Minelab taking XP to court over possible patent infringements

[Goldpick]

Sounds like nitpicking and a bit of sour grapes on the part of Minelab, considering how long has the Deus been in production for now. Something to do with wireless data transmission & storage apparently.

You can read all the finer details and related discussion here:
http://www.dankowskidetectors.com/discussions/read.php?2,116025

 

[silver]

Could backfire on them and have the detecting fraternity shun minelab ,.... already I've never bought any of their products personally ! The plaintiff could easily argue that wireless technology and data storage are a natural evolution of all future detecting technologies as is and will be for the majority of tech products available world wide already and into the foreseeable future. :|

 

[mbasko]

I doubt it will backfire on them. XP aren't the first company Minelab have taken to court re: patents & probably won't be the last. They must think there's a reasonable case if they're prepared to go that far? On face value it does appear to be petty though but until someone puts better gold detectors on the table I won't be changing brands on the back of a patent challenge & I doubt anyone else will either.

 

[silver]

Can tell I still like my Garret hey ! :lol:

 

[Norvic]

I doubt it will backfire on them. XP aren't the first company Minelab have taken to court re: patents & probably won't be the last. They must think there's a reasonable case if they're prepared to go that far? On face value it does appear to be petty though but until someone puts better gold detectors on the table I won't be changing brands on the back of a patent challenge & I doubt anyone else will either.

Would be cutting off our noses to spite our face, to stop buying ML gold machines while they are such gold producers. Tis sad it seems their ways to keep them on top are somewhat counter progress, I hope in this case XP turns out to be a David, after days of swinging the Z, tis lovely to have a break and swing the Deus (gotta tie a blue brick to its coil to keep it down ). I wonder with XP delaying the release of ver 4, have XP advanced VLF GB capability enough to threaten ML.

 

[mbasko]

I wonder with XP delaying the release of ver 4, have XP advanced VLF GB capability enough to threaten ML.

Even if it did how would Minelab know? They would need an insider or a tester reporting back to them - too much conspiracy for me. They obviously believe that they have a case in some part of their patent/s?

 

[Ramjet]

Just saw this on the XP Group on facebook.

"Regardless of what rumors are being postulated, a few things on this thread:

1) V4.0 is delayed due to performance issues that came up at he last minute - saw them at the XP Rally in the UK and Alain is doing the right thing - holding off the release until the issue is corrected. Has nothing to do with some claimed suit which has nothing to do with the pending V4.0 functionality or HF coils.

2) The technology that XP has on the Deus was introduced in 2009 . .. that is 7 years ago. If there was something that XP "stole" from Minelab don't you think something
would have come up before XP took over the majority of the market . . . sort of the proverbial "close the barn door after the horses left" no? As far as data transfer - (the 2 way option), Minelab did not set the precedent . . . 2009 comes before 2012 so if anyone claims that the 2-way transfer for software updating was copied, it would be XP claiming Minelab took it from them.
It's interesting that for for years people have posted Minelab patents and claimed that they could reverse engineer the FBS or any other program that Minelab produces. Minelab in fact does not patent all of their code since that would make it fairly easy to alter and make other detectors. There is a reason Apple does not patent all of the OS code - to patent something you need to expose the inner workings and if you are familiar with digital copyright suits, a slight change in the code makes it something that is no longer infringement.
XP will continue pushing the envelope in terms of technology . . . . and it's doubtful it will be done by copying someone else's product."

Andy Sabisch

 

[SteelPat]

I like Minelab products but I do have an issue with their patents. Most of the ones I have seen are so broad in description its not like they have come up with something new- they have just incorporated known technology into a detector then claim it as theirs.

I dont know how you can get away with patenting something that is already common knowledge or something that is basically out of an electronics theory book.

For example in the above complaint - a detector that stores data - what a load of shit. I dont know how anyone could have patented that in the first place. Technically every detector has been storing data for years ie EF and GB data.

Good competition drives innovation. By taking people to court over ridiculous patents just because you have the money to do so, only hurts the end consumer.

 

[mbasko]

This might be the root cause?
http://www.depardetector.com/product/depar/dpr-600/912/511

Starting to look like the V4.0 update/coil is just an offshoot of the real goal - a gold focused VLF for the African market. It's an interesting prospect for prospectors here too.
I wonder if it will be made available here, especially for those not wanting a full Deus set up, at a reduced cost? Or we have to wait for the surplus fire sale like Whites & Minelab have ran previously when African sales head south or don't meet expectations?

 

[mbasko]

Just saw this on the XP Group on facebook.

"Regardless of what rumors are being postulated, a few things on this thread:

1) V4.0 is delayed due to performance issues that came up at he last minute - saw them at the XP Rally in the UK and Alain is doing the right thing - holding off the release until the issue is corrected. Has nothing to do with some claimed suit which has nothing to do with the pending V4.0 functionality or HF coils.

2) The technology that XP has on the Deus was introduced in 2009 . .. that is 7 years ago. If there was something that XP "stole" from Minelab don't you think something
would have come up before XP took over the majority of the market . . . sort of the proverbial "close the barn door after the horses left" no? As far as data transfer - (the 2 way option), Minelab did not set the precedent . . . 2009 comes before 2012 so if anyone claims that the 2-way transfer for software updating was copied, it would be XP claiming Minelab took it from them.
It's interesting that for for years people have posted Minelab patents and claimed that they could reverse engineer the FBS or any other program that Minelab produces. Minelab in fact does not patent all of their code since that would make it fairly easy to alter and make other detectors. There is a reason Apple does not patent all of the OS code - to patent something you need to expose the inner workings and if you are familiar with digital copyright suits, a slight change in the code makes it something that is no longer infringement.
XP will continue pushing the envelope in terms of technology . . . . and it's doubtful it will be done by copying someone else's product."

Andy Sabisch

Andy's entitled to his opinion just like everyone else :lol:

 

[Ridge Runner]

I don't think XP have anything to worry about, In the EU they have been out selling ML since about 2010/11, I am not keen on XP machines personally but they are very clever machines just the same, And my Views are more related to my success with the machines I use,

XP, can and will give any company/brand a run for their money no matter who they are,, The most unlikely place on the planet is Australia and the success that you Guys are having that own XP's is nothing short of incredible, and I think that that is the reason for these latest ramblings, XP are Selling on ML's Turf and they don't like it, Just like when they lobbied to raise the import duty on foreign Detectors, well that has not had the effect that they wanted, Because even their ZED is proof of that because regardless of the price If people want them they will find away to pay for them, So the import Duty is just a minor brain fart, And XP are doing well in OZ.

ML seem to forget that just maybe that their machines won't suit every Aussie because needs change and so do skill levels and so does Technology, This is more of a case of another one of ML's dirty tricks campaigns just like the Import Duty Fiasco, They seem to behave like Children where one Dobbs the other in to Mum just to gain Favour. where the import Duty issue slows down the rate of imports, They wave the possibilities of getting Money for Nothing under the Governments Nose's and get them to do their dirty work for them and of coarse the government is going to jump at Free Money.

Behaving like they do is just another reason to Avoid dealing with them, and I wish XP all the Success In the World.

John.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Thinking about it all, Surely these companies must realize that there is room for everyone in this hobby, We would not tolerate such limitations when it comes to choices of cars and Truck or Politics or anything else for that matter, ML just need to get over their ego and live and let live, the world would be a boring place without choices, Heaven forbid Imagine only having one choice of BEER mmm Na that's just Going too Far, That's fighting Talk.

john.