Major manufacturer/distributor closes today. Guesses anyone?

[BigEvil]

Steve Davidson has an interesting take on this

http://68caliber.com/wordpress/?p=4804

[MANN]

...what happens to 'their' patents? Would it be at all possible for companies to start producing electros w/out paying royalties?

I doubt it. the gardners still have millions of dollars to protect their IP.

[tasker89]

I doubt it. the gardners still have millions of dollars to protect their IP.

The patents are an asset...they'd be part of any bankruptcy or re-organization. They don't instantly expire just because the parent company goes kaput. They could be sold on the open market or folded into another enterprise.

[MANN]

The patents are an asset...they'd be part of any bankruptcy or re-organization. They don't instantly expire just because the parent company goes kaput. They could be sold on the open market or folded into another enterprise.

not necessarily true. I dont know this for sure, but if it were me I would own the patents, and allow my company Smart Parts to pay me royalties for them. In the business world people separate themselves from their endeavors to protect both the company and them personally. The Gardners imo are smarter than most people want to give them credit for. I would put money that they will still come out on top personally.

[teufelhunden]

not necessarily true. I dont know this for sure, but if it were me I would own the patents, and allow my company Smart Parts to pay me royalties for them. In the business world people separate themselves from their endeavors to protect both the company and them personally. The Gardners imo are smarter than most people want to give them credit for. I would put money that they will still come out on top personally.

Sell the patents into an LLC which would then accept royalties from SP to use them - separate liability.

[Lohman446]

I would assume SP could then concentrate on collecting "damages" from the various people who infringed on their patents and forced them out of a "productive long term business" that was hurt by the down turn in the economy in general and paintball in specific.

[Carnage reigns]

I hope somehow that they are force to liquidate that patent. That would benefit the pb community as a whole.

[going_home]

http://viewfromthedeadbox.blogspot.com/2009/09/mr-curious-strikes-again.html

[tasker89]

not necessarily true.

Huh? The patents are an asset. What you are talking about is the distinction between the assignee and the patent owner. In some cases the assignee, owner and inventor are all the same person. In some cases not. I don't know if Smart Parts the corporation owns the patents or if the Gardner's somehow personally share ownership between each other. It is entirely possible (though unlikely) that some of the IP was put up as collateral for loans.

Regardless, you can bet that any creditors owed substantial sums will come after the IP. Whether or not they prevail in court will remain to be seen.

I don't doubt the Gardner's intelligence and business savvy. They are bright people with excellent educations...and they obviously know how to hire lawyers to work the system. They will be fine personally (unless they made some really poor decisions).

I will not be the least bit surprised if this is just a shuffling of the deck insofar as IP, debts, brand names and whatever other baggage SP is carrying. Corporate shenanigans.

[insixdays777]

Wow that was faster than I thought...see my post above #16...I called it...

http://www.youtube.com/user/GIMilSim

Its just a shell game.

[BigEvil]

Smart Parts can take their .50 caliber paint and milsim crap and shove it right back up their donkeys.

[Shirow]

I would have to concur with that statement.

[steve_81]

The 50 Cal. Idea didn't work in the early 90's and it was generally accepted by the major companies that it didn't work, so why is it there is even a thought to go to 50 Cal.?

[xero28]

Smart Parts can take their .50 caliber paint and milsim crap and shove it right back up their donkeys.

[Frizzle Fry]

The 50 Cal. Idea didn't work in the early 90's and it was generally accepted by the major companies that it didn't work, so why is it there is even a thought to go to 50 Cal.?

It didn't work in the early 2000s either... Maxx55? US55? Remember those at your local walmart?

Either way, it's kinda wrong to call SP one of the oldest companies in the industry... I mean it's pre-dated by quite a few, and even then the SmartParts of 1994 was a completely different beast than the one we all know and... er... know today.