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Old     (daveronix199)      Join Date: Feb 2009       02-01-2011, 1:10 PM Reply   
Chris- ..... did i say anything about Justin Jerking us around? NO... Did I offend Justin in anyway? NO.. People want to know and since you do know why dont you shine some light on the subject.... or will you just keep letting us guess so you can Jerk us around?
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-01-2011, 1:49 PM Reply   
Me jerking you around?? Grow up dave. Switch to Ctrl and start making demands on them.... Tell them you are not prepared to wait any longer.
Old     (daveronix199)      Join Date: Feb 2009       02-01-2011, 1:57 PM Reply   
hahahaha Chris why would i want to swtich to CTRL? We no little to nothing about them, Never seen the product or rode it...
Old     (andy_nintzel)      Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Minnesnowda       02-01-2011, 5:40 PM Reply   
ITs time for RODNEY KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God it must be winter............

WHY CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!!!!
Attached Images
 
Old     (Musgrove)      Join Date: Dec 2010       02-01-2011, 5:55 PM Reply   
hahaha
Old     (apf)      Join Date: Dec 2010       02-01-2011, 7:08 PM Reply   
i would just like to know if theres any chance for my boots to be warrantied....if company is going out of buisness then fine its going out of buisness...id be dissapointed cause i love my company set up, but at the same time if there still in buisness then they should still honor such an agreement as warranty issues
Old     (JEr)      Join Date: Sep 2010       02-01-2011, 7:28 PM Reply   
I have a brand new pair of 2009 size 10 mens company boots still in box. if anyone is interested pm me
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-01-2011, 7:50 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by andy_nintzel View Post
Hunter,

I think that Slingshot makes the company boards if I am not mistaken.
To be technical Moonshine mfg makes Company boards. Moonshine makes Slingshot boards too and was started by Logosz, the founders of Slingshot

http://www.alliancewake.com/wake/bt/...manufacturing/
Old     (adam_balon)      Join Date: Jul 2003       02-01-2011, 7:56 PM Reply   
ease up people. justin is one of the nicest, hardworking people in the wake industry. good things happen to good people. he will make out just fine.
Old     (Musgrove)      Join Date: Dec 2010       02-01-2011, 8:01 PM Reply   
im tired of all the drama and stuff il he happy the day i find out were vandall is goin thats all i ask
Old     (wake_upppp)      Join Date: Nov 2003       02-01-2011, 8:19 PM Reply   
^^^Unfortunetly in this world, nice people alot of times finish last. In this industry being nice and hard working doesn't always equate to keeping a company alive...
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-01-2011, 8:32 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by wake_upppp View Post
^^^Unfortunetly in this world, nice people alot of times finish last. In this industry being nice and hard working doesn't always equate to keeping a company alive...
the ol' "nice guys finish last" quote. love it and hate it simultaneously. I live by it though, and like to tack on my own addition of sugar to help the medicine go down.

"nice guys finish last, but at least they finish strong and with a good conscience"
Old     (dakid)      Join Date: Feb 2001       02-01-2011, 8:50 PM Reply   
so the guys that finish ahead of them don't finish strong or w/ finish a good conscience?
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-01-2011, 10:16 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by dakid View Post
so the guys that finish ahead of them don't finish strong or w/ finish a good conscience?
ha!

