couldn't manufacturers sell their markers in pieces to avoid smart parts?

[thecavemankevin]

If it were to come down to it and the pattents were up held in court, would the manufacturers be able to do this? After all if they sold them all in seperate pieces, how could this violate any patents (unless the patent is for that individual piece). I know this would be very troublesome in the end, but if left with no other alternative other than paying royalties.

Just a thought

[MayAMonkeyBeYourPinata]

this has been answered before. nope

[Impuls]

Just have the battery in an easy to remove spot to avoid the on/off patent, then patent the design so that SP can't do it before you lol.

[FreakBaller12]

this is truly terrible hwo SP is forcing the change of the sport

[HoppysMag]

i like the idea for an agd universal remote control that just happens to fit and function on a marker, i mean what are the odds?

[FooTemps]

Dude, here's the gig... Company A sells a marker with microswitch intellifeed mounts. These mounts happen to be able to mount a board and noid. Member A supporting Company A discovers that he could probably mill the intellifeed mount to fit a board, noid, and battery. Member A posts on an enthusiust forum with his new discovery and makes a step by step in the "workshop forum" on how to build it. People who want to do the mod buy the parts from an electronics store and follow the step by step instructions posted by that member

Get it? The company made something for intellifeed but someone finds out it can fit electronics well. The company didn't have any part in making it electronic. It was just a home made mod made by some guy that likes Company A's markers.

[Dave]

Then what happens with warranty issues? It sounds good in theory...but what about guys who just want to go out there and buy an electronic marker? I know a fair amount about the Emag, since I used to own one...but lets say Customer A wants to get one, but is clueless about electronics...and I mean totally clueless. Would buying all the parts and trying to put them together be a viable solution? Even if a big chunk of Emag customers were die-hards like us who knew their mags...that would pretty much rule out brand new customers from getting into the electronic world. Also, about the customer being clueless...

what if they decide to build it, then totally mess it up? Who would they blame/send it to get fixed to if all the parts came from different sources. Plus, lets say they could send the messed up marker to Company A to get it all straightened out...then wouldn't Company A be 'technically' building an electronic marker? I bet SP would get them on that one.

It would be cool...I would love to build my own electronic marker...I just don't think enough people have the time/knowledge/tools/ability to do it on their own w/out messing something up...then who is to blame? A bunch of markers don't get fixed...and AGDs quality rep goes down.

I like the idea...I just see too many flaws.

-Dave

[Cryer]

the pres. of WAS or someone said it might work if, for example, NPS/BobLong made mechanical timmies and WAS made electronic conversion kits for them.


Or something like that.





I think.

[FooTemps]

Originally posted by Dave
Then what happens with warranty issues? It sounds good in theory...but what about guys who just want to go out there and buy an electronic marker? I know a fair amount about the Emag, since I used to own one...but lets say Customer A wants to get one, but is clueless about electronics...and I mean totally clueless. Would buying all the parts and trying to put them together be a viable solution? Even if a big chunk of Emag customers were die-hards like us who knew their mags...that would pretty much rule out brand new customers from getting into the electronic world. Also, about the customer being clueless...

what if they decide to build it, then totally mess it up? Who would they blame/send it to get fixed to if all the parts came from different sources. Plus, lets say they could send the messed up marker to Company A to get it all straightened out...then wouldn't Company A be 'technically' building an electronic marker? I bet SP would get them on that one.

It would be cool...I would love to build my own electronic marker...I just don't think enough people have the time/knowledge/tools/ability to do it on their own w/out messing something up...then who is to blame? A bunch of markers don't get fixed...and AGDs quality rep goes down.

I like the idea...I just see too many flaws.

-Dave

ahhh, very valid points... I forgot to mention the warranty issue and completely forgot about the inexperienced, less knowlegable people. Hmmm...

Okay, how about this... Once Person A does his gig with the electro conversion tutorial, he refers everyone to his friend that owns a large shop that does custom mods (ala Doc... um... who else does custom mods? ) for modification of the mounting brackets. They offer a 40 day warranty for all mods.

The people who don't want to build it themselves email the shop with what they want, but the shop doesn't do mods like this so the customer emails them instructions on how to do it. The customer sends in the grip and any other parts needed to get it milled/drilled/whatever so it can fix the parts.

All the parts plug in so there is no soldering required and Person A posts a computer interface program with the board so the other people can set debounce, burst, etc. to their likings.

[Thumper33]

I'm a newbie to this forum... what did smart parts do here exactly to screw everyone?

[FooTemps]

Originally posted by Thumper33
I'm a newbie to this forum... what did smart parts do here exactly to screw everyone?

It's nothing super big yet, just planning for the worst if the rumors that sp patented use of electronics in markers are true.

[Thumper33]

They can't patent the use of electronics in markers across the board. All a patent does is declare how your design works so someone else can't do exactly what you did and sell it. If the electronics are done differently then it doesn't violate the patent. I'd say there's nothing to worry about. There are hundreds of ways to make a marker electronic.

I'm no patent lawyer, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night

[sps16]

even if they were in pieces, their still manufactoring the electronics that are against the patent

[FooTemps]

Originally posted by sps16
even if they were in pieces, their still manufactoring the electronics that are against the patent

That's why you find generic non paintball electronics.

[SIGSays]

how dumb can people get... seriously..