Friday, December 12, 2008

What if someone patented the whole metaverse?

It looks like american software patents system threaten virtual worlds too.

General Patent Corporation and World's.com announced yesterday:

We are pleased to have the expertise and IP experience of General Patent and Lerner David to enforce Worlds’ patent portfolio,” stated Thom Kidrin, Worlds’ CEO. “As the number of virtual worlds and MMORG’s continues to grow, Worlds has seen the space we pioneered in 1995 validated in techniques and methodologies we believe are defined in our patents.



The two patents in question are 6,219,045 and 7,181,690. Firts one is titled: "Scalable virtual world client-server chat system" second: "System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space".


from Virtual Judgment post:

Therefore, it would seem that General Patent Corporation and Worlds.com are taking the position that the above-referenced patents cover the idea of the computer architecture for a three-dimensional graphical multi-user interactive virtual world systems. If so, this announcement is arguably a very thinly veiled notice to the virtual world industry that infringement suits are forthcoming for those companies who do not enter into a licensing deal with General Patent Corporation and Worlds.com.




Undoubtedly determining enforeability of these two patents could have serious impact on the future of virtual worlds.

1 komentarze:

Anonymous,  December 30, 2008 at 2:14 PM  

AP Lawyers, the comprehensive reference of useful Law related information,articles. Find the best lawyers, attorneys and law firms in the US. Find the best Injury Lawyer, Divorce Lawyer, Criminal Lawyer, Accident Lawyer, Mesothelioma Lawyer, Medical Malpractice, Debt Consolidation, Nonprofit and other attorneys.


Visit at http://aplawyers.com

Disclaimer

The content of this website is not legal advice. It only constitutes commentary on legal issues, and is for educational and informational purposes only. Reading this website, replying to posts, or any other interaction on this website does not create an attorney-client privilege between you and the author. With any legal issue that may confront you in a particular situation, you should always consult a qualified attorney familiar with the laws in your State. Any hyperlinks which may appear on this website imply no association with or approval of this website's content, unless expressly noted.

Trademarks

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. The example companies, organizations, products, people and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, person, or event is intended or should be inferred. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved.

  © Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP