Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: Moderation: Defamatory post.

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 06:31:21 01/08/04

Go up one level in this thread


On January 08, 2004 at 02:36:43, Timothy J. Frohlick wrote:

>Slater,
>
>Your free advice is worth little.  The Staunton piece set is patented as are
>many other things relating to chess. I think that you need to be careful in
>being meddlesome. If I know Ed then I believe he will tolerate your initial
>efforts to strip him of a cash source.
>
>Be careful,
>
>TJF

There is a _HUGE_ difference between patenting a design for a set of chess
pieces.  That is a manufacturing design issue.  IE you could patent a square
glass if it wasn't already done.  But you can't patent a glass in general,
just because your glass is meant to be held upside down.

I too, do not believe such a patent is valid.  The reasons have already been
given.  You certainly can't patent something someone else has already done, in
some form or another.

>
>On January 08, 2004 at 01:48:21, Slater Wold wrote:
>
>>To Ed Trice, and others with concern to 'Gothic Chess':
>>
>>In reading some of the threads below, I was appalled by your (and your lawyer it
>>seems) claim that you somehow 'own' the game of 'Gothic Chess'.
>>
>>It seems that you do hold a patent to a 'Method of playing a variant of chess',
>>and it can be seen in its entirity at
>>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=6,481,716&OS=6,481,716&RS=6,481,716.
>>
>>This patent is absolute garbage.  The USPTO made a huge and ignorant mistake by
>>ever granting you this patent.  Here's why:
>>
>>This game variant was discussed in MANY publications dating back to 750AD!  And
>>according to 35 U.S.C. 102 Conditions for patentability; novelty and loss of
>>right to; A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
>>(a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or
>>described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the
>>invention thereof by the applicant for patent.
>>
>>Now, before you say that Knighted Chess, Capablanca's Game, Dasapada, or even
>>al-Khalil b.Ahmad differ from Gothic Chess, let's read one more paragraph; 35
>>U.S.C. 103 Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter.
>>(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically
>>disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the
>>differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art
>>are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time
>>the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which
>>said subject matter pertains.
>>
>>Your patent is not valid.  Plain and simple.
>>
>>Tomorrow, under Section 302 of 35 U.S.C., I will be asking the USPTO to
>>reexamine your patent, with more than enough proof to sustain that you do not
>>'own' the variant, nor the method.  I still find it disgusting that you quote
>>Capablanca in your Backgroud, yet give no mention of his ideas on changing the
>>game.
>>
>>
>>Let me make a few suggestions to you, Mr. Trice:
>>
>>#1. Return the money to those who you have licensed Gothic Chess to.
>>#2. Let people ENJOY Gothic Chess, and help it flourish, without monetary
>>involvment or threats of litigation.
>>#3. Turn your message logger off.
>>#4. Fire your lawyer.
>>#5. Call your lawyer back, and fire him again.
>>
>>
>>All my best,
>>
>>
>>-Slate



This page took 0.01 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.