Currently NCsoft is battling Worlds.com in court over claims they hold the rights to 3D MMO technology, and NCsoft should be cutting them big cheques.
If successful in their case against them then Worlds.com CEO Thom Kidrin says he’ll have no reservations in pursuing Second Life and World of Warcraft. It’s all Spielberg and sick kids fault!
Steven Spielberg-back Starbright World was meant to be some virtual world sick children could interact with, but was kept relatively quiet and away from the public eye. Eventually patents that cover the essential architecture for how an MMO operates, connecting thousands of users to virtual 3D worlds, passed from its Starbright creators to Worlds.com.
Thom says he’s not evil but just wants these companies to pay licensing money for what he claims is his lawful intellectual property, reports Silicon Alley Insider.
Worlds.com has launched the action against NCsoft in Texas where they hope to catch them at a disadvantage. California courts may prove much more difficult though if they carry out their threat against Blizzard.
One thing’s for sure, thanks to the legions of WoW subscribers Blizzard won’t be short changed for legal counsel. For those who’ve followed this caper before - yes the Worlds.com site still blows, it blows big time.
Source: Eurogamer
