What good can come of yet another company bowing down to SP... Granted I doubt Will, even with Tadao's popularity, can stand up to SP for very long I myself still would have tried.
WDP (Now Angel Paintball Sports) won against SP several years ago and has been the only company to date to challenge and sucessfully defeat the Gardners in court. Not only does SP have just about the deepest pockets of anyone in the industry, but one of the Gardner bros. (Or both, can't remember) used to be patent attorneys. And STILL, WDP won.
I still have the Facefull Nov/Dec '04 issue that talks about WDP vs. SP. Obviously, the only patent SP lays claim to frequently (Even though they have many others) is the so broad and rediculously vauge 'Electronic switch triggered, solenoid actuating device' or something to that effect (I don't know all the legal mumbo so sue me... pun not really intended)
So, if I was worth half a grain that a lawyer should be, I would obviously cite the WDP vs. SP suit as grounds for having the current one thrown out. The military/DoD developed switch-activated solenoid devices in the 60s/70s for use on ordnance so technically, 'prior art' could be claimed but obviously the patent judge that awarded SP the patent didn't see it that way.
Just goes to show in this world, as much as people would like to believe right and good stand over all, it's really who you know and the all-mighty dollar.
Tsk tsk...