Zynga Patenting Non-Refundable Virtual Cash?
Zynga may be trying to claim the virtual currency market through a recent patent.
A patent filed by Zynga back in March indicates that the company may be trying to claim dibs on using real money to purchase non-refundable virtual currency and/or poker chips for online games. If successful, the company could wreak legal havoc on developers and publishers of MMOGs and competing casual game franchises offering virtual currency for real-word cash.
Uncovered by Tech Crunch and reported on Friday, U.S. Patent Application #2010022767--labeled as Virtual Playing Chips in a Multiuser Online Game Network--explicitly references FarmVille and Zynga Poker as Examples of Embodiments. It also indicates that "Non-Redeemable Virtual Currency" and "Non-Redeemable Poker Chips" are Zynga inventions to which the company claims ownership.
"A method, comprising:receiving, at a server, a purchase order for virtual currency from a player, wherein the purchase order was made with legal currency, and wherein the virtual currency is usable within the context of a computer-implemented game;crediting an account of the player with virtual currency, wherein the virtual currency is not redeemable for legal currency;receiving a second purchase order for a virtual object within the context of the computer-implemented game from the player, wherein the second purchase order was made with virtual currency; and debiting the account of the player based on the second purchase order," the patent reads.
Essentially the company may be trying to patent the process of purchasing virtual money that cannot be re-sold. The patent also seems to indicate that Zynga may implement a fraud prevention system to inhibit players from using cash to purchase virtual funds from other players within Zynga products.
So what does this mean for other online games that allow players to purchase virtual currency with real cash? Will the patent grant Zynga ownership of the virtual currency market? If so, MMORPG’s depending on player microtransactions may be in a world of hurt.
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Why dont I like the sound of this...
Oh yeah, thats right...because Zynga and all its time wasting games suck...
Great,that's all we need...another patent troll.....
Is it too late to patent the concept of writing software? How about simply a patent on companies that begin with the letter "Z"?
This patent should be summarily rejected as the idea is already out in the public domain as evidenced by the several MMO's that already allow players to do this. The USPTO should be rejecting patents for stuff already out there. This is the same thing as someone trying to patent the wheel, but then again, I'm sure someone's probably tried that one too. . . . . .
Any sensible patent office would throw this out.
I doubt they will get it, it fails the novelty condition of getting a patent since other places have been using it a ton. If it does pass can they just to licensing fees for using virtual currency in real monopoly money?
lol, this reminds of buying Perfect Gems for Diablo II only $2.00! you can file all you want, but that doesn't mean you automatically get the patent.
Can you patent something people have been doing already for years??
I think they should not be able to patent something that has been in use before their patent, its not exactly new technology, patenting software like this is just stupid, but then thats how the american patent system is, no doubt someone would patent breathing if they could.
i want to apply for a patent that gives me power of us pto
Can you patent something people have been doing already for years??
Correct me if I am wrong, but Apple is trying to patent finger swipes.
If it does pass can they just to licensing fees for using virtual currency in real monopoly money?
I hope that part of the patent application actually describes it as buying monopoly money - given that's a fairly well known term
And here we go with another patent that shouldn't even see the light sadly i wouldn't be surpriced if it will. Some greens here and there and even new laws could be lobbied - just a matter of how much! The patent system need a reboot, its infected with a virus thats called Greed_At.Any.Price!
Can you patent something people have been doing already for years??
According to the rules, no.
In practice, unfortunately yes. It seems that most of the software patents one hears about in the news (ie, those that are sued over) are for things that have been done for years. Like clicking on a link to buy something.
The US Patent Office seems to have lost track of the idea of "Prior art." Then again, didn't someone patent the combover?
According to the rules, no.In practice, unfortunately yes. It seems that most of the software patents one hears about in the news (ie, those that are sued over) are for things that have been done for years. Like clicking on a link to buy something.The US Patent Office seems to have lost track of the idea of "Prior art." Then again, didn't someone patent the combover?
Yeah, it's a shame we have to rely on the courts to review prior art. However, I really doubt this patent would even hold up in the eastern district of Texas. How long has guild wars been around doing microtransactions? let alone the 360 marketplace.
Yeah, it's a shame we have to rely on the courts to review prior art. However, I really doubt this patent would even hold up in the eastern district of Texas. How long has guild wars been around doing microtransactions? let alone the 360 marketplace.
How about we bring up Nexon, which has been doing these transactions forever. They basically started the full virtual currency thing.
I wonder if anybody has a patent on the process for creating patents.
This is ridiculous. What will they do next? Go out and sue every MMORPG makers?
Boycott Zynga!