Paintball

[questionful]

So I know of SP's shenanigans, I just don't know much about them. I only know a few random little facts I've heard here and there. So I'll tell you what I've gathered, and I ask that you guys correct and elaborate on everything if you would.

Back in 1996, SP hired PVI to invent the shocker. Somehow, SP managed to obtain ownership of the patent, and for some reason PVI went out of business. The patent covers all electropneumatic guns. The PVI shocker was allegedly the first electropneumatic gun, though some dude named endleman or something had made an electro 'cocker or something of the sort, and there was at least one existing patent of an electropneumatic air-powered gun (I think the navy patented one in the 50's). Also, through a legal loophole, SP added "IP" to the patent after the patent had been granted, which allowed them to include IP in the patent that would have made the patent less likely to have been granted had it been included in the original application, or if they had applied for it later. WDP managed to escape SP's patent by hiring a PVI engineer who hadn't signed a form that was supposed to have been signed, and DYE also pulled off some similar loopholery. Others weren't so lucky. ICD spent over 500k in legal fees fighting SP, but ended up losing and licensing after all. AKA just said "forget it" and stopped making electros. That was back in the day. Since then, several companies have licensed, and SP has obtained more patents, some ridiculous, some mysteriously vague, some showing a "spray and pray" type of patenting attitude. And a some people on the Tinkerers' Guild and here on MCB have tried to do something about it, including doc_zox contacting a patent officer, and other people collecting prior art, attempting to contact the ettelman guy, etc.

And that's all I know. I'm probably wrong about a bunch of stuff, and just lacking tons of general information. If you know anything, or if you can refer me to threads where this has been discussed, please lmk.

[heinous]

www.vm68.com: Smart Parts Will Destroy Paintball

i think pneuventures made the shocker and sp was the distributor.

also, smart parts has been selling gun parts before they had their own gun, and they made most of their money through hype.

like the magic box for the automag. it is effectively extra volume of air prior to entering the gun.

the automag has its reg in the rear end, which is the first thing the air meets when it goes inside, meaning that magic box holds the 850psi of air normally between the ASA and the foregrip. that's a pointless thing to do because the bottleneck of air flow is not there anyway.
Smart Parts Catalog, 1998
PBportal.de - Smart Parts Magic Box

[K_Obeastly]

the magic box actually increased volume both before the regulator (useless) and after the on/off. It increased the volume and thus reduced the pressure used to fire the ball. If I understood and/or remembered it right, I think there were some problems w/ flow to the point that the gun still ran about the same pressure as before and the extra air was wasted making it completely detrimental to performance and offered no gain.

[heinous]

Originally Posted by K_Obeastly

the magic box actually increased volume both before the regulator (useless) and after the on/off. It increased the volume and thus reduced the pressure used to fire the ball. If I understood and/or remembered it right, I think there were some problems w/ flow to the point that the gun still ran about the same pressure as before and the extra air was wasted making it completely detrimental to performance and offered no gain.

iirc doc said he opened one up and inside is just a small coil of air hose.

that would explain the flow problem you are talking about.

[Schmitti]

The PBPortal.de link is spot on with the quotes from the old mags and reviews. It was just a money maker for SP... not a true performance mod.

E

[punkncat]

Originally Posted by heinous

www.vm68.com: Smart Parts Will Destroy Paintball

I think the thing that Doc, and a lot of anti SP people today are forgetting is that with licensing it no longer matters if you actually buy their product. It would affect their bottom line and the jobs of those involved in making their name brand product for sure. But since every company making a product covered by their many blanket patents are paying fees back to SP you support them either directly by buying SP, or indirectly by buying anything from anyone else paying royalties/fees.
The patents and the people benefitting from them create a pretty much guaranteed income through this vehicle for a long time to come.

[heinous]

Originally Posted by punkncat

I think the thing that Doc, and a lot of anti SP people today are forgetting is that with licensing it no longer matters if you actually buy their product. It would affect their bottom line and the jobs of those involved in making their name brand product for sure. But since every company making a product covered by their many blanket patents are paying fees back to SP you support them either directly by buying SP, or indirectly by buying anything from anyone else paying royalties/fees.
The patents and the people benefitting from them create a pretty much guaranteed income through this vehicle for a long time to come.

well, i guess i'll have to stick to used guns or mechs from now on.

probably mechs.

[Harbinger[TG]]

Originally Posted by punkncat

I think the thing that Doc, and a lot of anti SP people today are forgetting is that with licensing it no longer matters if you actually buy their product. It would affect their bottom line and the jobs of those involved in making their name brand product for sure. But since every company making a product covered by their many blanket patents are paying fees back to SP you support them either directly by buying SP, or indirectly by buying anything from anyone else paying royalties/fees.
The patents and the people benefitting from them create a pretty much guaranteed income through this vehicle for a long time to come.

Yeah because keeping all the Chinese employed is top priority.

Also, SP bought the rights to the PVI.

[Cocker Master]

Originally Posted by punkncat

I think the thing that Doc, and a lot of anti SP people today are forgetting is that with licensing it no longer matters if you actually buy their product. It would affect their bottom line and the jobs of those involved in making their name brand product for sure. But since every company making a product covered by their many blanket patents are paying fees back to SP you support them either directly by buying SP, or indirectly by buying anything from anyone else paying royalties/fees.
The patents and the people benefitting from them create a pretty much guaranteed income through this vehicle for a long time to come.

True, but dye found a loophole, so people are serious about boycotting SP should look into buying DM's PM's and PMR's depending on your price range.
And now the tables have turned and dye is suing SP. If they win it will be a huge step toward leveling the playing field.

Originally Posted by Harbinger[TG]

Yeah because keeping all the Chinese employed is top priority.

Who said anything about the chinese?

[Harbinger[TG]]

Originally Posted by Cocker Master

Who said anything about the chinese?

It would affect their bottom line and the jobs of those involved in making their name brand product for sure.