General

[Schmitti]

And I don't know if NPS went back to them and tore up that agreement after WDP told SP to pound sand in court (In England).

E

[hank_k]

So, it seems that SP isn't so much in the market of reverse engineering other people's products (which, to an extent, is inevitable in any market) but rather to reverse engineer other people's products, then patent them as their own.

I knew SP was less than scrupulous in its dealings, but this little development has driven that point home HARD in my mind.



Have they patented the sphere yet ? Or aluminum ? .... actually, HAVING to buy brass markers on principle wouldn't be such a bad thing.

[incynr8]

Tinker's Guild Tech Forum

[incynr8]

August 9, 2006 - Smart Parts, Inc. and Bob Long Adrenaline Sports Technology, Inc. (BLAST) announced the signing of a patent license agreement giving BLAST a worldwide, non-exclusive license to make, sell, offer for sale, and distribute products covered by Smart Parts' electronic paintball gun patents.

Smart Parts owns several U.S. and international patents and pending patent applications related to the use of electronics in the control and operation of paintball guns. These include, for instance, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,881,707; 5,967,133; 6,035,843; 6,474,326 B1; and 6,637,421 B2, as well as patents and/or pending patent applications in Germany, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, and other countries.

[incynr8]

WARPIG - World And Regional Paintball Information Guide

[incynr8]

and the MCB fav:
Smart Parts, WDP, and Dye Resolve Litigation, License Agreements Part of Settlement
April 1, 2006

Smart Parts, Inc., WDP, Ltd., and Dye Precision, Inc. are pleased to announce the settlement of litigation pending between the companies and the entry into patent license agreements giving WDP and Dye a worldwide, non-exclusive license to make, sell, offer for sale, and distribute products covered by Smart Parts’ electronic paintball gun patents; giving Smart Parts and Dye a worldwide, non-exclusive license to make, sell, offer for sale, and distribute products covered by a WDP’s affiliate’s LCD and Data Link and other related electronic paintball marker patents; and giving Smart Parts a license under Dye’s patent related to spool valve paintball gun designs.

Smart Parts owns several U.S. and international patents and pending patent applications related to the use of electronics in the control and operation of paintball guns. These include, for instance, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,881,707; 5,967,133; 6,035,843; 6,474,326; and 6,637,421, as well as numerous other patents and pending patent applications in the U.S. and other countries. The WDP affiliate owns numerous U.S. and international patents related to the electronic control and monitoring of paintball guns, including U.S. Patent Nos. 6,311,682; 6,615,814; 6,748,938; 6,860,259; 6,941,693, as well as additional issued and pending international and U.S. patents and applications. Dye Precision owns U.S. Patent No. 5,613,483 related to spool valve paintball gun designs with additional U.S. and international applications pending.

[incynr8]

DP

http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/n...ous-power.html

[incynr8]

June 15, 2007

Smart Parts, Inc. and KEE Action Sports, LLC announced the signing of a settlement agreement resolving the litigation that Smart Parts brought against KEE earlier this year in the Eastern District of Texas. As part of that settlement, KEE and Smart Parts have agreed to a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-bearing license under Smart Parts’ Electronic Paintball Gun Patents, including U.S. Patent Nos. 5,881,707; 5,967,133; 6,035,843; 6,474,326; 6,637,421; 7,100,593 and their foreign counterparts. In addition, although denying infringement, KEE has agreed to phase out certain barrel insert kit products, which Smart Parts asserted were infringing other patents. Also as part of the settlement agreement, Smart Parts has entered into a distribution agreement with KEE whereby KEE will be an authorized distributor of Smart Parts products.
__________________

[incynr8]

agd:
Originally Posted by Tom Kaye, Automags.org
Guys,

To set the record straight:

We were contacted by SP about potential violations under their previous patent on the shocker. This was not the patent they ended up sueing everyone on. This told us we were not immune in the long run.

We were told by high level individuals in the company that they didn't see anyone that they believed was not in violation of their patents.

We were never contacted about violations under the latest patent that everyone else was sued for but we figured we were on the list.

When it came time to think about revamping the emag there were several considerations:
The investment in a new design
Once we commited to a new design and the money, if we were sued it would mean we would have to commit to a license.
We didnt have the money to do both the license and the revamp.
The odds of coming up with a succesful product that could cover the costs of the development and the license were low.
Overall money risk against likelyhood of success we determined was not worth the risk reward ratio.

Thats why we didn't go on to make another Emag. RIP.

AGD

[incynr8]

Brass Eagle:
Brass Eagle Takes License Under Smart Parts' Electronic Paintball Gun Patents



Smart Parts, Inc. and Brass Eagle, LLC today announced the signing of a patent license agreement giving Brass Eagle (and its related companies) a worldwide, non-exclusive license to make, sell, offer for sale, and distribute products covered by Smart Parts' electronic paintball gun patents.

Smart Parts owns several U.S. and international patents and pending patent applications related to the use of electronics in the control and operation of paintball guns. These include, for instance, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,881,707; 5,967,133; 6,035,843; 6,474,326 B1; and 6,637,421 B2, as well as patents and/or pending patent applications in Germany, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, and other countries.

WARPIG - World And Regional Paintball Information Guide