Slots Patents

Slotademic

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Jun 13, 2019
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I've been looking into patent databases to try and get examples of important patents for the online slots industry, but to be honest it's all a bit overwhelming. It's especially hard with the size of portfolios that companies like IGT have, so picking out which are describing innovative features and which are just "making up the numbers" is tough, not to mention that a lot of things get filed but never really take off. I also went looking for the Megaways patent as another example but couldn't seem to find it (probably my bad searching). Does anyone know the patent numbers for what might be described as "revolutionary" features?
 
There are, as you will have seen, many many thousands of patents. In the US and some other countries, these are very important for protection of IP. In Europe, however, they are pointless as what you can patent is vastly different... you can't patent a game idea for example.

Most of the large companies now share patents anyway to stop the endless legal battles.

Megaways is supposedly patented, although it would be a) super easy to get round and b) had kind of been done before by Aristocrat, although not in exactly the same way, on Buffalo Stampede and Superman to make a few.
 
Hey, Thanks for the reply!
Yes, I am aware that the patent number is different for the different countries, but unfortunately I can not find any patent for that feature neither for US or EU or AU.
Hope that someone will be able to provide it :)
 
Hey, Thanks for the reply!
Yes, I am aware that the patent number is different for the different countries, but unfortunately I can not find any patent for that feature neither for US or EU or AU.
Hope that someone will be able to provide it :)

Have you reached out to @Big Time Gaming to ask them?
 
It's entirely possible they were not awarded the patent, as there were some Aristocrat games that could modify the number of symbols per reel (Buffalo Stampede for example).

That would be an interesting scenerio as they licensed the use of their patented MegaWays system to how many providers?
 
Isn't it just the word Megaways which is trademarked?
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There's no results when searching for patents, which include the word, just the trademark
 
I remember reading announcements when they licensed it that made reference to the patented process of yadda yadda on a reel..

sorry for the technical speak..
 
Isn't it just the word Megaways which is trademarked?
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There's no results when searching for patents, which include the word, just the trademark

Megaways is trademarked... I also cant find a patent for the Megaways functionality.
 
""random reel modifier system which allows any given spin to produce a different number of symbols across the reels"" to replace my above yadda yadda, based on the google search return, had to be straight from a press release
 
Well, that system existed ages before BTG on Superman by Aristocrat (and possibly even before that) where on any given spin, one (or more of) of the middle three reels could grow to more symbols. It was visually different, but the same in terms of how it affected the number of ways. So my guess is they cant patent it.
 
does seem hard to find, but this quote fro Nik seems to implicitly state it exists "“MegaWays has proved to be one of the most innovative game innovations in the history of online slots, and we are thrilled to be sharing our patented and trademarked mechanic with iSoftBet. iSoftBet has emerged as a formidable game developer and has built a substantial portfolio of original and branded slots. We believe that MegaWays is in very good hands with the iSoftBet team, and we look forward to seeing what they come up with.” "
 
IIRC, the name is trademarked and some of the mechanics are patented but not all.

You have seen Play'n GO and Pragmatic Play doing it by themselves without a licence. I doubt BTG would let them proceed if the entire mechanic was patented. It is mainly a mathematical formula, which is often considered as standard knowledge when it comes to patents.

Might be wrong, but that is the indication I got when I talked to Pragmatic Play.
 
Very strange though. Why do the 2 new members want them? Strange that 2 new users registered and only posted in this thread? Yes? No? Or just me? I am sure I am not alone in thinking the same thing. :D :p

They probably work for a competitor and are phishing... but they arent doing anything illegal or dodgy by asking for it, so...
 
IIRC, the name is trademarked and some of the mechanics are patented but not all.

You have seen Play'n GO and Pragmatic Play doing it by themselves without a licence. I doubt BTG would let them proceed if the entire mechanic was patented. It is mainly a mathematical formula, which is often considered as standard knowledge when it comes to patents.

Might be wrong, but that is the indication I got when I talked to Pragmatic Play.

Probably the way it is. Truth be told, even if they held full patent rights to it all, no patent is worth the paper it's written on until it's been battle tested, proven itself resilient, indestructible and a force not to be reckoned with in the courts
 
Waking up the dead here, but I was doing some IP research and chose MegaWays as a test mule. I am still surprised that after all these years they still claim the invention is patented when the only patent they filed for was rejected and subsequently abandoned. Isn't it fraudulent to promote a license as patented, when it can clearly be copied by anyone without any consequences?...

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Waking up the dead here, but I was doing some IP research and chose MegaWays as a test mule. I am still surprised that after all these years they still claim the invention is patented when the only patent they filed for was rejected and subsequently abandoned. Isn't it fraudulent to promote a license as patented, when it can clearly be copied by anyone without any consequences?...

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The name is protected/trademarked MEGAWAYS as is IGT's MULTIWAY and ReelPlay's INFINITY REELS etc. What those mechanics do is almost impossible to protect.
 
Exactly, trademarked yes, patented no. So licensing something, claiming it is patented, whilst it's not seems fraudulent to me.

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