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Blizzard targeted in MMO patent dispute News
MMO PC News by Oli Welsh
Confirming our suspicions, Worlds.com has revealed that it intends to sue Blizzard and Linden Labs if its patent suit against NCsoft is successful.
Worlds.com has a patent that describes virtually any 3D MMO or virtual world, and dates back to the mid-1990s. It selected NCsoft as its first target for a lawsuit, but Worlds.com chief Thom Kidrin told the Silicon Alley Insider that he would "absolutely" pursue cases against World of Warcraft and Second Life, and any MMO operator that's not prepared to pay licensing fees.
NCsoft has likely been selected as the first target due to its US office in Austin, Texas - where as a foreign defendant in an intellectual property case, it will be at a distinct disadvantage. Even if Worlds.com is successful and has precedent, it may have a tougher time on Linden and Blizzard's Californian home turf.
Kidrin explained the origin of the patent: Starbirght World, a Steven Spielberg-backed charity initiative providing an online social network for seriously ill children. Starbright patents then passed from the original creators to Worlds.com.
Sick kids and Steven Spielberg surely adds up to the ultimate smokescreen for any opportunistic lawsuit. We'll keep an eye on further developments.
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Comments: 1-41 of 41 in total
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Triggerhappytel
12/03/09 @ 11:00
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US patent law sounds so fucking stupid. Why aren't these things sorted before the potential infringement happens, and is there no body which determines when a patent is being infringed?!
"It selected NCsoft as its first target for a lawsuit" Because it knew taking on Blizzard straight away would be a fast track to bankruptcy. |
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If you're going to sue, at least sue so far out of your league you can guarantee failure. In fact, why not make a statement during a legal dispute with a smaller company first, so the mega-company might get plenty of time to prepare a great case that is undefeatable. Oh, and make sure you make it over a painfully vague patent you forgot to sue about for years.
Done all that? Then Achievement Unlocked - 10GS Hyper Moron Mega Facepalm Obliteration - Caused a facepalm so huge in magnitude several people slapped their own faces into paste. |
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or drag out the legal battle until worlds.com is bankrupt. out of the many ideas in the world, taking on Actiblizz's legal department is probably not one of the brihtest
Ah yea but if Actiblizz owns the patents they can sue all competing MMo's out of the market :D
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 12/03/09 @ 11:26
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Ronan_Crawford
12/03/09 @ 11:25
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I'm sure that their is some loophole that Blizzard can get through. It sounds like a stupidly broad patent. Plus if you think about it. Worlds.com is simply not that successful. Could Blizzard or any other MMO company not just settle out of court?. If I was a Judge I would just disregard the claims and look at World.com as trying to get a big slice of cake. That they did not really contribute a lot to the current development of an MMO.
I'm not a Judge though. *Microsoft Sam* 'Sad Face' |
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Kazzahdrane
12/03/09 @ 11:44
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Settling out of court must be the primary objective of worlds.com's lawsuit - they're taking on huge companies with a stupid waste of time, and hoping that they will just offer them a few $k/M to go away and stop being dicks.
Really hope they don't get a penny and are made to pay NCSoft's court fees though, since this is just so clearly taking advantage of the system. |
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IneptPercy
12/03/09 @ 11:50
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It should be a case of if there is an infringement why didn't they do anything about it sooner? You shouldn't be aloud to wait until something is worth millions/billions before saying ' hey that's mine'
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I'm no lawyer but I think kestral is right and MUDs are prior art although they might try to argue that their patent is specifically for 3D worlds. Doom, Quake and just about any other server-based multi-player games that have ever existed are also prior art. Hell, even email and IRC have many of the features they've tried to patent.
Also, how does this date to the mid 90's when the filing date on the patent is Aug 3, 2000? If I were in charge of the Death Star... erm... Blizzards legal department I'd help make sure NCSoft win. I eagerly await the news that worlds.com has been destroyed. When it happens I will give in to that dark part of my soul and laugh and point and revel in their doom. Dooooooom! |
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@anomagnus
the first mention of a cyber world is an 1982 novel by William Gibson. I love you William Gibson! Neal Stephenson's excellent Snow Crash also pre-dates it (1992) and also has a hugely detailed virtual world, the Metaverse. And let's not forget holodecks. I'm hoping there is a plan in place here and they're letting worlds.com get good and committed to this case, sink all their money into it and then kerPOW! Dooooooooom! XD Edit: Jebus! I can't spll!
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 12/03/09 @ 12:16
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It's not so clear that there is prior art. MUDs do not count since the patent specifically describes a 3D virtual multiperson interactive environment which are common-place now but not when the patent was filed (1990 or so).
The patent is defendable, particularly in Texas and once there is a precedent, it becomes easier to go after bigger fish. Getting bought out is possible, but if worlds.com is a private company they don't have to sell and may consider that they would get more cash going after Turbine, Sony etc than selling out to Blizz. |
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4thVariety
12/03/09 @ 12:50
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The patent claims as an invention that computers only receive information about the parts of the virtual world the avatar can see. Which is bonkers, since no client can know as much as the server to begin with. How would a network work if all clients were omniscient at all times?
The patent suggest that usually servers ALWAYS send ALL their data to ALL the clients. If you are willing to entertain that stupid notion, then it would really be an invention NOT to send everything to every client. But since the default state of any server client structure is to do NOTHING except something specific is requested, the patent does not apply to anything. I suggest you read the patents and then search for info on worlds.com. It's a one man operation (.com bubble scheme)! |
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What's next? Some long lost generic non-specific patent on bottled cola drinks?
Funny though, they tried (and are probably still trying) passing a bill in the EU regarding patents to make it similar to the US. As well as some knee-crunching legislation against downloading. Tried hiding it within a bill regarding agriculture or something - this is a few years back. Someone was "obviously" bought out (bribed) by the appropiate money-hungry lobbyists. |
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Marshall2008
12/03/09 @ 14:03
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Worlds.com looks terrible. I suppose if they are unable to innovate and obviously have no design skill whatsoever then the only way they could possibly make any money is to sue the actual creative companies.
Losers.
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most recently on 12/03/09 @ 14:03
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Didn't I say that if Blizzard and others simply stood back and did nothing, they would be in for a world of hurt.
This industry and the states in particular, really need to sort out their patent laws. I recon 90% of all patents are of no actual value what so ever. Yet the states coughs them out like a sick man coughing out germs. |
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Sunyavadin
12/03/09 @ 20:13
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A certain Buzzcocks episode comes to mind. When Donny Tourette attempted to take the piss out of Bill Bailey.
"Let me explain to you Donny - Bill is a professional comedian - YOU WON'T WIN" Someone needs to explain this concept to Worlds.com - Blizzard have MORE MONEY THAN GOD - You can't take them on. Blizzard could hire someone to kill every employee of worlds.com while they sleep, THEN pay off the cops to never prove it was them, while SIMULTANEOUSLY bribing judges to rule that worlds.com in fact belongs to Blizzard - all without making the slightest dent on their cashflow. |
Comments: 1-41 of 41 in total
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