Elite Tactical Systems AR-15 Polymer Magazines?

[vicious_cb]

Hello Everyone,
The PMag has several areas of it's geometry and design that took many years of our own testing and documenting. These areas of geometry and design have been granted utility patents. Magpul has to defend the patent or lose the protection offered from the patent. In the case of these patents, we have successfully defended them in court four other times this year.

From the comments section.

[markm]

Yeah. I read that and don't know what to think. Kinda vague, but maybe there's something to it that I just don't see.

[nova3930]

Yeah. I read that and don't know what to think. Kinda vague, but maybe there's something to it that I just don't see.

Such is a consequence of the screwed up US Patent system. The end result is patents so complex and esoteric as to be indecipherable by nearly everyone. I've got a 4 year engineering degree under my belt, deal with .gov deliverable TDPs all day every day and after reading the above listed patents, I don't get what feature they're claiming as both "novel" and having "utility"

[Anymouse]

I simply do not see Richard and Drake just up and deciding to sue, unless they felt that someone was somehow infringing on their IP. They were the "little guy" once too...

… but now they’re the big guy, and like all big guys, they want to continue being the big guy. One way to do that is to vigorously prosecute what they see as infringements on their patents. Can’t blame them for that.

Litigation is expensive, and patent litigation is especially so. Magpul’s counsel has recent experience in successfully prosecuting patent infringement cases with, I assume, issues and facts very similar to the issues and facts in the ETS case. In addition, Magpul is, I’m sure, in a much better financial position to bear the expenses of litigating this matter. Those are definite advantages.

On the other hand … I think if I were to design and consider manufacturing a polymer AR magazine, I’d have qualified patent counsel review all of the relevant patents to make sure that my design wasn’t infringing any of them, and/or modify my design accordingly … and then retain additional patent counsel (not involved in the earlier discussions regarding modifying my original design) to review all of the designs, including mine … so that, if any of the polymer magazine manufacturers were to sue, I’d have an expert already primed and ready to testify that my design didn’t infringe. ETS may well have done that.

Lest anyone think otherwise, I’m neither expressing an opinion as to the merits of any party’s position nor am I taking sides for or against any parties to this litigation. Just my 2 cents …

[SHIVAN]

I were to design and consider manufacturing a polymer AR magazine, I’d have qualified patent counsel review all of the relevant patents to make sure that my design wasn’t infringing any of them, and/or modify my design accordingly

Clearly the most germane of all your points. It really doesn't matter who is the heavy in this scenario. IP is IP, and if an internal dimension, that is patented, is used to make your "new" product successful, then the owner of the IP must protect it -- or lose that IP to the world. The ferocity in which the protection is pursued matters very little.

[markm]

Lest anyone think otherwise, I’m neither expressing an opinion as to the merits of any party’s position nor am I taking sides for or against any parties to this litigation. Just my 2 cents …

Well... to remain impartial... we need to buy clips from both companies to help them pay the scum sucking lawyers.

[Eurodriver]

Well... to remain impartial... we need to buy clips from both companies to help them pay the scum sucking lawyers.

I just bought a ton of high cap clips the other day! I can't afford, and more importantly, cannot fit anymore clips in my home!

[markm]

We ended up shooting the ETS mag suppressed on Saturday... and I was concerned about the suppressor filth permanently staining the See-thru-nicity of the mag body, but it cleaned up nicely. Pulled it apart and wiped the inside down, and it looks like new. The ETS is the fastest disassembling mag I've ever owned... I mean.. they all come apart the same, but the bullet shaped base plate insert is super easy to depress with no tools.

I may have to panic buy some more of these next pay check in case this whole legal thing goes South.

[DWood]

Deleted. Different story.

[Dave_M]

Well... to remain impartial... we need to buy clips from both companies to help them pay the scum sucking lawyers.

I mean, it's just good for the market!