RSSVirtual worlds firm files IP suit on Christmas Eve
By Angela Gunn | Published December 29, 2008, 7:00 PM
Worlds.com, which launched its first 3D avatar environment back in the mid-90s, has retained an intellectual property law firm and has filed patent infringement suits. Its first, against game developer NCsoft, was filed on Christmas Eve.
The company claims that NCsoft -- the publisher of Lineage and City of Heroes -- is infringing on two patents. The latest of the two, "System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space" (US Patent 7,181,690), was filed in August 2000 and awarded in February 2007. It describes a method for displaying other avatars and non-avatar objects (e.g., background items) to multiple users.
The earlier patent, "Scalable virtual world chat client-server system" (US Patent 6,219,045), was filed in November 1996 and awarded in April 2001. It describes how such a virtual world environment can be made scalable.
In mid-December, Worlds.com retained the IP-law firm Werner David and, in announcing the choice, specifically mentioned the two patents as protected intellectual property. Werner David's especially well-known for their work on biotech patent cases, but tech folk may be amused to hear that the firm has sued IBM and won while representing Diebold (the parent company of the e-voting machine maker), in a suit regarding ATM machines.
To make the litigation decision, Worlds.com worked with General Patent Corporation, the oldest (est. 1987) of the intellectual property management or (alternately) patent enforcement firms. Such firms usually first attempt to negotiate with companies that might be infringing on a client's patent. If this situation proceeds as have similar situations in the past, Worlds.com is likely to be pursuing licensing arrangements with a number of companies, perhaps larger firms such as Linden Labs (home of Second Life) or Blizzard Entertainment (home of World of Warcraft), turning to litigation when talks fail.
Tracking the situation over at Virtual Worlds News, publisher Christopher Sherman agrees that Worlds.com probably didn't simply decide earlier in the month to ignite the lawyers. "I would imagine they've met with some resistance from some of the major companies and therefore have been planning a litigation strategy for some time. Just my hunch."
Word from the licensing firm wouldn't seem to contradict that assessment. "The Worlds patents represent exceptionally valuable intellectual property," said Alexander Poltorak, GPC's chairman and CEO, in a press statement when the Lerner David retainer was announced. "We welcome licensing inquiries from the online game industry."
Worlds.com representatives weren't available for comment by our deadline.
Nice to see these people are a buncha patent trolls.. I used their product years ago and it was just awful.. So they waited for someone to do it better to snap the lawyers out.. Really think its time for patent reform.. if you don't use it or even attempt to keep it current you lose it....I love how they just threw up a update to it recently to make it appear is if its a current IP theft.. Worlds is as bad as SCO in the patent-trolling wading pool.. Tend to agree with the others. I hope they get clobbered on Prior-Art
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The latest of the two, "System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space" (US Patent 7,181,690), was filed in August 2000
Ultima Online was *released* in September of 1997.
EverQuest, I believe, was released in March of 1999.
Based on the information in the article (didn't follow the links to the actual patents), they have nothing.
Why can't we sue these idiots for wasting taxpayer money and the courts time?
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Exactly. This is nuts the kinds of things people sue for anymore. I mean give me a break. So they think they thought up the concept of a virtual world? IDTS; That's been in Novels for ages. Long before some of those idiots were even born was that concept thought of.
Whats next a Chemical bonding company patenting air? Take a breath and you are in violation of copyright... That's how ridiculous this feels.
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Hell, "The Lawnmower Man" came out in 1994....
These guys are really bad at fishing...
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Even better, "Tron" - 1982.
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Two words: prior art.
Examples: MUDs, Crossfire.
Regards,
Ruemere
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Wow, I haven't heard ANY news about worlds since MediaOne was pimping them when they were still around. I checked it out and thought "hey, that's neat you can chat like in cybertown.com"
Then I checked it years later and saw they made no improvements to the system using the same now outdated graphics. If they actually do something rather than just sue others to generate revenue that would be cool.
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