And it begins....

[Oscum Guy]

they make fasor markers.


someone look it up on google patents. i know its there.

[TheRedBarron]

1996 the Shocker, manufactured by PneuVentures Inc., and distributed exclusively by Smart Parts (patent Oct 19, 1999) is the first electroneumatic paintball marker, PneuVentures and Smart Parts soon parted with PneuVentures in 1997 producing the Shocker, and PneuVentures producing the very advanced Cyber 9000 the first marker with built in LCD screen, also featuring built in chronograph

20 year old, Gino Postorivo started National Paintball Supply as a small retail operation out of the pizzeria's back room. It began with $1,000 from his own pocket. Unlike many paintball supply companies, Johnny Postorivo (NPS' chief operating officer and Gino's cousin) said NPS is not hung up on exclusive deals with the brands it carries. "Everybody has proprietary items. Me, I'll buy anything someone will sell to me," Johnny Postorivo said, adding that he views it as an advantage because all brands can be found in the showroom.

Thought I would throw a little light on the issue.

[HelpDeskHustler]

Originally Posted by calebh

didnt ICD make the first EP marker, anyway? thats what im thinking anyway...

the whole thing about EP markers is over, this debate is over spoolvalve and blow forward design.

[DRAGON]

I could have sworn the Angel existed before the Shocker. Maybe they don't count since they're based in Europe -

[HelpDeskHustler]

Ok here are some animations to demonstrate what patent infringements we're looking at.

SP owned patents (products made by, or determined design owned by smartparts)


ion, shares likeness to the matrix line, but a shared patent is owned.


shocker, not scale to gun, made to show airflow...


automag, determined by court that it infringes smartparts owned patents.


now here is kee's mini



notice the similarities between it and ALL of the above designs. mainly you are looking at infingement in the frontal bolt area, where air surrounds it and propels it forward in one tube, the spring return found it automags, and then the rear of the firing assembly which shares automag similarity.


if sp wins this it's likely they could shut down another NPS owned business, FEP for their quest.





in theory, either dye, wdp, or smart parts could be suing them since they all share each others' patents.

[Oscum Guy]

wow ion, shocker, mini and quest is simple. matrix confuse me tho.

[Hob Hayward]

SP doesn't seem so bad if they were willing to share patents with other companies, I had though they were charging various companies to use their patents, including Kingman for the e-frame.

Though, the way this thread presents it, NPS seems worse than SP to me now...

[calebh]

Originally Posted by HelpDeskHustler

automag, determined by court that it infringes smartparts owned patents.

i must have missed something... i thought it was just the e/xmag that was "infringing" on SPs patents? the mech mag is what, 18 years old? how could any judge possibly decide that a mech mag was infringing on SPs patent when the shocker wasnt even around til 96? the e/xmag, im not sure how old it is...

i never did pay much attention to the whole lawsuit thing...

[Hob Hayward]

Weird, I was just thinking, how does the valve in a mag even work, looking at that diagram, I can't make sens of it, unless all the valve is is a reg? Damn it, now I want a mag to mess around with

[HelpDeskHustler]

Originally Posted by Hob Hayward

Weird, I was just thinking, how does the valve in a mag even work, looking at that diagram, I can't make sens of it, unless all the valve is is a reg? Damn it, now I want a mag to mess around with

Air comes in the rear, where a reg is, the reg balances hpa coming in with lower pressure air by using a spring, when firing a pin blocks airflow to keep the reg from spiking and allowing the bolt to reset, thats pretty much it.

Sp wouldnt allow the Xmag or Emag to continue because they were electronic means of delivering a similar idea to the patent which smartparts had for the shocker. Realizing they would have to pay a large fine and could not/would not pay royalties for xmags and emags, they discontinued their sale of automags.