P and C Micros, trading as Zone Laser Tag Systems, has had its Australian innovation patent on an "entitled achievement and reward system for indoor laser tag" revoked following a Laserforce request for examination by the Australian Patent Office, the latter has claimed.
A Ceasing Notice has been issued and, as a result, P and C Micros can no longer rely on its innovation patent for any patent infringement action.
The Australian Patent Office revoked the innovation patent on the basis of Laserforce having prior art, Laserforce said.
“Laserforce is pleased with this result as Zone Laser Tag was using dubious marketing tactics to claim achievements as a patented Zone industry exclusive feature,” Laserforce said. “Being an Australian innovation patent, this was completely untrue. Now that it has been revoked a wrong has been righted.
“Laserforce strongly advises investors to question any manufacturer who claims to have a patent on any laser tag features and request to see the feature being used in operation before buying.”
Laserforce’s Achievements is a feature that gives players “a whole new reason to play laser tag.” Players unlock and collect achievements by completing challenges such as playing over 100 games or taking out opponents’ base targets. The feature was developed at Laserforce’s headquarters.
In response, Zone Laser Tag issued a statement acknowledging that its patent filing was overturned but stated that this was due to a “lack of clarity in the description process” and not “prior art,” as Laserforce claimed.
“In fact, IP Australia’s four page response to our filing does not mention ‘prior art’ at all. We have since commenced on a new approach for filing.”
Describing its own Achievement System as “quite different” from Laserforce’s, the company explained that it had adopted an “online gaming community-type system designed in collaboration with laser tag operators and experienced gamers.”
“In Zone Laser Tag’s system, experience points are gathered towards 50 ranking levels and over 150 achievements, earned across the various game formats, plus credits that allow players to buy game features.”
“Industry often spawns great rivalry, and for laser tag its appears to be Laser Force vs. Zone Laser Tag. And with rivalry, innovation flourishes,” it said.
The documents relating to the patent can be found here.
