Action Markers ceases Operation!

[hitech]

I hope this upsets Palmer enough that he looks into the same "trade dress" infringement angle.

As your attorney will advise you, intellectual property litigation is very costly and time consuming.

Glenn doesn't have near enough resources to battle them either.

[hitech]

But most businesses fail, and often times there is no clear good guy or bad guy.

There is in this case. I KNOW for an absolute fact that WGP did NOT invent the working mechanism that became the autococker.

[Lohman446]

Most businesses fail to show profit for the first three years of operation.
Most of the time it takes about seven years to make the initial investment back.

Just some guidelines for those thinking of businesses. Obvioulsy these are "standard" business models and need not apply to everything.

[shartley]

There is in this case. I KNOW for an absolute fact that WGP did NOT invent the working mechanism that became the autococker.

[hitech]

We just have a different idea of what is right and wrong. K2 is wrong, based on my ideals of right and wrong. That is regardless of whether they would have remained in business. If someone is teetering on the edge, if you give them a push, however small, it is wrong.

[Lohman446]

Unfortunatly we have gone over an edge. We had companies (even SP) that were becoming the "big" paintball companies - they had started as the "little" paintball companies. Now companies like K2 have stepped in, and those making the calls for WGP and Tippman (whoever bought Tippman) are no longer those that "grew up" with paintball. I think we are going to start to see major changes in business, league politics, and the sport as a whole as these mega-companies exert more and more influence.

[shartley]

We just have a different idea of what is right and wrong. K2 is wrong, based on my ideals of right and wrong. That is regardless of whether they would have remained in business. If someone is teetering on the edge, if you give them a push, however small, it is wrong.

[hitech]

I do. And I'm not reading anything into it. I read the letter than Glenn sent to K2/WGP. I read the letter K2/WGP sent to Action Markers. Since they referred to intellectual property and markers, it seems clear to me.

[Lohman446]

If it pushed AM over the edge or not is not the issue, at least to me - from my very limited understanding with or without K2 AM was done. They had reached a point where there needed to be a return on investment that was not there. It appears, from the wording of the letter, that seeking a buyer may have been part of what lead to the threat letter

The letter that K2 sent was wrong. It was bullying and it was bullying over intellectual property rights that many people beleive are not even theres. It was further insulting and dismissive to Glenn Palmer - without whom WGP may arguably not exist as it does today.

Italicized = ninja edit

[WARPED1]

there is nothing we can do????? there is a TON we can do, the power in paintball is not with these scumbags.. it is in your back pocket.

anyone who wants to discuss how to make a change feel free to email me

[email protected]

Tom, please drop me a line either by email or 413-883-4389


Alan
DC

26 thousand members on AO can't do a single thing, unless a couple of you win the lottery and can battle K2.

[Lohman446]

26 thousand members on AO can't do a single thing, unless a couple of you win the lottery and can battle K2.

If you have the facilities you can make a commerative marker, charge a bunch for it, and market it as "flipping the finger" towards K2. Like a FUK2 commemerative Diadem. Sometimes marketing involves making people beleive that buying your product is so anti-establishment that that in itself makes it cool.

Thats not meant as much of a jab as it sounds like to those who follow it btw... there was just no way to say it toned down.

[Muzikman]

26 thousand members on AO can't do a single thing, unless a couple of you win the lottery and can battle K2.

AO alone could not do anything except educate the average paintball player.

The Internet is a powerful tool if used right and I think as long as you can spread the word, it will get out to the non Internet folk.

[bound for glory]

"oh well, nobody bought there stuff anyway" nice opinion. moron.

[ApexAZ]

AM crapped out, if they though they were right, they'd have fought. Apparently, though, they didn't think they could win in court.

And for the 34u5636583645863124856238547234th time, everybody wanted paintball to get big, but didn't want big business to follow. Get used to it. This is what comes with you wanting your little tight knit game on tv, in the spotlight, with money to be made.

You can't win a court battle if you can't afford the fee's.

[SlartyBartFast]

Anyone have links to the court decisions in WGP's favour?

I can't find them on Google.

AM's last knee jerk coward response was similar. Just because they threatened, doesn't mean you shut down.

They could still be blowing hot air. I thought the previous suits were for use of the Autococker or Cocker names.