Imposters - Microsoft Patent?

[Flexman]

While looking at ways of extending the visible horizon by layering the scene I thought about "Imposters". Something used in rendering space scenes and also the "Infinity - The Quest for Earth" project.

 

I remember an article on Gamasutra - Dynamic 2D Imposters.

 

Then I saw this ... Patenstorm - Dynamic 2D Imposters from Microsoft

 

So, am I to take it that rendering 3D elements to billboards is covered by a patent?

 

Any rational thoughts once the red-haze has subsided? Someone please pinch me and tell me it doesn't apply.

[Canardia]

I don't think Microsoft can patent lies. The patent is a lie, because it claims that they invented 3D sprites, although 3D sprites were invented by someone else 10-20 years earlier, and used in all 3D games before 3D polygon games existed.

 

It makes also no difference if you create the sprites manually or procedurally from 3D meshes. The result is the same. And the invention of making 2D images from 3D meshes was also invented long before that, for example the Print Screen key does just that.

 

Actually it seems Microsoft stole the idea of procedurally generated 3D sprites from Oblivion, which was released 8 days earlier than their patent claim, on March 20, 2006:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(computer_graphics)#Move_to_3D

 

So basically Microsoft could be charged of 2 crimes here:

1) stealing the idea from Bethesta

2) illegally claiming a patent

[Josh]

Ha, let's see them enforce that.

[cocopino]

Patents are a joke (mostly). Some Australian managed to patent the wheel a couple of years back:

http://www.ipmenu.com/archive/AUI_2001100012.pdf

 

Software patents are even worse, like Amazon's one-click patent, as if they "invented" some kind of smart new system.

 

Patents can only be useful when not easily granted by total idiots.

[Davaris]

If the greedy lawyers come after me, I'll move to New Zealand.

 

New Zealand says no to software patents

 

http://www.itwire.com/it-policy-news/government-tech-policy/40451-new-zealand-says-no-to-software-patents