Own a patent application for a rock-paper-scissors video game for just $90,000

by JC Fletcher on Jun 29th 2009 10:00AM

A visionary named Ivan Allen has broken ground in two ways: first, he has applied for a patent on an online multiplayer rock-paper-scissors game for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and second, he has put the application on eBay. He's set up the eBay account "videogamepatentseller," so it seems likely he's planning to do this again.

Now, before you get too excited about spending $90,000 (or more, if there's a bidding war) on the rights to an online rock-paper-scissors game, notice that the auction is for a provisional patent application, and not an awarded patent. If you want to own that patent, you'll still have to file a non-provisional patent application before February of 2010 (one year after the filing of the first application). So, really, you're buying the possibility of getting a patent on the idea, maybe. The perfect Christmas gift!

[Thanks, Luis B.]

Source

Tags: ebay, Microsoft, patent, patent-application, rock-paper-scissors, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (27)

This guy is a waste of oxygen he breathes.

I salute him for his chutzpa.

Oh sweet haiku man
Your comments are misguided
Can't think of last line :P

this guys an ahole

Patent-squatting is surely a nut-kickable offense.

Software patents need to die a grizzly death.

I await The Dark Wayne's bid.

wtf?

No Rock, Paper, Scissors game will ever beat the EXTREME DEATHMATCH

http://www.adultswim.com/games/game/?game=rockpaperscissors

This reminds me of some stories I heard a few years ago about lawyers who spent their time filing lawsuit after lawsuit about anything they could dream up just to see what would stick. Some of them actually made millions because large corporations would pay them to drop the suit to avoid bad publicity and court costs. Could this guy just keep filing patent applications for every possible notion he can dream up and hope that he roadblocks ideas of others and forces them buy patent apps from him?

That EDGE guy would be so proud.

I'm a patent attorney, and I can tell you that there is no way this guy could ever get a patent granted on this idea. Anybody can file a provisional application. I could doodle cirlces in crayon on a napkin and the patent office would take my application fee and give me a filing date. I can think of a dozen video games that incorporate rock, paper, scissors. Any of those games are prior art and would surely anticipate this "invention". Hopefully there isn't anyone dumb enough to give this guy a penny.

And as an examiner, I know that if someone even tried to file a non-provisional, it would get rejected up to high heaven.

It sounds to me like this guy knows that and is just trying to commit fraud using eBay, and that's nothing new.

How much did this guy spend on a provisional patent application?

Great use of an Alex Kidd screenshot though. I expect no less from JC!

I have a rock/paper/scissors game for sega saturn. It was something I bought in Japan and the gist of the game is you play rock/paper/scissors with cute girls in a game similar to strip poker. I am not totally sure how patents work, but this game seems have to beaten this guy to the idea anyway....