edit: I kinda like to think of the movie "Cool Runnings"
Attached Images
 

Last edited by wakerider111; 02-01-2011 at 10:26 PM. Reason: movie memmories
Old     (lives2wake)      Join Date: Apr 2002       02-02-2011, 5:51 AM Reply   
I spoke to Justin last week. There are hurdles that have to be leaped over. The guys at Co. are doing the best they can to make things happen. They've put out rocking product with incredible design. All we can do is support them by being patient and understanding. Everyone and every business has obstacles in their lives that they must surmount. Justin is doing his best to do what's best for his familly and his business familly.
Old     (Musgrove)      Join Date: Dec 2010       02-05-2011, 7:36 PM Reply   
no one at all has a 2010 vandall board for sale? i cannot find one at all. il buy one for a resonable price or can someone help me find a board similar to it?
Old     (dguille)      Join Date: Dec 2007       02-10-2011, 12:47 PM Reply   
buywake.com has a Vandall ltd for $269.99 under their sick deals section.
Old     (wakerpunk)      Join Date: Jan 2006       02-11-2011, 7:49 AM Reply   
I love when Chris Butler posts!
Old     (dguille)      Join Date: Dec 2007       02-11-2011, 5:41 PM Reply   
Justin posted on his Facebook a link that shows Company Wake is being sued by Motion WaterSports for patent infringement. May explain some of their troubles.
Old     (jealous_soul)      Join Date: Sep 2007       02-11-2011, 6:06 PM Reply   
http://news.priorsmart.com/motion-wa...any-wake-l3tK/

company wake is being sued for their binding design. the patent in question was granted in august 2010 which would explain why the 2011 gear has not been showcased (if there is any).
Old    mojo            02-11-2011, 6:12 PM Reply   
I'm no engineer or patent lawyer, but the patent seems like it applies to every boot on the market.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=A7TSAAAAEBAJ
Old    mojo            02-11-2011, 6:37 PM Reply   
Forget that previous post. Wrong ome of their patents. Anyway. Looks kinda similar to slingshots old boots also.
Old     (xmcmillenx)      Join Date: May 2006       02-11-2011, 7:41 PM Reply   
Moiton is the parent co. for Obrien and Liquid Force, right?
Old     (hawkeye7708)      Join Date: Feb 2007       02-11-2011, 8:13 PM Reply   
Drew,

I believe it's Kent Watersports that's the parent company to quite a few of the companies in wake, including O'Brien and LF.
Old     (beretta5spd)      Join Date: Jan 2010       02-11-2011, 8:24 PM Reply   
looks to me like company has some of the "big fish" threatened
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-11-2011, 10:44 PM Reply   
another positive guess thrown to the wind... maybe they were having some trouble and were able to pull-out last minute and are getting things in gear again
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-12-2011, 4:14 AM Reply   
I cannot understand why, in is such a small community like the wakeboard industry, that a giant company feels it is necessary to crush the smaller start up guys. IF, and I say if, there is a perceived patent infringement surely it can be resolved in a more decorous manner? Do they really feel that threatened? How can a small, start up company afford to get tied up in a costly and interminable lawsuit while struggling to put out product? But then,that is the intention, is it not?

Justin is a genuine guy with the best of intentions. He deserves better.
Old     (andrew_moreton)      Join Date: Feb 2003       02-12-2011, 5:48 AM Reply   
I am a patent attorney and have also been in the wakeboard industry for years. I don't know the pre-litigation specifics of this case, but the best way to avoid patent litigation is for a company (in this case Company) to license the patented technology from the patent holder (Motion Water Sports). I don't know if that option was presented to Justin and Co. or not before the suit was filed, but small companies often cannot afford to get tied up in lawsuits like this. Motion Water Sports is not in any way in the wrong here for trying to exercise the exclusive rights they were granted when their patent was issued last August. They spent thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands of dollars, and over four years prosecuting that patent and now they have the rights to enforce it. Nautique has a patent from 1998 (I believe) on the wakeboard tower. Every boat manufacturer for the past 12 years and for the next 5-8 years has to pay Nautique a license fee for every tower that they manufacture and install. Intellectual property is a very critical but expensive area of law that all companies, and especially new companies, have to pay attention to.
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-12-2011, 10:09 AM Reply   
Oops, i somehow missed the previous posts about the lawsuit when i made my last one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xmcmillenx View Post
Moiton is the parent co. for Obrien and Liquid Force, right?
I may be wrong, but it seems Motion Watersports is to Liquid Force and Obrien, what HO is to Hyperlite and Byerly in a sense. http://www.motionwatersports.com/ the Motion Watersports web page immediately brings up Liquid Force and Obrien and their affiliates. Kent watersports brings up Liquid Force, Obrien, Connelly , and HO. http://www.kentwatersports.com/

Quote:
Originally Posted by mojo View Post
I'm no engineer or patent lawyer, but the patent seems like it applies to every boot on the market.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=A7TSAAAAEBAJ
no expert either, but I would have to agree that it applies to nearly every boot out there. at first i was confused with the whole "hardware-less mounting" title, but reading into it, it is talking about the attachment of the boot materials to the base-plate and not the plate to the board. attaching with glues and stitching instead of the oldschool metal and plastic pieces to hold the rubber to the plate. I think the only boot on the market that does not apply would be the new Hyperlite System?

