the Automag a spool valve?

[RRfireblade]

Oh, and BTW...

The last thing anyone ever wants to do is to try and fight an existing Patent in a court of Law. The finacial burdens are monumental and the chances of winning are an absolute crap shoot.There are endless methods of interpretation,so tt's quite a scary option and why so many smaller companies won't even risk it.

[ApexAZ]

It's speculation at this point as to whether or not they are going to drag AGD into this.

But if anyone has the resources to bring SP to court it's Dye.

[SlartyBartFast]

Everything since the sharpened wooden stick is an evolution of something. That doesn't obsolve it from the realm new invention or neccessarily qualify it as prior art.

No. There are actual new inventions that aren't natural evolutions from previous design. But I don't dispute your point.

An ample 'improvement' over a previous invention, currently patented or otherwise, is grounds enough for new and seperate Patent.

Certainly. Except using a device, for the purpose for which it was designed, with the only new or novel concept being the use in paintball should certainly be excluded from patents.

Using a switch to interrupt electrical current, short contacts, or power devices for example.

Or, patenting the use (really excluding the use) of standard chip functionality by claiming rights to the use of all external programming interfaces.

[RRfireblade]

No. There are actual new inventions that aren't natural evolutions from previous design. But I don't dispute your point.



Certainly. Except using a device, for the purpose for which it was designed, with the only new or novel concept being the use in paintball should certainly be excluded from patents.

Using a switch to interrupt electrical current, short contacts, or power devices for example.

Or, patenting the use (really excluding the use) of standard chip functionality by claiming rights to the use of all external programming interfaces.

Evolution is purely debatable perception. Inspiration is always inspired by something. It's just how far you want to stretch to see it...or to admit it in some cases.

An "Improvement" is determined soley by the USPTO and the USPTO is the only one you need to convince. Reality has little function there.

[RRfireblade]

And I'll just add this for the sake of this discussion,

We're not talking about absolute truths or quantifiable reasoning, we're talk about Law and Government......HUGE DIFFERENCE.