MMO Makers being sued by Patent Troll.

[akugami]

MMO makers being sued by patent troll.

Paltalk Holdings Inc. of Jericho, N.Y. filed a lawsuit against a bunch of MMO makers in, unsurprisingly, Texas. The article is decidedly lacking in what the exact patents are but as described by the article, "covering technologies for sharing data among many connected computers so that all users see the same digital environment." Paltalk purchased the patents in 2002 from Hearme.

As for the validity, why 3D virtual environments only? What about Ultima Online? Does that not infringe or is it because their current market share of the MMO world is too small? If we go back further, what about MUDs? What about email based RPG's where the players would email each person in their game the moves they make in a Dungeons & Dragons style game controlled by a Dungeon Master?

I don't know about you guys but I used to play MUDs on a BBS back in the dial up internet days and they had virtual worlds (granted they were text based) that many users can connect to and interact with each other and the virtual environment. I also played Ultima Online. This patent seems like BS to me.

 

[AstroManLuca]

What about collaborative text editors?

 

[Aikouka]

I imagine it deals with understanding spacial state of entities and what is close enough that needs tracking (i.e. what is in a specific area around an object). Although, it could also relate to instancing that games like Guild Wars use. As to why it deals with 3D vs 2D, it's probably just the nature of what's in a square versus what's in a sphere.

 

[ViviTheMage]

So would I get money if this went anywhere?

 

[CountZero]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
So would I get money if this went anywhere?

I can't think of a single situation outside of you being the patent holder or an attorney involved in the case that would lead to you getting money out of this. But maybe someone out there can come up with something.

Without any details on the patent itself it is hard to say much more. But since this is a patent troll they are just waiting for the settlement and then moving on.

 

[shortylickens]

A buddy of mine once told me an urban legend that the first video game may have been developed on a government computer and therefore the government could have been entitled to a percentage from all video game sales, ever.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
A buddy of mine once told me an urban legend that the first video game may have been developed on a government computer and therefore the government could have been entitled to a percentage from all video game sales, ever.

I could see how that could technically be true. That'd also probably the largest lawsuit in history and cost the government billions in legal costs.

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: shortylickens
A buddy of mine once told me an urban legend that the first video game may have been developed on a government computer and therefore the government could have been entitled to a percentage from all video game sales, ever.

I could see how that could technically be true. That'd also probably the largest lawsuit in history and cost the government billions in legal costs.

After Roswell, they created Space Invaders to train Special Forces troops in Anti-Alien combat?

Sorry, a bit of tongue in cheek humour there.

This lawsuit seems to be another one of those odd ones that will probably never go anywhere but creates a topic for discussion between us.

 

[CountZero]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
A buddy of mine once told me an urban legend that the first video game may have been developed on a government computer and therefore the government could have been entitled to a percentage from all video game sales, ever.

Which is more or less why you only have a year after releasing to the 'public' an invention to file a patent or you lose that right.

 

[imaheadcase]

This is why software patents are stupid. Well most in general.

I suspect the whole system is going to be overhauled, and patents just thrown out completely.

 

[Rastus]

We had a device in the Air Force whose design dates back to 1948. It would put false targets into fire control radars so they showed up on the scope. It would also put target data into the computers (analog and tube) so they can be tracked and shot down. It was a video game in all ways. It even recorded the gunner's actions on light sensitive paper so it kept score also.