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Infinium Labs Threatens Gaming News Site
Over the past year or two, Slashdot has run a number of stories about Infinium Labs and their Phantom Game Console (that phrase still makes me smile, every time). I think we've been generous to them, taking their game console talk at more or less face value, despite the vaporous nature of the product. Now they've decided that threats are a better plan for improving their image than producing a real product, and threatened HardOCP over an older news story. Our own Robin Miller has talked to Infinium and written up his impressions of the situation.
We did the same with DNF but 3D Realms never did something like that.
;)
That's maybe why lots of people here still think DNF is not vaporware
Iraq: war to save the U
Is the VC cash running out? What are they trying to keep "under the radar"? Their CEO at least is making a grand living producing nothing.....is this bad press pissing on their gravy train perhaps?
Sehr geehrter Toilettenbenutzer!
I have extended HardOCP.com's pledge to correct any and all possible inconsistencies or errors in our editorial entitled "Behind the Phantom Console" personally to Timothy Roberts and Kevin Bachus of Infinium Labs and they have yet to inform HardOCP.com of any information we presented as being not correct. This courtesy was extended on September 17, 2003, the date the article was published and has been extended several times since then with no reply ever being received by HardOCP.com. It is my opinion that Infinium Labs' only interest is stifling HardOCP.com and our opinions. HardOCP.com still stands by our thoughts and opinions put forth in our editorial and no amount of legal badgering and frivolous lawsuits will change those opinions that we have shared with our readers.
It's good to see a website refusing to be intimidated by spurious legal threats. To often, all it takes is the sound of a lawyer clearing his throat to get a website owner to panic and pull content. Of course, HardOCP is not exactly a two-bit operation, and Infinium Labs is far from a massive corporation, but I'll take my victories where I can. Here's to the free press.
The letter is probably nothing more than legal posturing, intended to scare the little guy, but of little use to anyone who has their own lawyer.
If you looked at the bottom of the Property Appraiser's Page, you would see that the last transaction on the property was when it was sold in 2001 for $100.00. That's where it comes from.
Random Musings
It seems the Phantom gaming company is subject to the power of Google. I'm surprised they haven't sent legal letters asking Google to remove them from cache (maybe that's happened already -- I didn't read all of the related articles associated with the main articles).
I'm not surprised that Google is powerful, but instead how easy it could be used against somebody. It's a real eye opener, and potentially frightful to any public/coroporate figure.
Even for non-famous individuals, like most of us, this can be scary. For example, as we go through life some of our values and beliefs change based on the journey. However a repository of what you *were* like and what you *did in the past* might not accurately reflect what you are today. The use of information can sometimes be scary.
I dunno. With a background like that of Tim Roberts and a product named "Phantom", I'm sure I could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps this was the strategy from the start.
/. IANAL's and IAAL's debunk this particular conspiracy theory. :)
1. Produce hype and raise investment for a product that sounds like, looks like and feels like it's going to be vapourware.
2. Wait until the hordes of enthusiast web sites start labelling the product vapourware.
3. Sue the crap out of one of the smaller, juicier targets on the basis that they're having an financial impact on the product's ongoing development.
4. Rinse, repeat steps 1 and 3 until you've raised so much money you can either a) actually build the product or b) do a runner.
5. Well, profit. =P
Maybe I'm just a little jumpy in this SCO-et-al era. I'm not trying to bait but I would genuinely love to hear some
Can anyone decipher that?
...and does anyone else suspect that this whole ordeal might be a front for the REAL BUSINESS?
REM Old programmers don't die. They just GOSUB without RETURN.
That is him selling the house to a relative or associate for $100, to protect the house from litigation and bankrupcy.
That way, when his virtual house of cards comes falling down, which it will, he still has a physical house to go back to.
Dishonest people filing for bankrupcy (which accounts for about 98% of bankrupcies) often transfer assets into the names of their children, etc to avoid losing them.
Doesn't there actually have to BE a product?
In any event, I just sent the following email to their corporate lawyers, who, amazingly enough, go by the acronym MOFO:
Gentlemen:
First let me say that your corporate name, MOFO, sounds as if it were specifically designed to strike fear into the hearts of anyone you deal with. Or perhaps you just don't understand the slang meaning of the term MOFO.
I have just read the article, "Behind the Infinium Phantom Console," at the HardOCP site against which you have apparently issued a nasty letter in your best lawyerly legalese. I am curious, since I take the idea of freedom of speech quite seriously, just why exactly your client and you refused to supply the above mentioned site with any information as to what exactly you found inaccurate or distressing about that article. Personally, I found it quite enlightening and informative. Just for the record, just what exactly DO you find inaccurate about this story? I am always interested in learning the truth and I look forward to your reply so that I may further my knowledge of this company and its director.
Regards,
[deleted]
"Is this Winkhorst a nova criminal?" "No just a technical sergeant wanted for interrogation."
The Phantom isn't vaporware... the COMPANY is vaporware. These guys are probably failed spammers... what is Bachus going to have once Infiniwhatsit strips him of his credibility?
perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10)'
The United States of America.
- In Capitalist America, law violates YOU!