FOUR YEARS in processing... Geeezzz!
Is there any kind of announcements that go out for patent activations? maybe Company was completely just caught off guard and did not know about it? what about the other brands out there? were they more on top of things or got a memo about it? I assume both Obrien and Liquid Force don't have to get the licensing being under the same umbrella, or would it include the greater umbrella that is kent watersports?
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-12-2011, 10:39 AM Reply   
I heard that it is not only company that is being sued.
Old     (bobenglish)      Join Date: Mar 2008       02-12-2011, 11:19 AM Reply   
In addition to the expense of getting a patent, do not forget the expense of designing the boot and troubleshooting the design problems. Without patents and enforcement of intellectual property, no one would ever bother to invest in new technology because they could never recoup the R&D costs.

This is not to say Justin or any small company deserves to endure legal proceedings if they are not based on merit.

While it is great having so many options for wakeboard equipment, this is an incredibly small market and I am amazed that it supports the current number of manufacturers. How many wakeboard companies are there? LF, CWB, HL, OB, Sine, Humanoid, Jstar, Gator, SS, Company, plus several european and asian companies.
Old     (alexair)      Join Date: Oct 2008       02-12-2011, 11:58 AM Reply   
Ronix have the same sued
http://www.scribd.com/doc/44752319/M...Sports-v-Ronix
LF pushing competitors. I'm not sure that bindings were developed by them.
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-12-2011, 12:20 PM Reply   
Ronix,that's what I heard. Nice, let the industry get tied up in court. I presume if you close up shop the suit ends?
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-12-2011, 4:30 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by alexair View Post
Ronix have the same sued
http://www.scribd.com/doc/44752319/M...Sports-v-Ronix
LF pushing competitors. I'm not sure that bindings were developed by them.
I guess it wouldn't be too far off to specify which department of Motion Watersports is pushing this, LF

quick search shows Scott Crumrine the "inventor" as the Director of Engineering at Motion Water Sports - Liquid Force

the picture of the boot in the patent has some striking similarities to the LF design (specifically the 06 shane minus laces) of 2006, which was also the year the first closed-toe shane boot came out. "hardware" in boots was just starting to be discontinued too.

both Company and Ronix are being sued. I wonder if brands under the larger kent watersports umbrella are immune? i wonder if Slingshot, Gator, Wakeology, New schnitzel(they still have boots right?), and any other non-kent-watersport brand will get hit.

Last edited by wakerider111; 02-12-2011 at 4:32 PM.
Old    mojo            02-12-2011, 7:30 PM Reply   
Don't buy from umbrella corporations like Kent who owns all the big brands. IMO, ronix, company, slingshot are the only ethical choices. Don't have enough info on sine or other smaller companies.
Old    Ron1xNautique            02-12-2011, 9:55 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by mojo View Post
Don't buy from umbrella corporations like Kent who owns all the big brands. IMO, ronix, company, slingshot are the only ethical choices. Don't have enough info on sine or other smaller companies.
True that
Old     (alexair)      Join Date: Oct 2008       02-13-2011, 2:04 AM Reply   
I'm really wonder to know what have think wake comunity about this case with Ronix and Company. Is it good for wake sport in general or is it good for some business? Will we get more good products in the future or we get simple monopoly with "the best products ever"???
Old     (electricsnow)      Join Date: May 2002       02-13-2011, 3:24 AM Reply   
chris butler, the bigger companies muscling around the smaller companies is the sad history of things. If anyone actually takes some time to think about this cast of players and their previous positions in the industry, you seriously couldn't write a better, more ironic soap opera. To be clear, I'm not for this at all and I seriously dig ronix and company because like others have said, they kind of give hope for change or something different. but to think about the o'briens being in this position, or the fact that justin was once so tight with liquid and spent all of that time filming the team and heading up liquid force films...like, woah.

