David,
I remember last year when I brought up the step through riser patent and I was told (paraphrased) that the patent couldn't be valid and that I didn't know what I was talking about.
Not trying to rub anyone noses in it but I did want to point out that there a lot of people that work in the industry that post credible accurate information and it gets attacked and discredited by forum commandos and those suffering from BFLP (effect).
Patents are a critical part of industry. Perhaps Bowtech wouldn't mind if everyone started stepping on their cutting edge Binary Cam patent. Patents force companies to innovate and not just copy the people doing the hard work. Patents are written by lawyers and are intentionally difficult to read by the non-initiated.
I think that it is wrong that Bowtech is making You pay for the patent license. That is truly cheesy and does NOT look like a honorable company towards its dealers.
Originally Posted by
Wyvern Crossbow
They have a pattent on the step thru riser that is IMO very vague and only a lawyer would see the similarities between the Preditor and a StrykeForce, but that is what happend, so Bowtech dealers are stuck paying Barnett $25.00 on every SF bought (it is called a "crossbow surcharge" and mind you, all that did was cut into a fairly tight profit margin on those bows to begin with) and Parker had to re-tool and re-design all their high end bows just to shut Barnett up. No clue what TenPoint had to do, but I am sure there were issues there too. So, rather than make a quality product they are relying on their income from the lawsuits so everyone who owns another bow has a stake in Barnett. I am trying to be as open minded as I can, but everytime I get an invoice from Bowtech it makes it very hard not to want to spit in to the Barnett booth at the ATA show as I walk past.
Wyvern