Blizzard Among MMO Developers Sued in Patent Infringement Case
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pixiestixy on Friday, September 18, 2009 - 30 Comments Tags: blizzard, case, court, data-sharing, halo, jagex, lawsuit, license, microsoft, mmorpg, ncsoft, paltalk, patent, patent infringement, proprietary, settlement, sony, sue, suit, technology, turbine
pixiestixy on Friday, September 18, 2009 - 30 Comments Tags: blizzard, case, court, data-sharing, halo, jagex, lawsuit, license, microsoft, mmorpg, ncsoft, paltalk, patent, patent infringement, proprietary, settlement, sony, sue, suit, technology, turbine 
Activision-Blizzard and several other leading developers of MMORPGs are the targets of a a lawsuit recently filed by Paltalk Holdings, according to an article in the Boston Globe. The complaint alleges that the makers of many leading MMORPGs have infringed upon Paltalk's patented technology that allows players at separate computers around the world to see the same images in-game simultaneously. According to the article:"In 2002, Paltalk purchased two patents from a company called HearMe, covering technologies for sharing data among many connected computers so that all users see the same digital environment. Paltalk claims that the data-sharing technologies used in games... violate those patents."
Other developers named in the suit include Sony Corp., which created Everquest; Turbine Inc., the makers of Dungeons & Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online; South Korea's NCSoft Corp., maker of Guild Wars; and British firm Jagex Ltd., which makes Runescape.
We've reported in the past on several other lawsuits involving Blizzard, such as one on a "Virtual World" patent, and it seems that there's always something new coming up that they must defend. Perhaps what sets this case apart is that Paltalk already defended the same patent against Microsoft Corp. In 2006, Paltalk sued Microsoft for its alleged use of the technology in Halo. The case was set to go to trial in March until Microsoft opted to settle out of court, paying Paltalk an undisclosed amount to license the patent rights, and in the process conceding that the patents are valid.
And it's obvious that Paltalk means business just based on where the case was filed: the U.S. District Court in Marshall, Texas, "one of the nation’s most popular venues for patent lawsuits," because of its label as a "plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction."
Looks like Blizzard could have a bit of a fight ahead if the technology it uses can be proven to be different from Paltalk's proprietary designs. Or, it may need to pay up for licensing rights.
Reader Comments (30)
America, the greediest place in earth, people would sue their own mother just to get an easy access to riches, and you say this dude already got payed off once by Microsoft already?? Oi oi oi...
I just think this jerk-wad is trying to get more 'free money'. Listen, ANYONE could have and would have eventually thought up that idea. Sorry, dude, other people marketed on it before you could. SHUT UP AND STOP BEING A DOUCHE!
Thomas Edison didn't make everyone sign something to use the light bulb. The Wright Brothers didn't make everyone who wanted to fly an airplane pay ( well, they might have). What a jerk.
Look I don't approve of what he's doing either but if they are using duplicate technology to that which he patented then he IS entitled to compensation, I very much doubt that Blizzard is using someone else's 7 year old tech for a multi million earning property. Oh and Daemonbane, just incase you haven't been informed Thomas Edison didn't invent the lightbulb he purchased the schematics from a Canadian inventor and patented it for the first time so got the credit, doesn't subtract form his brilliance or that he was the driving force behind the widespread success of them, and yes he did charge companies to sell them.
haha sly, does that name sound american??
@Botwin: just so ya know, there patent would also let them sue TV company's, and even some movie company's (the ones who stream there movies) also they could sue Sony and Microsoft for the ps3 and xbox 360 if they wanted even more money, they got a long list of people to sue if they win this
this is total crap, if Microsoft had manned up and took them down when they got sued none of this would be happening
Daemonbane:
The same goes to airplanes, the first one to fly was Santos Dummont, not the Writh Brothers. But anyway, I wish I was part of Blizzard's law sector...man, they probably have some incredible amount of money...
I really dunno how the money enter in the lawyers pocket there in the US (I'm from Brazil), but, if it is the same as here, it's 30% of the final reclaimed amount...Now, imagine this millionaire cases...man, they gotta win loads of money in this...
