What is Digg?166 Comments
- MEatRHIT, on 07/23/2008, -6/+120I hate all this litigation crap and people thinking big companies owe them something if they themselves never had the intention to use the patent on their own.
- pbryan, on 07/23/2008, -6/+106Thank goodness that the courts have upheld this "little guy's" patents -- if not for such patent protection, Nintendo would have been allowed to spend person-years of effort and millions of dollars to develop what he might have thought up and jotted down in an afternoon at the local cafe.
Working through hard design problems, elaborate prototyping, user testing and refinement, establishing an economically viable manufacturing process, distribution, marketing -- all of this pales in comparison to the contribution of "thinking up the idea first" by Brad Armstrong of Carson City, Nevada. - buba1243, on 07/23/2008, -7/+69Lawyers, a blight on the world.
- mrbios, on 07/23/2008, -7/+66I though a patent was not even defensible unless the holder actually produced the item or had serious plans to do so.
Anyone skilled in the art or computers could come up with Ninentendo's wii handheld controller. Honestly, how many people that work in technology looked at the wii and said wow that's an amazing invention, I never would have or could have thought of that.
One of my customers trades stock and had wrist problems and uses one of those cordless motion mice - it works the exact same basically as the ninentendo wii - give me a break. - mujahideenryder, on 07/23/2008, -1/+57Brad Armstrong just wants money.
- Elranzer, on 07/23/2008, -5/+56I can't wait to play Anascape's new videogame system! Or at least can't wait to use their new controllers for the Wii!
I mean, that's why they hold these patents on analog sticks, right? Guys? - Schmapdi, on 07/23/2008, -2/+37Good for Nintendo for being willing to fight off what clearly seems to be a guy looking to get an easy buck. Apparently I should go patent the words "flying car device" and "human teleportation system" so in 50 years I can be rich too.
- krakelohm, on 07/23/2008, -0/+31Next time don't drive drunk. ;)
- Coven, on 07/23/2008, -0/+30How about next time you don't be a moron? That would've saved you a thousand bucks and a whole lot of trouble.
- Enfenestrate, on 07/23/2008, -0/+21He's too busy jotting down vague ideas for products in the back of a Starbucks to bother with a site.
- DubiousDrewski, on 07/23/2008, -0/+21Ha, you got what was coming to you, you drunk driving *****! hehe.
- staticneuron, on 07/23/2008, -2/+23Thats the problem right there. Copied his idea? What makes you think such a thing? It very well could be the case of some japanese engineer designing this device on the other side of this planet yet when they com here someone has already has a patent they have not acted on. It isn't fair. I really think people shouldn't allowed to hold patents unless they have a working product of their submission for sale.
- Marglar, on 07/23/2008, -2/+23I am so sick of hearing about lawsuits from patent trolls. The patent system really needs to be looked at! If you have something patented it should have to become an available product within a certain time frame, you shouldn't be allowed to just sit on a patent until somone creates a product remotely similar to yours, then sue them..
So silly. :) - reed311, on 07/23/2008, -0/+20Ok... but this is patent law.
- drlha, on 07/23/2008, -0/+20Nicely put, but this case has nothing to do with the Wii Remote. It covers Gamecube controllers and the Wii Classic Controller.
- simonbp, on 07/23/2008, -1/+20If he invented this stuff and patented it in the '70s, his patents should have expired by now. Has he done anything with this technology since he got the patents?
- airwalkery2k, on 07/23/2008, -5/+21Before we all go hating on the guy who sued our beloved Nintendo, I hope we realize that sometimes these patents do serve a purpose to protect the work of people. If somebody invents something, and a company uses it, then the inventor is entitled to a royalty for his work.
If, however, somebody is just shotgunning the patent system with vague or obvious patents and expects to be paid when one of his crackpot dreams comes true, then I think that is an abuse of the system and he would deserve nothing.
I hold my opinion about this case since I have read conflicting reports about whether he really spent time working on this or if he really is just making money from lawesuits. - bpoteat, on 07/23/2008, -0/+15Well, if you were guilty, yeah you should've.
- slickrocktrail, on 07/23/2008, -1/+16The url anascape.com is for sale. I think I will buy it. I am sure no one will sue me.
BTW. I cannot find the corporate site for Anascape, Inc. - sigsegfalt, on 07/23/2008, -3/+17Someone needs to go to Carson City, Nevada, and kick Brad Armstrong's ass. When Nintendo raises the price on their controllers a few bucks to account for this eventual payout, it will be his fault.
