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FireGryphon
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Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 7:47 pm

Looks like Amazon was just awarded a patent covering studio photography:

Amazon's patent wrote:
A front light source aimed at a background, an image capture position located between the background and the front light source, an elevated platform positioned between the image capture position and the background, and at least one rear light source positioned between the elevated platform and the background.


Anyone who does studio photography had better watch out! Amazon now has the legal basis to sue...
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TheEmrys
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 7:52 pm

Thisis the dumbest thing patented... well, there are a lot.of dumb things patented lately. Hope this gets negated.
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just brew it!
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 8:09 pm

I have applied for a patent on the act of walking; once my patent is granted, anyone who walks will owe me licensing fees. I figure 1/100th of a cent ($0.0001) per step taken is quite reasonable, especially when you consider that walking is good for you! I am even willing to grant licensing waivers for walking that is done in connection with charitable events, and offer discounts for people who tend to take smaller steps (those under 5' tall, children, and senior citizens).

The biggest challenges will be keeping track of usage, and billing. I should see if the Fitbit people are interested in partnering with me on this; I'm sure we can work out a deal.
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Yeats
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 8:09 pm

The typical studio photographer has nothing to fear from this absurd patent. There are a number of ways to obtain a similar result, so the burden of proof would be on Amazon... and really, how would they even know?

There would have to be some very large-scale operation to catch Amazon's eye, and to prove infringement the "perpetrator" would have to have a setup and workflow that's pretty much identical to what's delineated in the patent. After all, the patent is describing a process, not a result.

While it's shameful that the US Patent and Trademark Office would even issue a patent for this, I suspect that it would not stand up to a legal challenge, and I think it would have to be a highly extraordinary occurrence for Amazon to seek satisfaction in court.
 
Yeats
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 8:10 pm

just brew it! wrote:
I am even willing to grant licensing waivers for walking that is done in connection with charitable events, and offer discounts for people who tend to take smaller steps (those under 5' tall, children, and senior citizens).


You are a kind person.
 
Yeats
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 8:13 pm

Here's a detail from the patent:

A background comprising a white cyclorama; a front light source positioned in a longitudinal axis intersecting the background, the longitudinal axis further being substantially perpendicular to a surface of the white cyclorama; an image capture position located between the background and the front light source in the longitudinal axis, the image capture position comprising at least one image capture device equipped with an eighty-five millimeter lens, at least one image capture device further configured with an ISO setting of about three hundred twenty and an f-stop value of about 5.6;

I think there is more here than meets the eye. Perhaps some kind of turnkey setup? VR?
 
SoM
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 10:49 pm

just brew it! wrote:
I have applied for a patent on the act of walking; once my patent is granted, anyone who walks will owe me licensing fees. I figure 1/100th of a cent ($0.0001) per step taken is quite reasonable, especially when you consider that walking is good for you! I am even willing to grant licensing waivers for walking that is done in connection with charitable events, and offer discounts for people who tend to take smaller steps (those under 5' tall, children, and senior citizens).

The biggest challenges will be keeping track of usage, and billing. I should see if the Fitbit people are interested in partnering with me on this; I'm sure we can work out a deal.


lol

i have applied for breathing, peeing, crapping, spitting, snoring, being a douche and a few more :)

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ludi
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Thu May 08, 2014 11:31 pm

A cursory reading of the patent suggests they are claiming not simply a studio, but a studio configuration that produces a shadowless "lightbox" effect, even for very large objects.

That noted, I can't imagine that an actual infringement claim would survive a prior art challenge.
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Chrispy_
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Fri May 09, 2014 6:18 am

Imma goin patent a "round" with "rectangular" corners.
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ludi
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Re: Studio photographers beware!

Fri May 09, 2014 4:51 pm

Chrispy_ wrote:
Imma goin patent a "round" with "rectangular" corners.

Too late, another evil empire already owns that logo.
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