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That's horrible that Peloton was able to do this. Maybe there's more to the story, but it seems like the court allowed them to shut down a competitor for simply
by gkoberger 6y ago
That's horrible that Peloton was able to do this. Maybe there's more to the story, but it seems like the court allowed them to shut down a competitor for simply building a similar (relatively obvious) product?
In fact, the CEO of Peloton had the idea for Peloton... IN A FLYWHEEL CLASS. That's insane.
- xsmasher 6y agoClicking through the Verge links it sounds like Peloton had a patent that Flywheel infringed on. We'd need to do a lot more reading to have on opinion on that case.
- gkoberger 6y agoHere's the best article I could find on it: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdz7v/project-magnum-flywheel-peloton-patent-lawsuit https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdz7v/project-magnum-fly... I agree that Peloton had a patent. My argument isn't a legal one (clearly, legally speaking, Peloton was in the right). I just think it sucks.
- stefan_ 6y agoThese are the patents I assume: https://patents.google.com/?inventor=john+foley&assignee=peloton&oq=john+foley+peloton https://patents.google.com/?inventor=john+foley&assignee=pel... They are as absurdly simple as you would expect, so I assume Flywheel simply didn't want to/had the money to fight this. Like, here is the ultra-obscure "KETTLER World Tours" in 2018 having you race online against others on archived footage retrieved over the internet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YfhyDrp5Yg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YfhyDrp5Yg
- toomuchtodo 6y agoIs there enough prior art to bust the patent? I’d be interested in donating to the EFF specially to invalidate this patent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_Busting_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_Busting_Project
- maxerickson 6y agoA person can have an opinion on patents that isn't specific to a particular patent or claim.
- zucker42 6y agoI think there's a solid argument that patents are generally harmful, especially patents of software or non-revolutionary product features, so I think you can form an opinion. If we embraced copying a little more I think our society would be better off.
- gojomo 6y agoI've heard from a Flywheel customer who's been following the case closely that the discovery phase was very damning for Flywheel – blatant theft of Peloton's corporate documents, including things like proprietary operating details, internal financials, projections, & future plans, with direction & understanding of Flywheel management/investors, feeding directly into Flywheel's plans. So it was bigger than just a patent case, and Flywheel, caught red-handed, had no choice but to settle to Peloton's satisfaction.
- sneak 6y agoPeloton also engage in all manner of shady marketing, heavily astroturfing all purportedly “community” forums, and silencing criticism or negative comments. I had one of their bikes, and sold it because the service was crap. I encourage people not to do business with this shady company.
- syshum 6y agoIt is a classic example of "on the internet" patent, The problem is not Peloton persay, the problem is the Patent office allowing these obvious "Thing in the real world -> On the internet" patents to pass right on through