Looks more like this to me (IBM Dec 2012):...
I'll leave it to ntekcomputers to comment on this, but it looks like this type of modular design has been conceived before.
We have seen the IBM patent, and we have also seen all the threads, and conceptual CAD 3D views that Bicknellski posted. They have been referenced in our patent application as prior art.
I would like to say something to clear up a topic that keeps coming up more and more that I feel is both intriguing and hugely offensive:
Other people have pointed out on this forum and through private messages to me that it should simply be expected that a cloned version of any product showing up from China is inevitable. I feel that this is an insulting and unfair stereotype. Many people have the misconception that there are slack laws in China and that it is some wild west like place. I am not trying to generalize China at all but I would be naive if I said that products do not get counterfeited all the time there. Contrary to many peoples' belief China does have courts and they are actually quite strict. When you hear stories about people being scammed, bamboozled, taken to the bank, or their product copied in China, it is usually because they were simply being lazy or just down right ignorant. When someone from outside of China has a solid contract with a legitimate company inside China and that Chinese company breaks the contract or worse the law, well that Chinese company is just as accountable for their actions as the company outside of China. It goes both ways and I do not think it is so one sided.
Not trying to get off the subject much but I just feel like it is ridiculous to keep hearing people say "Ooh...weell...you know Its China and they steal whatever they want. What did you expect...it is China!" I know many amazingly talented people who are either from or have moved to China and none of them strike me as being part of the image that many people paint of China. In fact I have experienced some of them to have much higher ethical standards than a lot of westerners. I will even admit that when the A1 Coincraft fiasco started to occur this past February; nTek Computers invested A LOT of money into purchase a large amount of A1 chips from the first production batch. Ouch! I was very upset when all the A1 clone miners started to pop up from China for half the cost of what we were selling ours for here in the United States. It nearly destroyed our company to be honest and we are still recovering from the huge loss we took! You know what though? Those clones could have been produced anywhere else in the world with the same result so it was never a problem isolated to China. I just feel that stereotyping a whole nation of people is wrong. Each person chooses themselves to do right or wrong.
Each time an accusation of someone copying someone else's design comes up, each case is different. The fact is though that it can happen just as easily in America, the UK, Japan, Germany, Australia, etc...Does it happen more in China due to the structure of their legal system? I am not sure as I am not a lawyer either (phhheeewww). Maybe it simply happens more in China because it is the epicenter of manufacturing for the entire world. Still I am not sure and I am not trying to start a debate over this. That would be off topic for this thread but as this open source project now has come under scrutiny of using someone else's design without the right to do so; I am very interested to hear other people's opinions who also have had directly experience with this topic. Please do not blast off ridiculous claims unless you have actually real meaty facts to back them up. We do not need to add more fuel to the fire that is already burning under China when it comes to this subject.
I will follow up on the responses here as soon as I can. Right now I need to wait until I hear back from our patent law firm or I might shoot myself in the foot. I am pretty sure they will advice me to not discuss the details of our design here on the forum. I can just say that our design has evolved since the last versions we have showed publicly. Even in the original Provisional Patent application though there are many features to our design that are not being discussed here, not in the IBM patent, and not in the AM/FC design. That is all I can say right now.
Directly to FriedCat if you are out there listening, I think this project is insanely cool. Maybe I should have started with that instead of just kicking the front door in. My apologies ahead of time. Would love to hear a response from you or just get a confirmation if you still plan on using this design. I am sure everyone else would as well.
That just gave me an idea, maybe nTek Computers could somehow contribute to this project in exchange for Asicminer chips to test with on our new hardware heatsink, enclosure and special cooling design. Your all going to really love the next design! You will have to wait until it is released and in people's hands this time. Okay....Maybe we will show a sneak peak in the near future! ;-)
Keep on Hashing On!
Ry
This is total bullshit and you are of questionable character in my humble opinion.
Your whole response is a rant and an attempt to create sediment in the mind of readers that ASICMiner copied your non-invention and it's because, well you know, they're from China... Such bigotry!!
Your non-patent references prior works from these very forums you say? Outstanding! You are, I have no doubt, aware that USPTO issues many invalid patents. As soon as you try to "use" your patent, there will be a motion filed to revoke/invalidate your useless, non-patent and your fight will take on a new meaning for you.
And finally, your true intent, leaching through every sentence of your uttering, is exposed at the end: You want free chips!!!
This resembles hints of borderline extortion as you have no capacity to say I'm sorry. Humility is a foreign, but hopefully, one day, attainable concept for you it seems.
What a ridiculous and most disingenuous attempt on your part.
Shame on you!
PS. You deserve a warning on your trust to deal with extreme caution, or not to engage in any endeavors with you at all!
