Lets save Runwayfinder.com

FM_Weasel said:
It shouldn't have happened. It's not fair. But ah, such is life. Everyone should just roll over and accept whats coming to them when some company out-sleazes them. I still don't understand your justification of this practice.
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So, just because you don't like this particular law, you can disregard it? No, that's too much of a slippery slope for me. If somebody doesn't like the particulars here in this case, they shouldn't fight that, they should fight the software patenting laws.
 
FM_Weasel said:
You would if you would read it.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=d-3UAAAAEBAJ&dq=7640098.
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I have read it. But I know how much there is to understand about patent registration process, the patent claims, and the underlying technology used by both FlightPrep and RunwayFinder. I also know that I don't know enough about any of it with respect to this dispute to have anything other than a visceral reaction about whether I personally like it or not.

Since you apparently do understand all that, you have an advantage over me.

We can probably all agree, though, that this is a PR nightmare for FlighPrep and, whether right or wrong, what were they thinking?
 
MidlifeFlyer said:
We can probably all agree, though, that this is a PR nightmare for FlighPrep and, whether right or wrong, what were they thinking?
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this is typical of greed. Try to take out the free competition to try and get some subscribing members. Too bad this is America, and we don't like only having one choice. Save that for Cuba and North Korea FlightPrep

We'll have many RF alikes within a year. all free.
 
elmetal said:
this is typical of greed. Try to take out the free competition to try and get some subscribing members. Too bad this is America, and we don't like only having one choice. Save that for Cuba and North Korea FlightPrep

We'll have many RF alikes within a year. all free.
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We might have a philosophical difference as well as a difference in understanding the details. Let's see?

Are you saying that, IF FlightPrep, say, spent the R&D bucks to create the type of technology that allows for the seamless way in which the charts work on RF, that it should then be free to all for the taking and it's greedy for FP to want to recoup its investment and make a profit from it? I don't.
 
MidlifeFlyer said:
We might have a philosophical difference as well as a difference in understanding the details. Let's see?

Are you saying that, IF FlightPrep, say, spent the R&D bucks to create the type of technology that allows for the seamless way in which the charts work on RF, that it should then be free to all for the taking and it's greedy for FP to want to recoup its investment and make a profit from it? I don't.
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absolutely not.

What FP did is patent an extremely broad term, they didn't R&D anything that Runway finder was using, they are abusing the use of a patent. That's why I think it's to take out the competition.


IF they had made some crazy algorithm and great idea and they were the first to do it, then yes I think it'd be totally fair, but in this case it's absolutely not.

I agree with you though, if they wanted to recoup their investment from R&D and use patents to do that, great. But that's not what they are doing
 
Arh, I just realized the worst is that AirNav no longer has the little square of sectional on the airport pages since that was from RunwayFinder. Now I have to open a new browser window and go to SkyVector.:yar:
 
Fly_Unity said:
Looks like they are...

http://imageserver.fltplan.com/FltPlanPressRelease.pdf
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This is what I am talking about! These tools at Flightprep are going to take all of the stuff that we all use on a daily basis, and turn it into a pay to play thing. I hate to say it, and I'll probably start a poop storm with it, but he has basically started the ball rolling for user fees! How long before some people wake up and see that a small donation now will pay huge dividens later, rather than doing nothing now that will cost much much more in the long run.


Flightaware is next, you just watch.
 
mshunter said:
This is what I am talking about! These tools at Flightprep are going to take all of the stuff that we all use on a daily basis, and turn it into a pay to play thing. I hate to say it, and I'll probably start a poop storm with it, but he has basically started the ball rolling for user fees! How long before some people wake up and see that a small donation now will pay huge dividens later, rather than doing nothing now that will cost much much more in the long run.


Flightaware is next, you just watch.
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I'm not following what you're trying to say. Fltplan.com is saying that the patent does not apply to their site and they are not negotiating with Flightprep. :dunno:
 
Well we see how well that's worked out for runwayfinder so far. Hopefully fltplan.com has a better (read:existent) legal team and the funds/desire to fight it.
 
SteveC said:
I'm not following what you're trying to say. Fltplan.com is saying that the patent does not apply to their site and they are not negotiating with Flightprep. :dunno:
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runway finder decided not to negotiate with flightprep and shut down because they were being sued. If we sat by idly while user fees were trying to beinstalled (i.e. no AOPA/EAA/etc.) advocating against them, then we'd all probably e paying them right now.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
So, just because you don't like this particular law, you can disregard it? No, that's too much of a slippery slope for me. If somebody doesn't like the particulars here in this case, they shouldn't fight that, they should fight the software patenting laws.
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What do you stand to gain from this? It seems you've got an axe to grind here.
 
mshunter said:
This is what I am talking about! These tools at Flightprep are going to take all of the stuff that we all use on a daily basis, and turn it into a pay to play thing. I hate to say it, and I'll probably start a poop storm with it, but he has basically started the ball rolling for user fees! How long before some people wake up and see that a small donation now will pay huge dividens later, rather than doing nothing now that will cost much much more in the long run.


Flightaware is next, you just watch.
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They've already contacted FlightAware. All you need to do is look at Flightaware's latest newsletter to see the tone of the response:

http://flightaware.com/news/article/FlightAware-Statement-on-FlightPrep-Patent/147

FWIW, here's what I think may be going on, although I could be completely off-base:

  • FlightPrep gets a limited patent covering a specific type of flight planning technology.
  • Some mental midget at FlightPrep develops the brilliant idea that "patent trolling" would be a great company strategy. So they contact everyone who is doing online flight planning and suggesting that they at least discuss the issue under cover of a non-disclosure agreement. The idea is that the "target" open its technology to them so they can see whether it's infringing or not.
  • Some organizations cave. Others (usually smaller so they can't defend an expensive lawsuit) get sued as an "example." Still others like Jepp, AOPA, FltPlan, FlightAware, that can probably defend a suit tell them to pound sand.
At this point, it probably doesn't make a difference whether FlightPrep's patent is valid or whether RunwayFinder is infringing it or not. The tactic has always smelled a bit and the damage to FlightPrep from this PR nightmare may be insurmountable.
 
Anyone notice that one of the owners of Flightprep has a JD beside his name? Seems they have an internal legal team as well, or he just passed the bar and needed something to practice with.......
 
Probably intimidation.

You know, the "Hey man, my dad's a lawyer. He's totally going to screw you if I don't get my way." stuff back in elementary school.
 
Codyjp said:
As the majority of the posters on this forum fly jets, use company charts and have forgotten their roots I highly doubt your going to get a positive response. I never used the site, but the suit is a bad thing for us and GA. I'll forgo a couple beers tonight in support of a good GA website though.

If the owner of runwayfinder want to set up a paypal account we can send cash there, however, from his blog I bet he's just walked away from it all.
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Wow,

pretty harsh on the JET guys from someone who has "never used the site"

Please don't assume those who fly jets for a living don't care about GA. Quite a few do both.

IMG_1366.JPG
 
Doug Taylor said:
Create a "front company", move hosting of the site offshore, business as usual, end of story.

There are a lot of ways around this stuff, just gotta be creative, just can't think like a pilot. Think like a sex panther.
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LOL

Reallywhocaresyouhaveduats.comand1800wxbriefandIdontflyGAsonosleeplost
 
Looks like NACOcharts and NavMonster have thrown in the towel, too.

I might fly jets at work, but I tool around in my Bo on the weekends. I never really played with RF, but I do use Airnav and Fltplan.com, so this has got my attention.

Richman
 
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