Possible Victory For WDP over SP.....

[hitech]

It seems as if no one knew what they were doing. LOL

The only thing that is surprising is that any of us are surprised by that!

[billmi]

Problem was he wasn't an employee. He wasn't getting salary. He was a vice president and minority shareholder, the judge distinguished between the two in his summary.

The case was scheduled for trial in January. This settlement beforehand means they agreed to forego a jury trial and let the judge arbitrate (faster process, and I don't believe arbitrate is the correct term when it's the judge doing it as opposed to a third party, but that's the concept.) Anyhow, when parties agree to something like that, one of the conditions is typically that the decision will be considered final and binding, unlike proceeding to trial where the could appeal later.

How much if anything they lose is still to be decided. The judge is waiting for both parties to submit their suggested remedies. My take on reading it is that the judge's plan is to add Hansel to the list of inventors, which would make both SP and WDP own the patent.

Yep, to the playing public as a whole, I think it has relatively little impact either way. What will be interesting to see is where WDP goes with this - they went after ICD and other companies years before SP did, or so said the industry rumors at the time. Also, what will happend to companies that made licensing agreements. Those agreements are all confidential, but I'd bet a donut that none of them have a clause that say they are no longer binding if the patent is overturned.

[shartley]

The only thing that is surprising is that any of us are surprised by that!

[shartley]

Problem was he wasn't an employee. He wasn't getting salary. He was a vice president and minority shareholder, the judge distinguished between the two in his summary.

The case was scheduled for trial in January. This settlement beforehand means they agreed to forego a jury trial and let the judge arbitrate (faster process, and I don't believe arbitrate is the correct term when it's the judge doing it as opposed to a third party, but that's the concept.) Anyhow, when parties agree to something like that, one of the conditions is typically that the decision will be considered final and binding, unlike proceeding to trial where the could appeal later.

How much if anything they lose is still to be decided. The judge is waiting for both parties to submit their suggested remedies. My take on reading it is that the judge's plan is to add Hansel to the list of inventors, which would make both SP and WDP own the patent.

Yep, to the playing public as a whole, I think it has relatively little impact either way. What will be interesting to see is where WDP goes with this - they went after ICD and other companies years before SP did, or so said the industry rumors at the time. Also, what will happend to companies that made licensing agreements. Those agreements are all confidential, but I'd bet a donut that none of them have a clause that say they are no longer binding if the patent is overturned.

[billmi]

The nature of forums, when a post goes up while a reply to a previous post is being written. :-)

Amen!

[Cryer]

In essence WDP bought SP's own patent out from under them.

Anyone else find this fact absolutely ehfin' hillarious?

[WARPED1]

Now, I like SP's products, but I never fully agreed with the style of thier business ethics, I hope this is the beginning of the end to the lawsuits. Bring back Emags AGD!

[edweird]

I hate to jump the gun here... but...

Ding Dong the Witch is dead, the Witch is dead, the Witch is dead!
Ding Dong the Witch is dead, the Witch is dead, the Witch is dead!
Ding Dong the Witch is dead, the Witch is dead, the Witch is dead!


oh and a couple of these as rare as I use em.

[Raven001]

Good to see that Hugh got a few licks in against the brothers

[AGD]

We before anyone gets too overjoyed here I should put in my 2 cents.

From my (unprofessional) take on the judges overview, the patent was NOT invalidated. It was determined that there was an additional inventor that was unamed on the patent. That inventor sold his rights to WDP. WDP has proved to the judge he was involved therefore SP can't sue their own inventor over rights to the idea.

The other part thats interesting is that WDP is making a move to have their inventor added to the patent. This gives WDP in my mind co-ownership of the patent.

Now, if YOU were WDP, and you see that most of the paintball players are very willing to give their money to SP in the form of royalties AS WELL as buy their products, wouldn't you want in on the action?

I am not sure at this point that anything has changed.

AGD

[AGDlover]

sounds to me like the judge was sick of SP like us ROCK ON WDP(don't sue us)

[JimInVA]

We before anyone gets too overjoyed here I should put in my 2 cents.

From my (unprofessional) take on the judges overview, the patent was NOT invalidated. It was determined that there was an additional inventor that was unamed on the patent. That inventor sold his rights to WDP. WDP has proved to the judge he was involved therefore SP can't sue their own inventor over rights to the idea.

The other part thats interesting is that WDP is making a move to have their inventor added to the patent. This gives WDP in my mind co-ownership of the patent.

Now, if YOU were WDP, and you see that most of the paintball players are very willing to give their money to SP in the form of royalties AS WELL as buy their products, wouldn't you want in on the action?

I am not sure at this point that anything has changed.

AGD

Just a reallocation of Royalty fees....

[bunker17]

and if they do that thats when Agd comes in and saves us with their Hair and no more problems with that issue.

[AGD]

and if they do that thats when Agd comes in and saves us with their Hair and no more problems with that issue.

Don't think that there isn't huge legal hastles with the HAIR trigger either. The average player doesn't think all this affects him but after its too late they will find out it does.

All development on the hair trigger is at a dead stop right now.

AGD

[BobTheCow]

All development on the hair trigger is at a dead stop right now.

Wha...? Is this new, or am I just out of the loop?