January 7th

[Ryan De Franco]

Please do not delete this thread. There are no opinions here, only facts, for confused owners who like both Red and WC.

The civil suit claims that x infringed a DSMC patent, not the A-mount or V-mount itself.

"Since 2010, RED has marketed and sold RED-styled accessories for its cameras. The configuration of RED’s V-Mount is distinctive and well-recognized by the industry and consumers as emanating from RED. The RED accessories identified above have enjoyed enormous commercial success, which is expected to continue, and have become, through wide- spread recognition, an indicator of RED as the source of the products."

Red never makes mention of the WC A-mount, or the Red version of it. For good reason: Ryan Schorman was developing one in 2011.

On January 7th, I asked Ryan Schorman of x if there would be a quick back mounting solution:

Hey Ryan,

It will be probably 4 weeks before we have a new version ready. We are also working on a shoulder rig that will have an attachment point for the Quick Back behind the shoulder pad for quick switching. Let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Ryan

In other words, Red is claiming that WC unfairly captured the whole idea behind DSMC and repurposed it as piece of mountable hardware. Red claims the distinctive rear triangle on the back of the camera was recognized worldwide for the Red accessories that come with it. This is a point you can see both sides on.

When WC released the A-mount, only the Redmote was available for the back of the camera. Rental houses built cases expecting Pro I/O modules and other rear-camera options for the Epic… then ended up putting the cameras in sideways. Red’s “distinctive, well-known recognized” accessories included the Red One drive cradle, 19mm mounts, etc. They are extending that reputation to a mounting point within a patent they released only one accessory for (the RedMote).

The patent that Red introduces as evidence is for an "ornamental camera compartment" that makes no specific mention of the triangle mount, but certainly includes it in the drawing. x took a chunk off and allowed you to mount it anywhere.

The real question is why did Ryan refuse to make good with Red when he received the cease and decease letters. Come over to Red Studios, meet with Jim, bring a box of cigars and promise to kill the A-lock in favor of a more open relationship with the company that brought him all his money. Why spit in the face of a threat when you can smile?

[Mark Phelan]

The real question is why did Ryan refuse to make good with Red when he received the cease and decease letters.

Perhaps he thought the request was too extreme.

[Martin Weiss]

There are plenty of other threads on this subject, so I'll close this one down.

I can't obviously say much, but I will say that our legal team has been in contact with x since last year trying to address these issues, it did not happen overnight as you laid it out in your post, which I think is important to correct and for people to understand.

We are aware that we are going to look like the bad guys here... no way around it. We are sticking up for something we believe passionately about, protection of design and innovation, and unfortunately sometimes it comes down to this.. and nobody really wins. And yes.. sometimes this happens to our friends.. Unfortunately enforcement needs to be done, as if you do not enforce infringement, any patent or trademark you own can be overturned.