I find the lawsuit questionable, as they are only just filing it now. And shame on Microsoft for stroking Paltalk's ego.
Its stupid that he wants to sue blizz for connecting people around the world, next hes probly gonna sue the internet
At the end of the day, this guy needs to be punched in the face, kicked in the balls, and thrown off a bridge.
I don't care what the f**k he says, there's no way around the fact that the only reason he's doing it is to roll his ass in the money that he couldn't make himself because he sucks at marketing. "I invented the idea of another reality that you can put yourself in!" Seriously? Why is this guy not in a mental institution? Clearly he can't think straight.
God I hate America. And I live there, so that must say SOMETHING.
Well, I don't know what year the patent is from, but if it's from 2002 then Sony and Microsoft/Turbine are pretty much in the clear, as their games came out BEFORE the patent.
Then again, I remember writing a letter to Sierra back when I was about 10 (21 years ago) telling them what a cool idea it would be to have "multiple people play Hero's Quest" (later Quest for Glory). I didn't run off and sue them when I started playing the Realm Online.
The guy is just after easy money. He saw in 2002 that MMORPGS were getting big, so he figured he'd buy this patent and use it later to sue people for larger amounts of money.
By Azurienatei on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I just think this jerk-wad is trying to get more ‘free money’. Listen, ANYONE could have and would have eventually thought up that idea. Sorry, dude, other people marketed on it before you could. SHUT UP AND STOP BEING A DOUCHE!
mate if he won with MICROSOFT then his patent was before wow runescape and all others got the ideea registred . so ... that in case is true that they use his tech .
By Azurienatei on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I just think this jerk-wad is trying to get more ‘free money’. Listen, ANYONE could have and would have eventually thought up that idea. Sorry, dude, other people marketed on it before you could. SHUT UP AND STOP BEING A DOUCHE!
mate if he won with MICROSOFT then his patent was before wow runescape and all others got the ideea registred . so ... that in case is true that they use his tech .
isn't there some sort of time limit or something... seriously, 2002?
And why did it take this idiot almost 5 years to do this? I am willing to bet his 'company' is almost bankrupt and his pockets are empty. Just looking for a quick fix.
america is full of sleaze bags who just wnt to make a quick buck. (BUT NOT EVERY AMERICAN IS AS A SLEAZE BAG)
All I have to say is, PL watch y'all's backs if this guy wins. The whole Streamin Live Runs and such. Yea this is quite bullshit, and 5 yrs too late. This falls right in line with the Death of Common Sense. Y'all should check out the Obituary of Common Sense.
yall might wanna warn about there link to there website just in case a kid gets on here or a parent decides to look at there website with kids around, b/c the wonderful company that is sueing blizz does porn webcams
WTF man! this is BS why the fck would someone do this? for real ppl in america are such greedy fcks these days, i mean come on!
Some1 should Alert Lord British and the guys at Ultima Online cause they had this stuff since 1997, this Paltalk guy might be liable. LOL
i love america and i love the most of the people in it.but this guy is such a jerk.and seriously their are jerks everywhere. but you people hate america? i mean have any of you ever been to a different country? there are so many people begging to come here. i think we all have it pretty good here in america.
o and i checked out his website hes giving his service away for free and there werent any adds or anything like that so im not sure how he would make money other than sueing people
im not a lawyer but i think paltalk might be sol wow has been out for to long and i think they might say he waited to long to prosecute. its happened before.
Y dont thy just sue EVERY online game!?!?!?"sharing data among many connected computers so that all users see the same digital environment".....you gotta b shittin me!
Sueing f-tards should just be taken 'out back' and dealt with :P
Who gives-a f about some stupid patent. What do they expect? That all of these games will come up with a new piece of software or remove 'their' software from their games?
This bullcrap PalTalk assclowns just want money. That's it. And Mizos is right: WoW and other games have been out there for ages. Why now?
this should be dismissed by the courts. i mean really it took them how many years to figure out hey these companies are using our invention lets sue them now?