- mywhitenoise, on 07/23/2008, -3/+15I remember you typing a rant while you were on coke a few months back, that was the best comment I ever read.
- theviceroy, on 07/23/2008, -3/+14WTF... Unless this guy filed these patents in like 1976 there is no reason he should be holding them. He didn't invent anything, all of the technology he is claiming to own the rights to has existed for ***** decades. (In some way or another - basically everything in all modern game controllers are modified versions of things first introduced in stand-up arcade consoles and pin-ball)
I think I'm going to go file a patent for an "electronic game-playing device" and make millions! - aspec, on 07/23/2008, -0/+11You might be right, though the intention is similar, the method is different. If you had an idea and you wanted to patent it, and sit on it, I'd assume you'd have the right to.
But the question is, should we allow a market to develop where you can own a company whose sole existence is based on it's ability to create vague ideas to patent to make money when others do the real R&D?
Think of it this way; If a younger woman marries an older man for money, and he dies, and she gets money, there really isn't anything wrong with that.
However, if a woman has a history of marrying older men and they die in vague situations where the cause of death is questionable, you might see something wrong with that. - Zyvo, on 07/23/2008, -4/+15***** BRAD ARMSTRONG
- themastersb, on 07/23/2008, -0/+10You shouldn't be able to make such broad patents. They should be more precise.
- dannyboy3020, on 07/23/2008, -0/+9So does Nintendo!
- mlvassallo, on 07/23/2008, -0/+9Its not him. It is the system that allows him to do it. There should be a statute on patents and the ability to litigate over stuff like this.
- DeathfireD, on 07/23/2008, -0/+9its already patented http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6745977.html
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5820469.html
lol - warcin, on 07/23/2008, -1/+10I want to patent that act of creating patents I have no intention of ever using just so I can sue someone over it. That way I can sue all these patent squaters and make the loop complete
- GolfDude, on 07/23/2008, -1/+10This is Chewbacca.
He lives on Endor with a bunch of 2 foot tall ewoks..
Why does an 8 foot tall wookie want to live on Endor?
Now i ask you one simple thing?
Does this make any sense?
NO!
THIS DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE!
IF CHECWBACCA LIVES ON ENDOR YOU MUST ACQUIT! BECAUSE THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE!
The Defense Rests! - breadfred, on 07/23/2008, -1/+9Yeah but Nintendo makes products that use this technology.
- SSPink, on 07/23/2008, -1/+9Mr_Lyle: Using the laws to one's advantage isn't something this guy invented.
then someone should sue him for using their invention... - BlackJackJester, on 07/23/2008, -1/+9"controller with analog button"? COMON! I'm sure Nintendo can find something that precedes this patent that goes under the "controller with analog button", proving Anascape wasn't the inventor. I say, if you don't have serious plans to use a patent within 6 months of getting it, you lose it. If it's obvious you are a money hoarding whore, you should be shot. This is like if AT&T got a patent for "the internet" 15 years ago, and is now suing every American for infringing. Carson City, you say? Lock and load, you can't litigate when you're dead.
- Feanor, on 07/23/2008, -0/+7Just because more people do it doesn't make it morally acceptable.
- unfilterthought, on 07/23/2008, -1/+8Patent trolling needs to become illegal. Hell the whole patent system needs to be rethought. These ideas he patented are natural evolutions of game controller design.
He didnt create anything!!! He just bet on designs that would become used in the future but had no existing products yet. Analog stick, vibration, 3D Motion, etc.
Use it or lose it.
The Patent system should be protecting those who are creating, from copy-cats who dont have to invest time/money in researching the technology/design innovations.
The patent system should not be protecting trolls like this. - BradOFarrell, on 07/23/2008, -1/+8Patents are supposed to encourage competition and make society a better place. They didn't STEAL his idea, they just happened to also think of it, they couldn't have known some guy in Texas came up with something vaguely similar thirty years ago.
- GolfDude, on 07/23/2008, -1/+8how bout we sue the texas court who keeps taking these bogus cases?
- D3koy, on 07/23/2008, -2/+8What crap, if he has no product or plans to release a product I say he's got no rights here...This is like Apple trying to patent those solar cells....
- mijokijo, on 07/23/2008, -1/+7Here is a thread from Slashdot that discussed this case. It has some interesting information you might not know.
"I lean to Nintendo's side since the patents are registered to some dude in Carson City, Nevada; but Anascape is registered in Texas, famous for their friendly attitude toward patent trolls. I think it's a case of jury shopping."
