Who owns the "multiball" trademark?

[Zaphod77]

PS: Pro pinball had to deal with those same stupid patents and trademarks. They had Magno-Save, Ball Rescue (Kickback) and they called all their multiballs Frenzy (!). Also their magnet on Timeshock didn't move up and down because that would violate the patent.

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

Well, from what I can see now, this seems to be the impression I get with the status of these trademarks and patents: "Kickback" seems to have also become genericized: Stern uses it freely, Jersey Jack uses it freely, and Zen Studios uses it freely. Magnets are currently used by Stern to stop the ball and by Jersey Jack to pick the ball off the playfield surface (and Zen doesn't need to use magnets), though Stern seems to prefer having little plastic pegs that pop up in front of the ball, probably because it's cheaper and doesn't risk magnetizing the ball, though no manufacturer is currently using the Magna-Save feature. "Ball Saver" is used by everyone, to the point where Zen's tables typically have a voice clip saying,"Ball saved."

Looking at the expiration of the "multiball" trademark, however, it feels to me that Williams just let go of all of its pinball-related trademarks when it ceased production and manufacture of pinball machines by letting them expire. There's no point in keeping a trademark one doesn't use except as a childish "even if I don't use it, no one else can" thing, and I don't think Williams is the sort of company that would spend money just to inhibit an industry it no longer wants any part in. As for the patents, that's another story, as it looks like Williams still owns some of them. I wonder how it continues to hold on to them.

 

[Richard B]

Stern, for instance, has a tiny metal wire that sticks out, which absorbs the momentum on one side of the ball. (This can be seen in front of the bell on all versons of AC/DC, for instance.)

These wire mods (there's another one at the bumper feed - where the ball leaves the bumpers and enters the main field again) I believe are after-market modifications, or Stern just started installing them, as they were not in most of the machines I've played did not have them. It's much better with them, as bell hits would go SDTM a lot, making you never wanting to risk it, while bumper feeds would do so only occasionally, but when it did, it felt really unfair, as they're pretty much unavoidable without nudging (and lots of operators of new tables love to have strict title settings).

 

[Timelord]

Looking at the expiration of the "multiball" trademark, however, it feels to me that Williams just let go of all of its pinball-related trademarks when it ceased production and manufacture of pinball machines by letting them expire. There's no point in keeping a trademark one doesn't use except as a childish "even if I don't use it, no one else can" thing, and I don't think Williams is the sort of company that would spend money just to inhibit an industry it no longer wants any part in. As for the patents, that's another story, as it looks like Williams still owns some of them. I wonder how it continues to hold on to them.

Trademark have to be enforced by the owner by exerting their ownership, usually through legal actions. Patents are enforced by federal law for a fixed term of twenty years, plus any extra time for acceptance processes exceeding three months.

Timelord ...

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

I suppose that means come 2019, the Williams patents will probably expire, and people will be free to use what they've patented then? (I thought patents were active for only 11 years. Not sure why.)

These wire mods (there's another one at the bumper feed - where the ball leaves the bumpers and enters the main field again) I believe are after-market modifications, or Stern just started installing them, as they were not in most of the machines I've played did not have them. It's much better with them, as bell hits would go SDTM a lot, making you never wanting to risk it, while bumper feeds would do so only occasionally, but when it did, it felt really unfair, as they're pretty much unavoidable without nudging (and lots of operators of new tables love to have strict title settings).

Oh, they're not on all of them? Maybe the limited-edition ones have them. I played on a limited-edition AC/DC and spotted it.

Operators seem to fall into two categories, between those who want short games (so the money comes in quickly) and those who want longer, more extended games (so players enjoy the experience and come back). Maybe this is a factor in all that.

 

[Shaneus]

I'm pretty sure they're factory and have been since the beginning. I know I've played an AC/DC Pro on location where the vendor is notorious for doing as little as possible to keep their games "running" (I use that term loosely) and there was one of these spring things on it. It's since been removed, but it was definitely on there because I remember thinking it looked like something had broken on it.