bscnews304   Album Posted Aug.21st, 2024, viewed 49 times

The court's latest patent ruling does not reward Hara's ruling

Hundreds of thousands of people in Las Vegas carry cards in their wallets that can get free buffets, tickets and other perks.

It is called a "Boarding Pass," and it is served by Station Casino, which owns the majority of the large local casinos throughout the town. The company uses this card to track how and how often customers gamble.

It's a powerful marketing tool that has been the subject of an expensive behind-the-scenes court battle between Station and Hara Entertainment, which may be suspended after a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Station last week.

Harra sued the station in federal court in July 2001, alleging that the station's boarding pass slot club violated Harra's three patents. Harra's, the world's largest casino company, has its own player tracking system called "Total Rewards."

Total Rewards Card boasts the largest membership in the casino business. With the company's acquisition of Caesars Entertainment last summer, Harrer now has nearly 40 million names in its Total Rewards database.

More than any other casino company, Harra credits slot clubs for accelerating profit growth by bringing customers back to Harra's properties instead of competing.

In a patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Harra's claim is the first to offer a loyalty program that allows gamblers to build points across multiple casinos. Such a program has been adopted by Station Casinos as well as many casino companies in Las Vegas and beyond.

Legal disputes have significant implications for the industry. A win against Station could encourage future lawsuits against other casino companies with slot clubs, putting those programs at risk. Instead, Harrah's may be less likely to sue competitors with similar programs.

On Nov. 15, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed an earlier federal court ruling that patents governing the Total Compensation Gambler Loyalty Program cannot be enforced against the station in court. The appeals court has not released an opinion describing the ruling.

In May 2004, U.S. District Judge David Ezra ruled in favor of the Station, invalidating two of the three patents in question. In August 2004, the court declared the third Hara's patent invalid, settling the remaining claims. Hara appealed the ruling in September 2004.

Ezra ruled that Harra's patent was invalid and unenforceable because it was too ambiguous and lacked a "proper written explanation of the subject matter claimed." 신용카드 현금화

Hara's spokesman David Straw said the company had not yet seen the recent appeals court decision, adding it was "premature" to comment on it.

Harra's could pursue a retrial with the Court of Appeal or appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Unless he works for either company, industry insiders suspect Harah's will abandon the issue and move on.

"Things have changed," said the source, who declined to be named. "The cat has already run away. Everyone has a (player-tracking system). And Hara has proven that he can still dominate the market with (slot clubs)."

A spokeswoman for the station, Laurie Nelson, said the court's victory would not change much for the company or its customers.

"The Boarding Pass program runs as usual," Nelson said. "The station will continue to offer this program during litigation as well," she said.

Rob Phillips, a patent attorney at Greenberg Traurig in Las Vegas who is not involved in the case, said patent disputes turn into specifics.

"The subtle difference between the two player tracking systems could mean the difference between intrusive and non-intrusive," said Phillips, who has represented gaming companies in disputes over player tracking systems. 바카라사이트

"Harrah will have to evaluate different player tracking systems, considering patents on a case-by-case basis, to determine whether it is reasonable to file a lawsuit," he said.

Jeffrey Compton, a Las Vegas-based gaming consultant and slot club expert, said neither Station nor Hara was the first to offer slot clubs where customers could gamble at one casino and redeem points at another property.

"Both of them had similar thoughts, but they did different things with it," Compton said. Although they both use direct mail as an effective way to reach their customers, each program has its pros and cons, he said.

Compton said "Harrer's Total Rewards" would be the most effective slot club nationwide. He said "Harrer's Total Rewards" was the first time he had aggressively marketed slot clubs as part of a larger effort to brand the company.

But by local standards, the station's slot clubs are "much more effective," he said. 안전한 카지노사이트