Pokerstars attemts to patent ZOOM poker

[Dan Druff]

ZOOM poker is what's known as a "fast-fold" online poker game.

Basically, you're dealt a hand, and as soon as you fold, you are whisked to another table with a new hand.

Here is a description of it:

http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/zoom/

Various online poker sites have a variation of ZOOM Poker.

Pokerstars has been trying to patent ZOOM Poker for awhile, and has been rejected every time by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

This began in December, 2008, when Full Tilt originally tried to patent the similar Rush Poker, and continued after Pokerstars acquired Full Tilt. Pokerstars was denied a final time in October, 2013, but filed a new patent for ZOOM and was just approved.

This is especially surprising because an individual known as R. Martin Oliveras (not affiliated with Pokerstars) was granted a patent in September, 2005 regarding tournament play, of which part of the patented technology involved immediately moving players after they fold.

USPTO had been rejecting Pokerstars' previous claims based upon Oliveras' patent, and it is not clear why they suddenly did an about-face for essentially the exact same patent requets.

There is some fear that, with Pokerstars having patented ZOOM Poker, legalized US online poker sites will be unable to offer fast-fold games. In addition, if Pokerstars enters the legalized US market, they will be the only ones with the ability to offer fast-fold games.

25% of cash game hands on Pokerstars are now ZOOM Poker hands, and these are a huge money maker for Pokerstars, as it greatly increases the number of hands a user plays (and thus more rake is collected).

In my opinion, this patent SHOULD NOT have been issued, and is yet another reason why Pokerstars has a huge advantage going in to the legalized US market. They essentially patented technology developed while operating illegally in the US (with research and development primarily funded by US customers), and now will have a huge edge.

It is possible that this patent will be challenged by other companies.

[simpdog]

Druff "attemts" to make a thread title

[BeerAndPoker]

Other sites that have a form of it like Bovada will just continue on and not give a damn imo but if they did have to get rid of it they probably wouldn't care because it's a very tiny percent of their overall traffic.

[son of lockman]

In my opinion, this patent SHOULD NOT have been issued, and is yet another reason why Pokerstars has a huge advantage going in to the legalized US market. They essentially patented technology developed while operating illegally in the US (with research and development primarily funded by US customers), and now will have a huge edge.

All I can say is that if POKRTSTARS gets a foothold in the U.S. poker community is ''It'll be darkness throughout the land.''

[zealanddonk]

Americans happily used a shit ton of technology developed by the germans during world war 2, I'm not entirely sure you'll be able to take the moral high ground on this one.

Also don't forget america was in trouble with the WTO over online poker as well.