Woah.

on the flip side, I can understanding defending a patent because it's been done before in wake and the large companies have been on the receiving end of that deal.

and justin does deserve better.
Old     (lives2wake)      Join Date: Apr 2002       02-13-2011, 9:16 AM Reply   
i hope that things get resolved quickly and fairly. Sure Motion WS won their patent and they should be able to collect from their discoveries in RnD but muscling out the smaller independants can't be good for the industry. I guess that's business though. If you're big, squish out the little guys that can't survive through lengthy legal processes.
Justin, you have are support. Be strong and we wish you all the best.
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-13-2011, 9:25 AM Reply   
Naked chef - What I heard about 5 weeks back was that LF was suing both Ronix and Company for patent infringement on their bindings?

Ronix can probably handle it, but Company....?? And as you say Justins previous relationship with LF..... ??

What a world huh?
Old     (behindtheboat)      Join Date: Aug 2006       02-13-2011, 10:50 AM Reply   
First in snow industry and now with wake. Intellectual property is a majority of the business and competitive landscape in most industries, it was just never given the attention or funding in the alternative industries until as of recent. Kind of flip side, but Never Summer received a patent on their rocker camber design, and I believe it is Mervin, the larger player company, that is infringing on Never Summer's snowboard patent. This unfortunately is just the beginning, IP will begin to run these markets like never before, as all those kids that went to law school over the real world need "lawyer" jobs, and patent isn't a cake walk but it's a profitable area for a difficult job market (law in general). With the right resources this can be resolved and ways around it can likely be found, but that requires a lot of resources. This is very disappointing that LF is involved, not very Bro' like of them or spreading a good stoke.....
Old     (alexair)      Join Date: Oct 2008       02-13-2011, 11:03 AM Reply   
Stupid patent. Never knows about glue and stiches for manufacturing of shoes? In this case need to get patent for velcro and for locks on laces if the ones do use on bindings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSDPKktbUk

Last edited by alexair; 02-13-2011 at 11:06 AM.
Old     (behindtheboat)      Join Date: Aug 2006       02-13-2011, 11:08 AM Reply   
Without looking at their lineup, does Hyperlite have any baseless bindings that aren't the new System? Makes sense that 1) they aren't getting sued, maybe for more reason than their size, and 2) why they had perfect timing with a new binding design, and they knew it
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-13-2011, 11:54 AM Reply   
A-dub - LF & Hyper are owned by the same person. Suing each other is surely not an option.
Old    mojo            02-13-2011, 12:15 PM Reply   
And herb and Justin had previous relations to Kent via hyperlite and liquid as stated. Bad blood perhaps. Oh well. Boo Redmond shapes anyway
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-13-2011, 12:39 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by electricsnow View Post
If anyone actually takes some time to think about this cast of players and their previous positions in the industry, you seriously couldn't write a better, more ironic soap opera.
true that

some of the industry's most influential, iconic, and legendary people are being slapped: Justin and the Obriens, but then you got the rider/owners on each side too: Randall Harris, Greg Necrason, Parks Bonifay, Danny Harf, and many more! Definately not good for the industry as a whole i think.

I also think the statements about justin being a nice guy would be an understatement. i don't know the guy personally, other than just bumping shoulders at bro-stock and boat shows, but to keep something like this on the down-low in the manner he did and as long as he did takes some control and temperance. If it were me and customers and followers were askin' what's up, I would have pointed at LF and said, "why don't you ask them?" thrown it out there on the table with all its sticky gooey mess.
Old     (electricsnow)      Join Date: May 2002       02-13-2011, 12:52 PM Reply   
well, I guess one interesting thing to me with the o'briens (or what I tried to allude to) is they were once the larger guys who were protecting their market against smaller start ups. Now the tables are turned. In general, it seems like it's always been tough for small companies in wake.

