Homer Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-ride0707mar07,0,5089145.story?coll=orl-business-headlines-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. I bet this lawsuit will eventually end up like all of the Wii remote lawsuits over "patent infringement." Then again, why are these no-names suing parks instead of Intamin, Vekoma, B&M, and S&S?
Carnage Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 I bet this lawsuit will eventually end up like all of the Wii remote lawsuits over "patent infringement." Then again, why are these no-names suing parks instead of Intamin, Vekoma, B&M, and S&S? With the exception of S&S those companies ar all over seas companies. It's easier and cheaper to sue domestic companies then try and deal with international laws. They will probably get a settlement out of the American companies, but would have a much harder time if they were to try and sue Intamin in Sweden,etc.
arrowfanman Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 Also, just a guess, but the magnetic brakes could be "in house", like what the dealio was on CA Screamin (an extreme example, no doubt), thus the original manufactuerers have been left out. -Jahan
griffon Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 What ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg uses magnetic brakes? Maybe I'm missing something (it's been a long offseason) but everything I remember riding has friction brakes.
GMAN962 Posted March 7, 2007 Posted March 7, 2007 If all of the manufacturers are over seas, and the park just ordered them from them, and didn't make, them themselves, why would they sue the park companies? I mean, think about it. They just ordered them, it's not like they built them, or tried to release them as a product that they built themselves. -Mike
Carnage Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 ^ How many lawsuits in the united states actually make sense?
yankees15 Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 What ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg uses magnetic brakes? Maybe I'm missing something (it's been a long offseason) but everything I remember riding has friction brakes. Griffon will be using magnetic breaks. They should also include Hershey if they are having a lawsuit for this because of Storm runner.
griffon Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 What ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg uses magnetic brakes? Maybe I'm missing something (it's been a long offseason) but everything I remember riding has friction brakes. Griffon will be using magnetic breaks. Yea, but those haven't even been used yet. I wonder how they can file a lawsuit for something a park plans to do, and hasn't actually done. I guess anything is possible these days, but it sounds to me like this should really be handled by the manufacturers of the rides, which is probably where the parks will end up pushing responsibility if that's what it comes to.
kraxleRIDAH Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 What ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg uses magnetic brakes? Maybe I'm missing something (it's been a long offseason) but everything I remember riding has friction brakes. Griffon will be using magnetic breaks. They should also include Hershey if they are having a lawsuit for this because of Storm runner. Uh. The magnetic braking system in which the patent is supposed to protect does not include Intamin's variation of magnetic brake concept. There are over 3 different kinds of magnetic brake systems in use in roller coasters today. Otherwise, Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm would have been cited in the complaint along with Darien Lake, Busch Gardens Africa, etc.
CP_RULES Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 I dont think that this is the coaster company's mag brakes that are being sued for, I believe it's the added and/or altered (by the park) mag brakes that are being sued for. I know that Disney screwed around with the magnetics on Cali. Screamin', and I also know that Beast got new magnetic trims. I would guess that these are the things that Safety Braking Corp. is sueing for, not the regular mag brakes that are used on many coasters throughout the world. Did that make any sense?
Gnome Posted March 8, 2007 Posted March 8, 2007 it could also turn out that this company is completely wrong with thier thought that they are entitled to this patent. Who knows, we'll see. Patents are very tricky things.
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