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Several Publishers Sued for Infringing 3D Patent

Posted by Zonk on from the i-have-patented-the-cube-rubiks-pay-up dept.

jok writes "According to a story on GameDaily, law firm McKool Smith is suing several publishers for infringing their patent on a "Method and Apparatus for Spherical Planning", filed in 1988. Among the companies being sued are several big names, such as Square Enix, Electronic Arts, Vivendi Universal, Sega."

16 of 358 comments (clear)

  1. Yikes! by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does this mean I'm no longer allowed to play UT??

  2. I wish I could buy stock in law firms by four2five · · Score: 3, Funny

    Because they seem to be the largest growth industry as of late. This is ridiculous, just like the Eolas patent.....Ben Franklin's descendants should try and patent electricity, it just might go through in the systems current state.

    --
    -or so you'd think
    1. Re:I wish I could buy stock in law firms by Sexy+Bern · · Score: 2, Funny

      The powers that be would know watt the resistance would be like.

  3. patent on spherical planning by stanmann · · Score: 5, Funny

    So is this patent on Pi? or just on a technique for simulating depth, for prior art, do I need to pull up van gogh or dali? or just mario 1?

    --
    Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
  4. News Flash: Duke Nukem Forever Delayed by fembots · · Score: 5, Funny

    Due to pending lawsuit.

    --
    Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
  5. Lucky for Duke Nukem Forever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    By the time it comes out the patent will be expired!

  6. What's next, a suit by Dewey Cheatum and Howe? by MooseByte · · Score: 4, Funny

    "The patent is ridiculously broad. It's purely McKool Smith trying to make money. It's an abuse of the legal system"

    McKool Smith? WTF kind of name is that for a law firm? Sounds like a shakedown scam operation from GTA:San Andreas.

  7. Re:Snowballing by pogle · · Score: 4, Funny

    "You can only be so stupid."

    You're new here arent you?

    --
    http://thechubbyferret.net - Ferret pictures and informative links.
  8. Re:Imagine a world without lawyers by metlin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Imagine a world without lawyers

    Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

    You may draw the analogy ;)

  9. Re:This is why software patents by operagost · · Score: 5, Funny
    The problem is that some ideas are not quite scaleable, and the technology nor adoption may exist at the time of filing the patent.
    In that case, I'm filing the patent for my antimatter engine now.
    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  10. Re:Imagine a world without lawyers by CatLord42 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You may draw the analogy ;)

    But not in 3D!!!

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    Meow. Now!
  11. Re:Panning, not Planning by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny

    In this case, they're obviously panning for gold.

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    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  12. Re:High Tech Gold indeed by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. find someone with a stupid patent on those data mining techniques.
    2. sue McKool, Smith.
    3. profit!

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  13. Re:Panning, not Planning by BESTouff · · Score: 2, Funny

    You can't blame /. for it's not really a website for the technical people ...

  14. Re:Not sued by McKool by Tim+Browse · · Score: 2, Funny
    So what you are really saying is that they aren't just lawyers, they're exorsits?

    No, they're definitely not missiles.

  15. Obligatory Simpsons quote AND VIDEO! by The+Hobo · · Score: 2, Funny

    If there's one thing America needs, it's more lawyers. Can you imagine a world without lawyers?
    -Lionel Hutz, "Marge In Chains"

    Video clip of this

    --
    There is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men. -- Boondock Saints