Nodwick, Ncsoft, and Worlds.com?

The above link was sent to me from keeping up with Nodwick . Go on read it. Also, read Nodwick too.

Good.

In any case, The article above talks about NCsoft being sued for patent infringement by a company called worlds.com. Ncsoft makes multiple online games like City of Heroes, GuildWars, and Lineage. Worlds.com makes a small online 3d interactive browser. Kind of like Second Life. This looks bad since the Worlds.com patent 6,731,314 is described as:

A client computer program provides instructions for a processor to locate and retrieve rich media and HTML files over a network, such as the internet, an internet or an LAN, for running in a three-dimensional (3D) graphical user interface. The program provides instructions for the processor to generate a 3D graphical user interface on a display. Then, the processor generates a metaphorical user object for navigating and interacting in the three dimensions within the environment via navigational and interactional inputs, respectively, from a user. The processor also integrates an HTML object into the environment, and interacts the user object with the HTML object in response to an interactional input from the user.

So, Worlds is looking for roylties to boot. What would any self-respecting geek do about that? Look in the patent for loopholes. thats one thing!

Worlds.com patent is all about making a 3d mmo equivalent of the Internet. Your "avatar" (not their word) would walk around these worlds, and be able to look at sponsors websites. Which would be 3d structures with rooms. See this:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a computer program and system for providing a three-dimensional browser for a shared network environment, and particularly to a network-based platform which incorporates integrated markup language and rich media for multi-user interactivity, browsing and e-commerce.

Notice the last 3 terms. Not anywhere in the field of use, or scope, of the invention does this mention itself as a game. This legaliesse seems more like describing an internet browser like Firefox or IE, than anything resembling a game. I suppose I could also decribe an online casino with this set-up. But what about dates? The patent was filled August 16, 1999 and approved on May 4, 2004. That's right, its been here for 4 years and they haven't done anything wit hit yet!

One last point. City of Hero's: out in April of '04. Linneage, out in '98. So, your patent comes out after other products that use it have been on the market for a year? Are you high?

So this is a call to all the nerds out there: lets get worlds.com boycotted for this nonsense. Online games don't need this.