ATC (All-Terrain Camouflage)

[Jumprefusal]

If it is under a Government contract, it cannot be patented. That is why you see legit copies of Woodland cammo, Harris Bi-pods, AR-15s, Beretta 92s....etc. I know the Government hasn't pick up MC, but if they did there wouldn't be anything to stop them from copying it.

I think there are loopholes with what I just said, so don't start bashing me with other examples out there like Trijicon.

[Zorak]

To be precise, it has to be developed under government contract. If I work up something patentable on my own and then sell it to the government, I don't automatically lose the patent. Depending on what it is, the government might require that I make licenses freely available or make other IP concessions, but that's part of the negotiation.

[Munin]

And quite possibly why Crye's MultiCam wasn't chosen - if I remember correctly they did not develop it under government contract, but rather designed on their own such that they could bid on the "Future Warrior" concept contracts. Their desire to retain intellectual propoerty rights (or the royalties therefrom) may have made them too expensive to ultimately award the contract to.

Be that as it may, Crye ruthlessly and efficiently hunts down people selling MultiCam knock-offs, especially those that use the MultiCam name. Without seeing the two patterns up close I can't really say onwe way or the other, but MEC/ATC looks an awful lot like MultiCam. It's like creating a comic book about a superhero in blue tights with a red cape and a big red "S" on his chest. He's faster than a speeding artillery shell, more powerful than a freight train, and can leap skyscrapers in a single bound. He has x-ray vision and his name is "Supermensch." His only weakness is Xryptonite, a substance made from the shattered remnants of his homeworld.

Yeah, okay, it's not the same as Superman, but publish that and see if DC doesn't sue the pants off you.

[Jumprefusal]

zorak said:

To be precise, it has to be developed under government contract. If I work up something patentable on my own and then sell it to the government, I don't automatically lose the patent. Depending on what it is, the government might require that I make licenses freely available or make other IP concessions, but that's part of the negotiation.

There you go, thanks for the clarification Zorak.
And I'm pretty sure you're right Munin, considering in all the mock-ups straight from the Future Combat Systems research center.
I've also heard Brass wanted Multi-Cam, but Crye wanted way, way, way too much money. Bottom line was a single uniform set was going to cost a soldier $150+
ACUs hurt enough at $80, plus the initial patches and tapes you need to buy.

[Jumprefusal]

Here's a nice article straight from Crye about knock-offs
www.multicampattern.com/infringers.htm