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  #31  
Old 12-10-2010, 03:29 PM
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Walt Walt is offline
 
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Aero-News.net which is a very widely read aviation publication also has this story on their front page

http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav....c7b2&Dynamic=1

And nice letter Doug!
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  #32  
Old 12-10-2010, 03:30 PM
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Thank you Doug for putting thousands of names behind your complaint. I also sent feedback to Flightprep, but it sure helps to have a heavy hitter like you chiming in.
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  #33  
Old 12-10-2010, 03:52 PM
DeltaRomeo DeltaRomeo is offline
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Default Update: Good news...

From RunwayFinder.com's blog http://blog.runwayfinder.com
Update 12/10/2010 2:30pm PST
A preliminary verbal agreement has been reached. Assuming we can work out the details over the next few days, RunwayFinder will remain online. I appreciate all of the messages of support. Sorry if I?m not able to respond to everybody personally. I?ll update this post as things progress.
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  #34  
Old 12-10-2010, 03:56 PM
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RVbySDI RVbySDI is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DeltaRomeo View Post
From RunwayFinder.com's blog http://blog.runwayfinder.com
Update 12/10/2010 2:30pm PST
A preliminary verbal agreement has been reached. Assuming we can work out the details over the next few days, RunwayFinder will remain online. I appreciate all of the messages of support. Sorry if I?m not able to respond to everybody personally. I?ll update this post as things progress.
This is truly good news to have RunwayFinder staying online! WOO WHOO!!

I also sent an email to FlightPlan and am glad that our efforts are showing some results.
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  #35  
Old 12-10-2010, 03:58 PM
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Default Great ...

Well, I suppose I should have checked this thread for updates before I hit SEND on my e-mail to Mssrs. Stenbock and Everson ...

"Dear Mr. Stenbock and Mr. Everson:

As I am sure you are well aware by now, word has spread about your lawsuit against Dave Parsons of RunwayFinder.com. I really don't have a dog in this fight, but you do. I have a recently-completed homebuilt aircraft that I dearly love to fly, and flight planning is something that I do with regularity. Things have changed from the days when I last flew regularly, and I've found a plethora of helpful resources online to make the task easier, faster and safer. RunwayFinder.com was one such source.

Many years ago, before I had even planned what equipment was going into my instrument panel, I was active on a builder help list hosted by Matronics, Inc. The owner/manager of the list was supported primarily by donations from us, the users, and it became a vary valuable lifeline for those builders who needed help and advice from other builders. Matronics developed a fuel flow scanner and along came a large company, JPI, demanding that Matronics cease using the word "scan" in the scanner's name and threatened a lawsuit. Matronics, naturally, changed the name because there were no funds available to fight the issue in court.

I don't know anything about software patents and the processes by which one protects intellectual property in that industry, but I do recognize strong-arm tactics when I see them. You are doing the same thing to Mr. Parsons that JPI did to Matronics, no matter how justified you feel you are. Consequently, you should know that I cannot use any of your products or services as long as you pursue this legal action.

You have made a business decision, and I'm sure that nothing I say will alter your course. However, decisions have consequences, and losing the potential business of the entire RV community may indeed be yours.

Sincerely,

Don McNamara
Elkhart, IN"


Oh well ... just another stick in the fire. Maybe a flood of e-mails will have some effect after all. I guess we should all just stay tuned.
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  #36  
Old 12-10-2010, 05:50 PM
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AlexPeterson AlexPeterson is offline
 
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Default Here is claim #1 of the patent:

Claim 1 of the patent is below in quotes:

"What is claimed is:

1. A process for generating a flight plan for preflight use by a pilot, comprising: accessing over a computer network from a client computer a Web page having a housekeeping frame and a selected composite travel navigation chart from among plural selected composite travel navigation charts stored at a server computer, each selected composite travel navigation chart including a travel chart merged with travel navigation waypoints, the travel navigation waypoints including radio navigation aids; downloading the Web page with the selected composite travel navigation chart from the server computer to the client computer as a two-dimensional array of map tiles that include up-to-date navigation data and cover an area over which a flight is to be planned; indicating X, Y coordinates of each of a plurality of navigation waypoints on the selected composite travel navigation chart at the client computer; sending the X, Y coordinates of each navigation waypoint to the housekeeping frame of the Web page; and drawing over the selected composite travel navigation chart on the client computer route line segments according to the X, Y coordinates, as instructed by housekeeping frame of the Web page, to generate a flight plan for preflight use by a pilot. "

I believe virtually all of the various on-line planners, including AOPA's for example, could be shown to be prior art in this (I'm not a patent lawyer...). Ever look at Google Earth? I believe I could even make an argument that my Garmin 430 does this, since the data is initially obtained over the internet.

The basic gist of this patent seems to be gathering information from a host computer and organizing it in a way to help with navigation planning on the client's computer.

Patents are very similar to laws - they are subject to challenge in court. Some are valid and involve real invention (like others have written on this thread already), and will stand up to the challenge in court. Many are not.

Will be interesting to follow this.
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  #37  
Old 12-10-2010, 05:57 PM
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Default count three more supporters

The ball of bad publicity is still rolling... Two of my friends and I will never give any business to FlightPrep. The info will be reposted on a foreign website as well.
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  #38  
Old 12-10-2010, 07:10 PM
asav8tor asav8tor is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry Cochran View Post
Roger Stenbock has a JD after his name...
Nail on the head....
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  #39  
Old 12-10-2010, 10:46 PM
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rv9av8tr rv9av8tr is offline
 
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Default legaleze???

Only a lawyer can write an entire paragraph, without a single period, and claim it to be English!!
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  #40  
Old 12-10-2010, 11:57 PM
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rvmills rvmills is offline
 
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Pete, thanks for posting this and starting the ball rollng! And nice job Doug and others! My e-mail is now in their inbox too!

I noticed that RunwayFinder was working tonight while planning tomorrow's form hops with another VAFer, so hopes are that this gets resolved and the grassroots efforts can put this genie back in the bottle.

I counted the websites I use that link to RF, and the devices in my airplane that are potential targets of just such lawsuits. Big impact, to say the least!

If companies like this are allowed to squeeze and squelch competition in an effort to be the only game in town, we all suffer! I'd be willing to go back to E6Bs and paper charts long enough to boycott unscupulous companies out of existence!

Hopefully they realize the damage that has been done to their reputation, make a concerted effort to make this right, and then never go down this road again.

Win customers by providing a superior product at a fair price, then support it and take care of customers. Don't sue everyone till you're the only show in town (other shows will appear, and we'll go there, thank you very much!)

Thanks for the heads-up!!

Bob
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Last edited by rvmills : 12-10-2010 at 11:59 PM.
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