Re: [piecepack] Re: Wooden Piecepack Pyramids

["Ron Hale-Evans" <rwhe@...>]

IIRC, Looney's patent covers very specific things, like transparency
of the pyramids, stacking them simultaneously, and so on. I'm not
saying these are the specific things covered by the patent, but it's a
lot less broad than has been noised about.

Ron

On Nov 16, 2007 6:51 AM,  <steve@...> wrote:
> Thanks for the info on the patents.  This is a moot point.  If the pyramids
> are not solid, it's not something we could do economically.
> You'd be better served by printing out the paper version and using a "wood
> tone" color on your printer.
>
> Steve Jones
> Blue Panther LLC
>
>
> Jorge Arroyo writes:
>
> > 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
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > 
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>



-- 
    Ron Hale-Evans ... rwhe@... ... http://ron.ludism.org/
Mind Performance Hacks book: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mindperfhks/
	   Center for Ludic Synergy: http://www.ludism.org/
(revilous life proving aye the death of ronaldses when winpower wine has
		   bucked the kick on poor won man)