Is PTP wrong in what they've done regarding a pneumatic trigger?

[teufelhunden]

As it says; do you believe that PTP is wrong in its protection of its patent regarding pneumatically assisted triggers?

For those who are out of the loop, here's a nutshell;

Earlier this year, Deadlywind released a video of a mechanical frame with the pull of an electro. It's viewed as the way to make guns go fast without having to deal with the SP patents. Deadlywind says that legal protection needs to be put into place and then it will be released. Then, in October, RRFireblade releases a video of a mechanical trigger rocking really hard on a mechanical autococker. He works for PTP, who, since 2000, had been waiting for patents to go through for their own pneumatic trigger. Deadlywind speaks of legal troubles, and the waiting begins. Then, recently, Deadlywing announced that they will not be producing the hAir trigger because PTP owns the patent and the two could not reach an agreement.

Gather what else you would like from the million other threads on the topic, but do you think that PTP was "wrong" in protecting their patent? Use your own interpretation of the word wrong.

[SAW]

If the patent is indeed valid, than I see no problem with PTP's actions. As "wrong" as they may seem, it's legal: thus the move is "right".

[Lohman446]

I don't see how the vast majority of people on this board have enough knowledge of PTPs internal workings, Deadlywinds internal workings, patent law, intellectual property rights, or the host of other factors that contributed to various decisions to be qualified to answer that question.

[shartley]

If the patent is indeed valid, than I see no problem with PTP's actions. As "wrong" as they may seem, it's legal: thus the move is "right".

[DiSoRdeR]

I do not see how protecting their own product is considered "wrong", look around every company is basicly doing the same exact thing. Sure the hAir will not be produced and is put on the shelf, but how will all these threads about it change any of that?

[Deltree]

Well it is really about whether the patent is valid. The hAir may or may not fall under PTP's patent. PTP does have a right to protect their patent if it is valid in this situation.

[WenULiVeUdiE]

They had every right to. DW is a smaller company than PTP so they knew it wouldnt have been hard to beat them. Just because he tempted us does not mean PTP should not protect their patents. Although it would have been nice to see DW succeed, that's business.

[SAW]

Shartley: In my opinion, PTP has done NOTHING wrong. It was used for effect.

[teufelhunden]

I guess I was more or less looking for an opinion about what little we know about the negotiations.. that they didn't work out. Should PTP have lowered their terms to the point that DW could produce a hAir? I work off the assumption that the licensing cost would've been too high, as Colin said the money to produce the hAir did not exist.

[Chronobreak]

colin made a pneu trigger

he didnt know ptp was working on a patent for a similar one he had no way of knwing

thy have prior art

as for as ptp owning a pneu trigger patent i find kinda fo unfair since there has been previous pneu tiggers for years. itd kinda be like patenting an autococker

but ptp has the rights know end of convo

if they want to share with dw then thats upto them

they shouldbnt be bashed becasue they did things right.

[j.storm]

I'll just say that it's too bad that it's come to the point where you just can't make a cool toy for you marker without someone saying "wait, you can't do that, we did it first" (which may not technically apply here) instead of "Hey, you're making the game better. Welcome aboard". The days of innocence are gone

[Magaman]

There is nothing wrong with what PTP did... It sucks that they aren't willing to play with competition, but they didn't do anything wrong. Had PTP been a member of AO and ran all the stuff that Colin did, then nobody would be asking these questions today...

I would rather see someone like Colin and DW have a chance to compete with PTP, at least with the Automag, but I'm not going to blame PTP for choosing to lock this product from competition.

I still feel that PTP would NOT have thought about creating a Frame for the Automag had it not been for DW drawing there attention to it. I mean, how many big companies are there that are all that concerned on wether the Automag Owners are being properly serviced and attended to. The majority of the companies making products for the Automags are local AO guys, small businesses, and Mag Owners...

$10.00 says that PTP would have never even thought about developing an Automag Frame if they weren't for them dealing with DW on the patent issue...

[Eric Cartman]

I don't see how the vast majority of people on this board have enough knowledge of PTPs internal workings, Deadlywinds internal workings, patent law, intellectual property rights, or the host of other factors that contributed to various decisions to be qualified to answer that question.

Exactly! Why is it that people can't seem to understand this?

I'm assuming that PTP did nothing wrong and that this is just a timing issue - they got the patent first. What if it had been the other way? What if DW's protection had gone through first? Would they be the bad guys?

Were the licensing fees that PTP wanted unreasonable? No one but PTP and DW know that answer to that!
Are the two frames very similar in design? Again, no one but PTP and DW know!

Now here's a question. Let's say for the sake of argument that PTP chooses to ignore DW's hAir trigger and DW goes ahead and markets it. Then another large company comes along with a similar frame that infringes on PTP's patent. Has PTP weakened their position by not going after DW? I know nothing about patent issues, so that's just an honest question.

[lbonettosd]

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[BD_Paintball]