Reply:
"Or it's a case of choosing a venue where the judge knows a patent from a potato, where the magistrates are experienced with patent matters for expedited pretrial proceedings, and where the docket that isn't clogged with federal criminal cases that prevent timely resolution of civil matters. Very little in a patent case is decided by the jury and much of what the jury has power over can be corrected on appeal should the jury err. The Eastern District of Texas (and other "rocket dockets") are popular with plaintiffs because they provide the plaintiff with a predictable litigation timetable. They all appeal to the same place (CAFC) so they all follow the same law and extraordinary jury outcomes will be subjected to the same review."
Reply:
"Actually, E.D.Tex is so popular with patent infringement plaintiffs because it hands down victory after victory for plaintiffs on questionable procedural rulings and blatant plaintiff favoritism. Why? Sit down, its story time.
Once upon a time, a certain area of Texas was popular for tort plaintiffs because it frequently produced enormous damage awards, thus providing employment and tourism revenue for an otherwise inconsequential part of the United States. Then, a series of tort reform laws were passed to curtail the activities of the offending courts. So, in search of a new means of corrupting the judicial system to keep a constant flow of legal tourism through Mayberry, a judge from Marshall, Texas decided to publish a paper on patent rules.
Having a judge who understands patent law is an excellent proposition, except when the judge intends to contort the law to draw business into his remote domain and benefit his local associates.
Who decides where a case is brought when the defendant (say, a national corporation) is subject to personal jurisdiction throughout the entire country? The plaintiff. How do you persuade patent plaintiffs to bring lawsuits in your backwards town? By handing out numerous favorable decisions and large damage awards.
And so, E.D.Tex and Marshall, TX are the bane of patent defense attorneys throughout the United States, and patents of doubtful validity regularly receive the imprimatur of a federal district court.
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit doesn't agree to hear appeals for every case, nor should it. That would be impossible.
In conclusion, we should never have let Texas into the Union in the first place." - XternalHD, on 07/23/2008, -1/+7BRB Im going to patent "Using the lungs to breathe Oxygen".
- Jhiaxuz, on 07/23/2008, -0/+6I hear he got hired to make the controllers for the Phantom.
- altgeeky1, on 07/23/2008, -3/+9Dude, this is an adult topic, not an AOL chat room. Come back when you're 16, or you've learned to spell.
- dnields, on 07/23/2008, -2/+8Unless you're the one holding the patent... then you probably wouldn't hate "all this litigation crap".
- malcolmlo, on 07/23/2008, -3/+8Then reform the patent system. Sorry but, a patent is a patent. Its not just scribbling down ideas on a napkin, getting a patent takes time, money and effort. You have to develop detailed designs and prototypes, hire a patent lawyer, file for patent etc.
What you all are proposing is a system that would shut out the "one-man-inventor". Only companies with the ability to produce, distribution channels, resources and manpower could recieve a patten under what some of you are proposing. I for one dont like that idea. I like the fact that in our current system if i have an idea, there is a possibility i can patent it. Who wants to change that? - mnemy, on 07/23/2008, -1/+6I hate when ***** like this abuse the system. Patents are great to protect your products from being ripped off. But too many jackasses like this simply see a hole that they can exploit to get free money without actually implementing anything.
- sonicEd, on 07/23/2008, -1/+6You thought wrong.
- JohnSteel, on 07/23/2008, -0/+5Unfortunately you can't sue the courts when they make bad decisions. Judges are very well protected from the bad decisions that they make. My parents rented a house to people who did thousands of dollars of property damage, stole curtains and a refrigerator, and skipped out on several months rent. When my parents took them to court they counter sued for the security deposit. They won and my parents lost despite having a good amount of proof and the law being on my parents side. My parents filed a complaint of misconduct against the judge and got back a reply that the judge's misconduct wasn't sufficient to warrant any punishment despite her decision clearly going against the law. Judges in America can basically do whatever they want and only the most extreme incompetence gets punished.
- breadfred, on 07/23/2008, -1/+6Thanks! I have just put a patent on these, following your comment. I am going to be rich!
- Augie1969, on 07/23/2008, -1/+6That's a bit of a broad statement. Everyone likes to hate on lawyers until they need one. Remember that they are the ones that will help you out when nobody else is on your side, and things seem hopeless.
Sure, there are bad ones out there, but I believe all professions can boast this claim. - mawdurnbukanier, on 07/23/2008, -0/+5This isn't "sticking it to the man," this is taking advantage of other people's work. This guy is nothing more than a douche bag who wants to retire on somebody else's dime.
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