Re: [piecepack] Re: Wooden Piecepack Pyramids

["Jorge Arroyo" <trozo@...>]

The only problem I see with producing and selling piecepack pyramids is with
Looney Labs, as they seem to have a patent on the icehouse pyramids. Andy
Looney wrote about the patents in their site:
http://www.wunderland.com/WTS/Andy/Games/PatentsAndLawsuits.html and had
this to say about the piecepack pyramids:

Ron's questions stopped there, but I'll go ahead and answer the one he
> didn't ask. The Piecepack community, which seems to consider us evil for
> choosing to obtain patents, is now talking about making their own gaming
> pyramids, which they're calling "Piecepack Pyramids." From what I can tell,
> they would look and stack much like Icehouse pieces but would come in either
> 4 or 6 sizes (I'm not sure if they've made their minds up yet which) and
> would have Piecepack symbols somehow printed on two faces of each pyramid.
> Piecepack Pyramids are all supposed to be the same color.
>
> Would such pyramids infringe on our patent? It's debatable. Would we sue
> the Piecepack people if they produced such pyramids? Definitely not. I may
> not like their idea, but I would never use a lawsuit to stop them from doing
> it. That's just not our style.
>

As this was before the piecepack pyramids became available, we know he
didn't sue the non-comercial release, but what would happen if money was
involved? Hopefully it'd be such a small operation that he probably wouldn't
mind... Another question is, is the Icehouse patent really enforceable?

Cheers,

-Jorge




On 11/16/07, Tim Schutz <yahoo@...> wrote:
>
>
> >
> > Actually, I believe they are in six sizes (a-f) and are made to fit
> inside each other like Icehouse/Treehouse pieces.  They aren't solid.
>
>
> Each set(or suit)has six pyramids in it...and each one is a different
> size. They use the letters A-F instead of null,ace,2,3,4,5....A is the
> smallest and they increase in size to F which is the largest. The best
> way to see this is to print out and make a set (there's a pdf in the
> files section). Ideally they would be hollow so the could stack, but
> there aren't that many games that use them and none that I can think
> of that use stacking (can't remember if I used stacking in Sorcerer's
> Chamber, but that game is not very good and needs to be fixed, note to
> self: someday fix Sorcerer's Chamber). So I don't think stacking is
> crucial. As far as if anyone would buy a set if you made them I would
> love to...but if you don't I can always go the same route as the
> picture, and print out a set using a wood grain paper.
> Tim Schutz
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>