how useless would patents be if there weren't companies like ronix and company? who might the patent be enforced upon then? I know this isn't a funny situation, but with the way the wake industry is aligned, it's interesting to think about.
Old    mojo            02-13-2011, 12:54 PM Reply   
if it were me i'd of blasted it to the high heavens to let everyone who actually cares(which isn't most) how horrible these companies really are making their stuff in the U.A.E. and not letting some innovations out b/c it'll hurt another brands sales, etc. the sad thing is most people buying these products, like most americans, don't care where something comes from.
Old     (behindtheboat)      Join Date: Aug 2006       02-13-2011, 7:10 PM Reply   
I guess I don't get how this can stop a company, Company in this case, from still producing product, like at least boards. Normally the notification comes with a cease manufacturing and sale of the infringing product. In this case it is bindings, and "baseless" bindings seem to be the main focus. If this is stopped, normally they don't take it through litigation. I can understand this being very costly, but would think pumping out product not associated with the infringement would help keep the things a float and maintain customers a little bit better, especially once this was exposed to the public. this would allow them to keep hustlin'..
Old     (Musgrove)      Join Date: Dec 2010       02-13-2011, 7:37 PM Reply   
so much drama just to ride
Old     (daveronix199)      Join Date: Feb 2009       02-14-2011, 7:06 AM Reply   
Well... That really Really sucks.....
Old     (tampawake)      Join Date: Mar 2008       02-14-2011, 8:13 AM Reply   
This should help bring down the price of gear.
Old     (wake77)      Join Date: Jan 2009       02-14-2011, 8:41 AM Reply   
^How? Competition drives pricing. If this somehow passes, you'll have one or two companies under the same umbrella that will be able to charge whatever they want for closed toe bindings.
Old     (kristian)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-14-2011, 8:41 AM Reply   
^^ not really, if "kent" wins these, that means they'll almost have a monopoly on boots, letting them charge what they like.
Old     (TelepromptedAnthems)      Join Date: Mar 2010       02-14-2011, 8:59 AM Reply   
And you think that they'll want to charge less? They're not going through all this trouble and expense so they can charge customers less for boots.
Old     (TelepromptedAnthems)      Join Date: Mar 2010       02-14-2011, 9:11 AM Reply   
It's more likely that prices go up if they settle the lawsuit and other manufacturers have to license the technology from Kent/Motion.
Old     (tampawake)      Join Date: Mar 2008       02-14-2011, 9:21 AM Reply   
Sorry guys that was meant to be sarcastic. Gear and boat prices are stupid and ridiculous! This type of crap hurts us the riders and buyers of their stuff. I am sure Ronix and Company did not intentionally go after a patented design. If you design something, patent it you deserve some sort of protection. How much of it creates a monopoly which is ill deserved.
Old     (kristian)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-14-2011, 10:31 AM Reply   
I ment they're going to charge more, didn't see Jeremy's post above mine. I was refering to marks post. anycase, really hope they don't win but they probably will.
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-14-2011, 12:29 PM Reply   
Nobody ever wins. These things are intended to tie up the smaller company in an interminable lawsuit that they cannot afford. I suppose in a sense,that is winning. Great for the industry huh?
Old     (alexair)      Join Date: Oct 2008       02-14-2011, 1:07 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by xistential View Post
Nobody ever wins.
you forget lawyers...
Old     (nickbot)      Join Date: Feb 2007       02-14-2011, 1:21 PM Reply   
if they are infringing on a patent, they need to resolve that with the inventors. that's it, it's just business. they can fight it in court, license the technology, or come up with their own unique design. this BS about squeezing out the little guy and good for the industry blah blah blah...they broke the law and got called out on it. would you let someone else proffit off your invention??
Old    Ron1xNautique            02-14-2011, 1:47 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by nickbot View Post
if they are infringing on a patent, they need to resolve that with the inventors. that's it, it's just business. they can fight it in court, license the technology, or come up with their own unique design. this BS about squeezing out the little guy and good for the industry blah blah blah...they broke the law and got called out on it. would you let someone else proffit off your invention??
In the next couple years I'm sure bindings will be even more advanced and and this patent will be even less relevant than it is now, the way I look at it is..Company and Ronix offer a more appealing product line than LF/HL (again this is my preference) and it all comes down to a large corporation feeling threatened by the little guy who is offering something better so what better way to out your competition than to catch them on some BS, I really doubt they're losing their a** over a binding design, probably just losing a large profit to these 2 great companies.

