Patents

[Old Crow]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21411622

Alright this is something that really irks me, and I think is starting to lead to a stagnation of inventions.

Companies buy up patients, like in this case where the man that made it has died, and they firstly make it so others can't use the patient at all unless paying an exuberant fee, or sue them. We all saw it with Apple against Samsung, for a "similar looking phone" Its getting out of hand, because now people are going to second guess if their device/object is illegal.

Here is another ridiculous case http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21380003

The term Space Marine is trademarked. How F#cked up is that?

[Cadaver]

Not to mention the Monsanto case, where they are suing a farmer for planting soybeans he bought second hand.   

[Cortez (Mr. T. FOO!)]

The farming industry in the states has patents (lrn 2 spl cr0) on nearly everything. If you want to grow corn you can only grow a specific type made by a single company or you will get sued, giving them an absolute monopoly on the product. I can't exactly remember how they do this but I'm pretty sure that they approach farmers with a contract in which the farmers receive equipment and such at a discounted price but must remain customers of the company for the existence of their business.

[Dante]

All but the Warhammer ones are stupid. And I know exactly why Warhammer is doing that. To many people stealing their ideas. Hell Blizzard completely ripped them off. (Starcraft = 40K, Warcraft = Fantasy)

[Old Crow]

All but the Warhammer ones are stupid. And I know exactly why Warhammer is doing that. To many people stealing their ideas. Hell Blizzard completely ripped them off. (Starcraft = 40K, Warcraft = Fantasy)

But SPACE MARINES! That is too broad of a term to trademark it. Every SiFi novel/game/movie usually has some kind of reference to space marines.

its like if somebody trademarked black hole. Nope you can't use it anymore, you better be calling them pitch dark, ever sucking holes from now on.

[Dante]

Except most of the SciFi featuring SMs are influenced by or ripping off warhammer.

[Mr.TheDoctor]

Patenting is one of those things that just has to be a double edged sword. It's super helpful for inventive people who want to keep big companies from ripping them off, but on the other hand you have companies that then patent stupid things just to trick individuals who probably didn't mean any harm into giving the company more money. Patents in theory are a great idea, but just like pretty much everything else that's a good idea, it gets abused by the same people that it was intended to protect against.

[Christovski]

Dante, Warhammer came out in the 80s/90s, the term Space Marine has been in use since LONG before that, see article below.  Also, are you saying that Unreal or Halo are ripoffs of Warhammer?  They both featured space marines and came after Warhammer, but are nothing like it! 

http://io9.com/5982201/games-workshop-is-still-claiming-to-own-the-trademark-to-space-marine-time-to-get-pissed-off

[Blackllama]

Dante, Warhammer came out in the 80s/90s, the term Space Marine has been in use since LONG before that, see article below.  Also, are you saying that Unreal or Halo are ripoffs of Warhammer?  They both featured space marines and came after Warhammer, but are nothing like it! 

http://io9.com/5982201/games-workshop-is-still-claiming-to-own-the-trademark-to-space-marine-time-to-get-pissed-off

Exactly. They've been used in comic books forever. We have marines on earth, putting them in space is not that far fetched of an idea that it needs a trademark. Seriously, it's very very commonly used. Warhammer did not invent space marines. People don't buy shit because it has space marines in it, it isn't affecting warhammer's business at all in the first place. This is probably the dumbest one on there.

[Old Crow]

Black put it best. Warhammer was no where near the first to use Space Marines.

[Cortez (Mr. T. FOO!)]

Black put it best. Warhammer was no where near the first to use Space Marines.

Plus warhammer space marines are nothing like other space marines...

[Dante]

Dante, Warhammer came out in the 80s/90s, the term Space Marine has been in use since LONG before that, see article below.  Also, are you saying that Unreal or Halo are ripoffs of Warhammer?  They both featured space marines and came after Warhammer, but are nothing like it! 

http://io9.com/5982201/games-workshop-is-still-claiming-to-own-the-trademark-to-space-marine-time-to-get-pissed-off

I never said they all are Ripping them off, most were inspired. For example Halos Gravity hammar? SMs have the exact same thing.
Except for Blizzard. Blizzard blatantly ripped them off. Terran = SM Zerg = Tyranid Orcs = Orks Protoss = Eldar .etc
Again never said it was the first, I said I understand Why they would do that. Hell go through blizzards records and history and you'll find Warcraft and Starcraft were originaly gonna be a RTS for Warhammer. They are just protecting their assets.

I would like to say that I have a friend who works for Games workshop, and he says that its blown out of proportion. It was A book taken down and that was by their legal represenitives, the ones people are backing at are forum admins, Customer Support and the president. (Who is a joker) All but the president don't know shit, and are just saying what the legal team, the presidents trying to put a smile on everyone (Hence the joke of acquiring BOTH the copyright AND trademark for: DUDE. Yes. AND YOU SHALL ALL PAY.)

[Christovski]

Dante read the article, they forced a legitimate author off of Amazon because his books say Space Marine in them.
That isn't protecting assets, thats being an enormous pile of asshole.

[Dante]

Dante read the article, they forced a legitimate author off of Amazon because his books say Space Marine in them.
That isn't protecting assets, thats being an enormous pile of asshole.

I did.

I would like to say that I have a friend who works for Games workshop, and he says that its blown out of proportion. It was A book taken down and that was by their legal represenitives, the ones people are backing at are forum admins, Customer Support and the president. (Who is a joker) All but the president don't know shit, and are just saying what the legal team, the presidents trying to put a smile on everyone (Hence the joke of acquiring BOTH the copyright AND trademark for: DUDE. Yes. AND YOU SHALL ALL PAY.)

The presidents trying to figure out why the Legal Team did that, again though just 1 of her books.

[Christovski]

You edited your post just before I hit post on mine
Before it was just the first paragraph that didn't mention the rest.