Clear this up for me....Patents and what not....Nitro something or other...

[hobbesTZ]

If I remember correctly, AGD came up with the paintball n2 tank. They didn't patent it because they wanted it to be more widely available. Smart Parts supposably came up with the first electro but didn't try to patent it until just recently. So if AGD wanted to, could they still patent the paintbakll N2 tank or regulator or whatever it is?

BTW. I'm not saying any of that is true, it's just what I've gathered over time and I want to know what's up.

[Skoad]

I don't know much about this subject but heres what I think.....


AGD didn't come up with hpa bottles, so they can't patent that (don't think anyone can anyhow). The only thing they could have patented was a type of regulator that they could come up with, but other companies could still make their own version of regulators.


I don't think you can patent something that already exsisted just because you found another function for it (paintball)>

[personman]

I don't think you can patent something that already exsisted just because you found another function for it (paintball)>

Smart parts got away with it.

[hitech]

AGD didn't come up with hpa bottles, so they can't patent that (don't think anyone can anyhow). The only thing they could have patented was a type of regulator that they could come up with...

Considering what others have patented they could have patented the idea of using a regulator on an HPA bottle to power a paintball gun. :spit_take

[Evil Bob]

The particular bottle that Tom chose was being used in the shuttle program, I've also seen them in military vehicles halon systems for extinguishing engine fires. The regulators that the bottle was fitted with were already being used elsewhere as well.

I'd have to agree that the only real concept that could have been patented here was the use of said HPA air system to power a paintball marker, and that's it.

-Evil Bob

[Kevmaster]

OK...

SP DID patent their shocker when it came out. There is like a 1 year limit from when it is invented to when you can file the patent. They did go back and revise the patent later, which was questionable.

as for HPA, Tom brought it to paintball and didnt patent it for multiple reasons. Im not sure it was a patentable idea though, unless his regulator was something new (which it wasnt)

[rabidchihauhau]

True and not true.

There are numerous regulator designs that have been patented for paintball. Various improvements on responsiveness, flow, etc.

Integrating the regulator and the tank valve was also patentable

Creating a valve that screwed into a detached regulator was patentable.

Just because someone has an HPA tank with a regulator attached does not mean that no one could get a patent for something similar; so long as the new design is unique, non obvious and can be described sufficiently for someone 'skilled in the art' to make, you can get a patent.

Patents are not for 'ideas', they're for the working expression of an idea.

Idea: a removable method for holding multiple and varying numbers of sheets of paper together.

Working design: paperclip
staple
chicago screw
binder clip
GBC binding

[Beemer]

OK...
Tom brought it to paintball and didnt patent it for multiple reasons. Im not sure it was a patentable idea though, unless his regulator was something new (which it wasnt)

Well what was Team Nitro using then? Of course it was something new.
Where did the JDN2 come from and who has it now? Can you say A.I.R.
And dont forget the Flatline..............

[Lohman446]

chicago screw

Anyone else curios?

[rabidchihauhau]

A 'chicago screw' is a two-piece screw; both ends have button shaped caps; one side is male and threaded, the other is female, with a shaft (kinda sounds like a trannie, huh?) of differing lengths, depending on how many sheets of paper are being used.

You punch a hole in the paper, slide the shaft from the female end through, and then screw the other end onto it.

Popular with leatherworkers too as a non-permanent way to fasten strips of leather together.

[minimag03]

If SP was able to patent using electronics with paintball markers then why can't Tom patent using hpa with paintball markers. Both technologies were around before they were applied to paintball. pVI didn't invent electronics for paintball, they used exsisting parts, and so did Tom.

What is the difference I'm missing?

[Lohman446]

If SP was able to patent using electronics with paintball markers then why can't Tom patent using hpa with paintball markers. Both technologies were around before they were applied to paintball. pVI didn't invent electronics for paintball, they used exsisting parts, and so did Tom.

What is the difference I'm missing?

TK can no longer patent it because it has been in use for too long with no patent pending (even though SP was just granted the patent it had been pending for some time).

[hitech]

What is the difference I'm missing?

Money...

[Lohman446]

Money...

Had TK patented HPA he probably would have had to license it out to get it accepted. Where would mags be without HPA today? In a way, yes it was a generous move to the sport, but it also benefitted AGD. Don't get me wrong on this, I see a lot of what TK has done for the sport and respect it, but I don't think HPA was entirely one sided, like perhaps the pin valve of Tippman (I think).

[rabidchihauhau]

Once again a raw idea is being confused with a working concept.

Smart Parts did not get a patent for using electronics with paintball guns. They've gotten several patents for different ways to activate a marker utilizing various electronic means.

If I designed a generator that ran off of bodyheat and produced sufficient energy to power a gun, I could get a patent on that 'electronic paintball marker' embodiment.