Corporations BLOW and the ones who profit the most are the guys sitting in their corporate office
Old     (nickbot)      Join Date: Feb 2007       02-14-2011, 1:54 PM Reply   
so Ronix is not a corporation??

by what logic should they let Company slide because they are the "little guy"??

as an upstart watchmaker is it ok for me to copy rolex's design??
Old     (xistential)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-14-2011, 2:33 PM Reply   
I presume the lawsuit ends when the company folds. Or do they hound you to the grave to make their point?? Or is getting you to fold the actual point. i'm surprised LF don't claim a patent on the wakeboard
Old     (wake77)      Join Date: Jan 2009       02-14-2011, 2:39 PM Reply   
^In the sense that, "is it okay for you to put hands and a face on your design", my answer is yes. Because looking at the lawsuit, that is what it seems LF is suing. Wow, glue and stitching holding something together, that is ingenious, and I'm sure that LF is the only company to ever think of that. Most of LF's latest binding designs are hardly worth copying:

air pockets, speed lacing system, the "magneto" lace holders, etc.

Ronix puts out a better binding, plain and simple.
Old     (lives2wake)      Join Date: Apr 2002       02-14-2011, 3:52 PM Reply   
^In the sense that, "is it okay for you to put hands and a face on your design", my answer is yes. Because looking at the lawsuit, that is what it seems LF is suing. Wow, glue and stitching holding something together, that is ingenious,


That's too funny! Yet, it's so true. Glue and stitching...pretty sure those are also used on life vests and wetsuits.
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       02-14-2011, 10:03 PM Reply   
At first i was thinking that hyperlite's system is probably the only binding out there that does not break the patent, but i am not so sure... not that it would matter anyway, since it would not make sense to sue any brand under Kent Watersports.

the pattent says "the means for attaching the upper to the binding base can include one or more of GLUEING, STITCHING, and MECHANICAL fastening." the "MECHANICAL" part makes me doubt if even the new hyp system would get around it. maybe "mechanical" is more toward bolts and screws and the like? heck, maybe even the old-school rubber and hardware design is patented with the "mechanical" word? In which case would leave what other method to attach boots???

This patent just seems so monopolizing/absurd!
If the patent was about something more precise or about some component like the air-chamber-foot-beds then sure i could see that. This patent sounds as crazy as a shoe company making a similar claim of inventing the attachment of the sole to the upper using "stitching and glue" which of course would affect every shoe brand in existance. maybe i am not very inventive and immaginative (or not understanding the patent), but again, what other methods of "attachment" are there???

How has Slingshot and Gator and other independant brands stayed out of this? Gator, i have no clue. Slingshot, the only idea i have is the Removable liners somehow saving them.
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-15-2011, 12:14 AM Reply   
I think that patent argument is garbage. Any of you guys realize you can search and look up ANY patent?
heres the closest thing i could find in a few minutes of searching....

http://www.google.com/patents?id=65U...page&q&f=false

wouldnt that mean that any company with a binding would owe that guy money?

how about this, any company that makes a wakeboard tower owes this guy money, right?
http://www.google.com/patents?id=y-o...page&q&f=false
Old     (alexair)      Join Date: Oct 2008       02-15-2011, 12:51 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by wake77 View Post
Most of LF's latest binding designs are hardly worth copying:
air pockets, speed lacing system, the "magneto" lace holders, etc.
do you really think that these devices were invent by LF? They just lucky have no sued about these ones - maybe time expired.
Old     (behindtheboat)      Join Date: Aug 2006       02-15-2011, 7:35 AM Reply   
wouldnt that mean that any company with a binding would owe that guy money?

