardly took it seriously. The latest 2 patents changed that.

I thought it was all too broad and with too much prior art to be valid. But they kept getting the patents broadened and are now going to court with them... so now we all take it very seriously.