Kosmos thread about paintball: AGD, S.P., and 15 year olds

[deathstalker]

That's a good point that is difficult to argue with, but keep in mind these lawyers, though family, aren't working pro bono. Smart Parts still needs to pay them, just like any other company has to pay their lawyers. That's pretty much all I can say about that.

[Lohman446]

http://www.actionmarkers.com/ <- I was gonna buy a marker from them.

Taken from - http://www.warpig.com/paintball/tech..._faq.shtml#mod


SP not only made money off of peoples own ignorance (I don't mean it in a derogatory sense) but they are like SCO, lets buy someone elses engineering and hard work and then later as electros start proliferating lets sue everyone and their brother even though the mechanical/pneumatic differences are not even the same lets make it broad and twist the law. Strong Arm everyone so the market has no competition and manufacturer inferior products at a lower cost. Right now the Goverment has better things to do (Yeah sounds stupid eh?) Then to go after SP for unfair market advantages. Dealers may think SP is great with their MAP pricing and all but what they are more interested in is more Stores to proliferate in and gain support of the Owners because now they too are the backers and they think of everyone else as whiners. They don't care about the shop owner, if they have a chance they'd squash you too.

I bolded the key word. Who else stepped up and helped out companies that needed the money, or individualsl ooking to get something out of there work?

[Steelrat]

That's a good point that is difficult to argue with, but keep in mind these lawyers, though family, aren't working pro bono. Smart Parts still needs to pay them, just like any other company has to pay their lawyers. That's pretty much all I can say about that.

You really think it costs the same to use your own family to do legal work?

[superannuated]

Steelrat:

Nope, I'm not kidding.

I know that I'm not well enough versed in patent law and the facts of the proceedings to intelligently debate the merits of SP's lawsuits. However anyone sued by SP had choices: they could have hired counsel (on spec if necessary) and litigated or chosen to negotiate a settlement, stop the alleged patent infringement, or close their doors. I know that at least one small paintball firm chose to close down rather than fight SP. However, this still doesn't speak to the merits of SP's suit or their right to file it. The point is that we could debate this until the cows come home and it still wouldn't make any difference in the outcome.

The fact remains that while our judicial system does sometimes favor the large, well-monied corporation with platoons of attorneys, it also sometimes favors the little guy with a legitimate case. The point is that in order to do something about this, it takes more than grousing on this forum to change things - something like starting a major grass-roots campaign for judicial reform, running for political office, or going to law school and then working pro bono for the little guy, etc.

Yes, our judicial system is imperfect (all of man's institutions are), but I would still rather be the little guy in a lawsuit in the U.S. rather than any other country in the world.

Regards,

Superannuated