SpotON3D leaves questions unanswered

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SpotON3D has two other patents, for the use of augmented reality in a 3D environment, the company revealed on Friday.

The information was presented by SpotON3D CEO Stevan Lieberman, who was speaking at a discussion in Second Life hosted by SpotON3D and titled, “SpotON3D’s patent pending plugin: Is it a threat or a benefit?”

Click image above to watch full video by Vanish Seraph of TGIB.

However, the event did not produce any new information about what the OpenSim community should expect moving into the future, nor bring the two sides any closer together.

According to Lieberman:

  • SpotON3D is not going to provide more patent specifics than the information they have already provided.
  • Patent approvals are not anticipated for at least three to four years, and perhaps even longer.
  • No decisions have been made regarding the details or fees for future licensing.
  • Stevan believes very strongly in patents. He believes they drive the world forward and give people a reason to invest in technology.

 

SpotON3D has filed for patents on:

  • Double Dutch multi-grid content delivery system (one patent)
  • Augmented reality for use in a 3D environment (two patents)
  • Browser-based viewer wrapper plugin (one patent)
  • Key account multi-grid registration system (one patent)

 

As a result of ongoing technical problems with Lieberman’s voice — he was unable to hear spoken questions, and occasionally his audio got cut off, as well — a couple of questions were never answered.

For example, one meeting attendee said he was working on a Facebook interface and a viewer in a browser app. He asked whether SpotON3D would try and charge a licensing fee at some future date for people using this other technology, even if the other developers had never seen the SpotON3D code.

Another unanswered question was whether SpotON3D will be making any policy changes, such as not charging some groups to use the viewer, or pledging not to sue other OpenSim startups offering similar technology.

Both Lieberman and his co-founder, SpotON3D COO Tessa Kinney-Johnson, said that their company was dedicated to helping the greater OpenSim community, and that SpotON3D’s patents will have an overall positive effect.

“If it isn’t us protecting it… then that leaves it wide open for someone else who isn’t a part of the community and doesn’t care about the people involved on a community level,” Kinney-Johnson said.

During the final third of the hour allocated to the event, the discussion became increasingly acrimonious, and Lieberman finally refused to take any more patent-related questions.

lawrence.pierce@hypergridbusiness.com'
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