Silly Internet Patent #4: Ladder Rankings for Online Gaming

SCWatch, a site devoted to the online game Star Chamber, posts this sweet little C&D letter:

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Re: U.S. Patent Nos. 5,823,879; 6,183,366 and 6,264,560

Dear Sir or Madam:

We represent Mr. Sheldon Goldberg with respect to the above-identified patents, collectively referred to as "the Goldberg Patents." It has come to our attention that starchamber.net, an Internet-based service provided by Nayantara Studios, infringes the Goldberg Patents. In addition, Mr. Goldberg has a fourth U.S. patent that is about to issue, several continuation applications currently pending in the U.S. Patent Office, and several foreign patents and pending foreign patent applications. Copies of the three Goldberg Patents are enclosed for your review.

For example, claim 92 of the '560 Patent covers the playing of a game over a communication network, such as the Internet, where multiple instances of a game are transmitted over the Internet between multiple players and a gaming website and some of these instances may overlap in time. Also, users' rankings may be transmitted from the gaming website to the users, where the rankings are indicative of the users' proficiency in playing the game for which the users' ranks are being displayed, and where the rankings are updated.

Starchamber.net enables multiple users to play games over the Internet, where instances of the game are transmitted from the gaming site to the usres, and these instances may overlap in time. Additionally, starchamber.net provides users' rankings for other users to see, with the rankings as indications of the users' proficiency at the games, and the rankings are updated. This is just one example of how Nayantara Studios' services infringe the claims of the Goldberg Patents.

Additionally, many of the claims of the Goldberg Patents are not limited to games. For example, some claims of the Goldberg Patents are broadly directed to network-based persentations, i.e. changing advertising such as pop-up advertising or rotating banners, in connection with network services. Thus, in addition to starchamber.net many other aspects of the Internet-based services provided by Nayantara Studios, particularly those services employing advertising presentations via pop-ups, banners, etc., may be of interest.

I haven't take a hard look at the patents, but I did see that 5,823,879 is mostly about playing Blackjack over the computer. And Claim 92 of the '560 patent reads:

92. A method of playing a game on a communications network, comprising:

(1) receiving at a game playing node on the network, a contact by each of a plurality of users, via a corresponding node on the network for the user, for initiating a corresponding instance of the game between the game playing node and the user's corresponding node, and at least some of said instances overlap in time;

(2) transmitting game plays between said game playing node and a first of the users, for the corresponding instance of the game;

(3) transmitting from the game playing node to the corresponding node of the first user, the ranking of a second of the users, wherein said ranking is indicative of a proficiency of the second user in playing the game, and said ranking is updated to present a change in said ranking while the first user is playing the game.

I don't know about you folks, but I remember playing netowrk BBS games back in the 1980s from places like CompuServe and the Source that allowed ranking of players. Let's hope those people come forth to help bust these patents.

Comments

[Thomas Warfield]

See http://www.asharewarelife.com/2004_01_25_archive.html#107561453451433887 for another example of this same patent in action.

[Brian Fisher]

It's even more fun. The patents are full of numerous frivolous claims. A few online gaming sites I know including us have been delivered similar rediculous all encompassing claims related to games played over the internet, online advertising, and high score ranking. If anyone else has received such claims or knows of prior art before 1996 please use the contact link on Arcadetown.com bottom nav bar.

[Jerry Drescher]

we (tornadogames.com) also had the pleasure of getting this paperwork. After reading the patents, we have come to the conclusion that there is so much prior art on almost every one of the 300+ claims within the 3 patents that it would take us about 4 years to document it all of it. Like Brian said, anyone with prior art for games on network, card games, chess or checkers games in which you play against the computer or gaming networks that offered ads in exchange for games on a network prior to 1996 us or Brian know. Thanks for your help in keeping the internet a happy place.

[Jerry Drescher]

Sorry for the grammer errors in the statement above... my mind is running faster then me fingers!