how about this, any company that makes a wakeboard tower owes this guy money, right?
http://www.google.com/patents?id=y-o...page&q&f=false[/QUOTE]



Things to note, especially for those saying using glue isn't novel, this patent is about the design, as well as ASSEMBLY. It is a good patent. This also focuses on it being hardwareless, and is more indicating it's design and assembly to accommodate that, not just that they use "glue". Also note that the filing was done in 2006, so there has been plenty of time for others to copy, and reap off of this design that someone was smart enough to at least file for. I agree with Nickbot, they have every right to seek rightful compensation. Whether that's good for the industry, and they're doing it in the right fashion is something we probably won't know.

I'm pretty sure CC had a specific tower patent for a while, and others were paying license fees to use a similar tower design. Pretty sure someone has one on the Lighted tower tow extension knob as well.
Old     (daveronix199)      Join Date: Feb 2009       02-15-2011, 8:36 AM Reply   
Yeah alot of companies in the biz have a lot of patents Mastercraft and their locking Board racks.... Everyone else is still using a bungee cord system
Old     (apf)      Join Date: Dec 2010       02-15-2011, 8:38 AM Reply   
doesnt nautique have the patent on the tower?
Old     (hawkeye7708)      Join Date: Feb 2007       02-15-2011, 8:39 AM Reply   
APF,

I believe it was already mentioned in here somewhere, but Nautique does have a patent on the cage style tower.
Old     (alexair)      Join Date: Oct 2008       02-15-2011, 8:45 AM Reply   
^ Sure, patent holder have to have compensation. But I can't see innovation in this patent even in assembly. I mean that it's not new in general. Many shoes makers use the same technology. It's just "art of words" and great lesson as you can make money from air. Big bro have the skill but 4 years were spend for pushing this patent. Two another ones were approved much faster coz seems really like innovation. It's my own opinion now and maybe time will show another way.
Old     (wake77)      Join Date: Jan 2009       02-15-2011, 8:51 AM Reply   
^That is my point. They attached, essentially, a boot to a plate to attach the boot to the board. I mean when the first closed-toe bindings showed up on the market, was anyone reveling in the innovation? I certainly wasn't and, as a matter of fact, it took me a few years to make the switch from open-toe to closed-toe.
Old     (nickbot)      Join Date: Feb 2007       02-15-2011, 9:39 AM Reply   
it doesn't matter if LF had the "idea" first...they were the first to successfully "patent" the idea.
Company and Ronix could have done a patent search, concluded that they were in violation, and "designed around" LF's patent...or proposed some sort of license agreement...but, the didn't...not a smart business move on their part. Either they didn't know enough to do this, didn't have a good enough lawyer to understand what to do, or didn't care and figured LF wouldn't care either.
everyone quit your BS whining...If the legal system finds that Company is indeed in violation, they will need to pay the consequences. If they means they go out of business, tough shizz. justin may be a nice guy...but, he also may be a bad business man...anyone remember casette??
Old     (BigTEX)      Join Date: Feb 2010       02-15-2011, 12:46 PM Reply   
Yea I do (I believe LF had something to do with that too) then we were left with wood decks from LF and Hyperlite that would disintegrate as soon as they touched the water. Cassette was an innovator that pushed the wakeskate scene to a new level. If we really want to push the limits of the sport we need more independent companies with fresh ideas not companies putting out gimmicks like airbags or byerly hydro tunnel lock things.
Old     (nickbot)      Join Date: Feb 2007       02-15-2011, 1:05 PM Reply   
i'm not saying LF put the kybosh on casette...just that casette was another "little guy" company that failed due to bad business practices...
Old     (daveronix199)      Join Date: Feb 2009       02-15-2011, 1:14 PM Reply   
For real!! Cassette Got Fcked around by LF.... What a gay company.....I'll make sure to never sell or buy that product again!
Old     (sinkoumn)      Join Date: Jan 2007       02-15-2011, 1:39 PM Reply   
I thought Cassette bit the big one because of the constant delamination issues they had with their top decks

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