Disney, GE, others face patent suit

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business ... es-tourism

General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal Inc., Walt Disney Co. and three other U.S. theme-park operators were accused of infringing patents on magnetic brakes used on roller coasters.

Safety Braking Corp., based in Newport Beach, Calif., claims the companies infringed patents won in 1994 and 2003. The defendants also include Busch Entertainment Corp., Six Flags Inc. and Cedar Fair LP.

Safety Braking holds exclusive licenses to the patents, one from Magnetar Technologies Corp., based in Seal Beach, California, and the other from G&T Conveyor Co., based in Tavares.

The three companies asked for a jury trial, an order to stop any infringement and royalties in the complaint, filed March 1 in federal court in Wilmington, Del.

Parks mentioned in the complaint include Universal Studios in Hollywood, Calif.; Walt Disney World in Orlando; Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va.; Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa.; Paramount King's Island in Mason, Ohio; and Six Flags Darien Lake, N.Y.

Wendy Goldberg, a Six Flags spokeswoman in New York, said the company won't comment on the lawsuit.

NBC Universal spokeswoman Cindy Gardner also declined to comment and Michelle Bergman of Burbank, Calif.-based Disney said company executives weren't available to comment.

Spokeswomen for Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Cedar Fair didn't return phone messages.

This may go down in histrory as being one of the stupidest lawsuits ever!

Originally posted by RRollergod

This may go down in histrory as being one of the stupidest lawsuits ever!

Why??? This is a completely reasonable lawsuit, assuming they really did have the patents and rights.

copyright protection, i find it very fair.

if they break the paintent law they will get sued

But why sue the parks who have bought the rides, and not the manufacturers who produced them?

[hyyyper]

^theme parks have more money

Umm...Not sure though how its breaking a patent. Its like saying you cant use an electromagnet. Its a similar type of idea. Some things cant be patented for their simplicity - only more complex types.

I find it hard to believe they will win. I also find it hard to believe that they own the patent to everything and anything magnetic brake related for the entire US. Come on now...think about that.

[coolbeans326]

^ I concur.

They probably own the patent to manufacturing them in the manner to use the metals as brakes...not the brakes themselves..im guessing.

I don't get why they aren't going after the manufactures. The parks didn't design the rides, why are they getting blamed for it?

overall i think this is just a desperate attempt to make quick cash.

The manufactorers are probably out of the country. Patents have no effect outside of the country.

[hyyyper]

^ and ^^

themepark have more money, so you'll get more if you succesfull sue them

But you don't sue people for owning a car that violates a patent you have, just because they got more money than the car manufacturer?

unfortunetly it isnt the manufactorers fault. the parks acctually design the coasters themselfs and all the manufactores do is make what the parks want, this especially true with the disney rides. the only manufactorers which dont do this is intamalan and B&M who co-oporate with parks to produce the rides they want. all the rest of the companys must be aproched with designs unless they are the prefabricated rides such as the veckoma slc. so it is the parks faut and in anycase its not like especially disney cannot afford it. if i had a reason i would also sue disney.

But the manufacturers make the technical parts like the brakes, launches, trains, tracks etc. I think in most cases the park decide what kind of ride they want, and the collaborate with the manufacturer from there to the finished product. Still, it is the manufacturer who manufacture the ride.

[hyyyper]

yes, but then again, you will be arrested if you illigally carry a gun, not colt or smith&wesson

Originally posted by Nosferatu

But the manufacturers make the technical parts like the brakes, launches, trains, tracks etc. I think in most cases the park decide what kind of ride they want, and the collaborate with the manufacturer from there to the finished product. Still, it is the manufacturer who manufacture the ride.

yes but the park specifys it but its up to the park to obtain paitet permition. there are certain ones which do have permition such as the slc, itmilan but on custom designs its all down to the park

[coolbeans326]

Originally posted by hyyyper

yes, but then again, you will be arrested if you illigally carry a gun, not colt or smith&wesson

that's a horrible analogy.