Laminar Research, Creators of X-Plane, Are Being Sued for Patent Infringement

Contribute to Austin's defense against Uniloc!

About the author Austin Meyer has been the owner and lead developer of the X-Plane flight simulator since its inception in 1995. Popular Science likened him to David struggling against the Goliath of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator development team, but X-Plane is still doing a thriving business after Microsoft’s Flight Simulator program has been shut down. Austin lives in South Carolina with his wife and child.

A patent that you hold is not a product that you created.

It is the right to sue someone that actually does the work to create and market a product.

Holding a patent does not mean that you actually did anything.

It only means that you claim that you thought of something that you can sue other people for actually doing.

I learned this first-hand in September 2012, when I was informed that I and a handful of other developers of Android apps were facing millions of dollars in litigation for using a copy protection technology present in virtually every Android application ever developed.

In our Android app (X-Plane), we used the same copy protection Google provides to everyone that is making a game for Android! (That I know of.)

What can be done about it?

Support the SHIELD act, referenced here.

View and sign this petition to congress asking for patent reform for innovators.

I am working with my Attorney General for reform.

About the lawsuit from Uniloc

CBS Morning did a news story on patent trolls, including an interview with Austin Meyer, author of X-Plane. The story notes that these patent trolls are “squashing” innovation.

Here is a primer on what patents are.

Here is a general description of the concept of a “patent troll.”

This shows the types of thing that patent trolls do.

Here are some specific points about Unilocs’ lawsuit against Laminar Research (my company and sole source of income to me and my family).

Here is what I believe to be the cost of that suit.

Here is where the suit is being filed.

On what grounds will Uniloc fight its lawsuit?

Does Uniloc plan to sue anyone else that sells Android or iOS Apps in the future?

Well, at Unilocs’ website, at the time of this writing, lives the text: “In the device recognition space, for example, we believe that we have uncovered a billion dollar market … And it fits our straightforward development model. Look at many ideas. Pick an outstanding one. Patent it. Commercialize it. Reap the rewards.”

Google Uniloc, and the people behind it. Do you think that they have a history of contributing work and products to the industry, or suing those that do? When they say they will “reap the rewards,” does that mean that they will bring a product to market, or sue those that do?

Does anyone that is considering making an app for Palm OS, iOS, or Android think that Unilocs’ “billion dollar market” is just Laminar Research?

If you want, you can to help me defend against Uniloc. I promise that I will not give them one single penny of your contribution. Every single penny that you donate will be used by me to defend against Uniloc, and if any money is left over after the lawsuit, I will put it towards my next Pet Adoption Center within one week of the lawsuits’ conclusion. I promise you: I will NEVER settle with them.

When I explained this to my Mom, she listened to my entire speech on Unilocs’ Lawsuit against me, my ideas on patent and litigation reforms, my thoughts on Uniloc and the lawyers representing them, and the total lawsuit cost of over $1,500,000, 3 years of stress to me and my wife, and the possible loss of a grandchild to her, and all she could stammer was “I don’t understand… what did you do that is WRONG?”

All I could really answer was: “Well… I wrote a flight simulator for Android”.

March 2015 update: For the current status of the lawsuit as of March of 2015, click here.

We overturned the claim mentioned in the lawsuit, so now Uniloc is saying that we infringed on OTHER claims.