NVIDIA threatens website with legal action

W1zzard · Apr 15, 2006

The nice lawyers at NVIDIA were kinda upset with NGOHQ publishing an SLI Patch for all motherboards (which is just a repackaged version initially made by ASRock).

Apparently the big issue is that NGOHQ used the SLI Trademark to "to circumvent NVIDIA's measures to protect its copyrights.".

NVIDIA demands that you and the ngohq.com website immediately (1) remove any links to the SLI Patch or any software downloads intended to circumvent NVIDIA's measures to protect its copyrights and (2) you cease use of the SLI name in connection with any such patch. We also demand you provide written assurances within five (5) days from the date of this letter that you agree to comply with (1) and (2) going forward. We are hopeful that this matter can be resolved amicably, and look forward to receiving your written assurances as soon as possible. While, again, NVIDIA respects your rights to maintain legitimate product discussions on your website, NVIDIA must take steps to preserve its valuable copyright and trademark rights.

Read the whole story at NGOHQ

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

POGE · Apr 15, 2006

Does Nvidia want its users to hate them?

zekrahminator · Apr 15, 2006

yeah...either that or they're real desperate for money to fund the new G71 lol. or maybe that SLI patch has something offending one of their partners making things too complicated lol. I bet that patch would still be up if they had remembered the various copyrights lol

v-zero · Apr 16, 2006

I don't think nVidia can actually do this with the law behind them. All you are doing is utilising third party software in conjunction with hardware you now own. Just like microsoft couldn't stop you using linux on an xbox if you used a homebrew bios - nobody is braking the law here, and so all they would need to do is acknowledge the copyright holders as far as the SLi trademark goes, and then they should be 100% scot free...

bigboi86 · Apr 16, 2006

v-zero said:
I don't think nVidia can actually do this with the law behind them. All you are doing is utilising third party software in conjunction with hardware you now own. Just like microsoft couldn't stop you using linux on an xbox if you used a homebrew bios - nobody is braking the law here, and so all they would need to do is acknowledge the copyright holders as far as the SLi trademark goes, and then they should be 100% scot free...

Very well said, and I'd have to agree with you.

If I were NGOHQ, I would assure Nvidia that their SLI trademark or any other trademark of theirs was not being used anymore, and I'd continue to release that software.

Homeless · Apr 16, 2006

seems a little extreme....

wazzledoozle · Apr 16, 2006

Total bs... what chipsets does this patch work with?

Ice Czar · Apr 16, 2006

Our administration does not reside inside the United States and according to the officials in our country, we didn’t violate any laws according to your accusations, also Nvidia didn’t even bother to register it in our country, they didn’t even bother to open an office here.

touche

added a followup letter suggestion to that thread

Sasqui · Apr 16, 2006

wazzledoozle said:
Total bs... what chipsets does this patch work with?

I'm assuming the intel 975x - I've read articles on the few 975x boards out there, and SLI will not work - Gigabyte even ships their board with an SLI Bridge but doesn't do any good! NVidia simply won't write drivers to support it... assume in fear of losing NForce chipset sales. It's a thinly vieled attemp at protecting market share and yes, bound to make them lose graphics card sales. Hell, I now have the urge to but the Gigabyte board and two X1K series graphics cards - ATI Crossfire works fine on 975x boards!

onpoint101 · Apr 17, 2006

Nvidia are a bunch of greedy bastards

Nvidia are a bunch of greedy bastards, and their nforce drivers suck....... Nvidia customers should start to boycott their products and buy from their rival ATI. Nvidia can't even produce enough quantity of their product; we are the ones that should be complaining... Once I get a copy of that SLI patch, I’ll distribute from multiple T3 connections.... Teach their ass......

W1zzard · Apr 17, 2006

you can just download it off ngohq.com

GenPatton · Apr 17, 2006

Sign me up!

I agree with onpoint101!
This clinches it for me.
I have two Motherboards based on the ULI chipset and they are wonderful.
(Both AsRock 939 Dual SATA II)
I have an A8N-SLI Premium Asus board based on the Nvidia Nforce 4 chipset.
I can't say the board is faulty, it is not. But I have had more quirks and issues with it than any other board based on an Intel chipset I had before.
Also the two two ULI boards...rock solid.
Nvidia bought ULI to corner the market, steal the technology and eventually shut em down.
Plain and simple.
Anyone remember 3DFX. Take a page from that book and you will see what is going on here.
Boycott Nvidia and let one hundred other people know just how they are treating their customers.
Vote with your wallet!!
:mad:

DRDNA · Apr 17, 2006

onpoint101 said:
Nvidia are a bunch of greedy bastards, and their nforce drivers suck....... Nvidia customers should start to boycott their products and buy from their rival ATI. Nvidia can't even produce enough quantity of their product; we are the ones that should be complaining... Once I get a copy of that SLI patch, I’ll distribute from multiple T3 connections.... Teach their ass......

You da man ...You da man..... You da man :toast:

Sasqui · Apr 17, 2006

Wow I smell grass roots - or maybe that's someone smoking grass? NVidia realizes that they have the crown with SLI right now and they will play that card to protect their NForce market share - albeit in a shitty fashion, denying SLI to anyone except an NForce owner. Will it lead to thier demise? I certainly hope us consumers have something to say about it.

I refuse to buy anything but an intel based board - I've just had too much good luck with all of them. And that means I will never buy SLI, therefore I will never buy NVidia. - I guess they just totally lost a customer! :nutkick:

Ok I was an ATI fan anyway!!! :toast:

wazzledoozle · Apr 17, 2006

RIP ULi :shadedshu

I cant stand Intel, or even Nvidia now. Looks like my next mobo will be an ATI chipset.

Tatty_Two · Apr 17, 2006

wazzledoozle said:
RIP ULi :shadedshu

I cant stand Intel, or even Nvidia now. Looks like my next mobo will be an ATI chipset.

I'll second that motion!!!!

Ice Czar · Apr 17, 2006

Once something is out on the net, they should know its impossible to stuff the genie back in the bottle.
It will be hosted from an underground bunker in Antarctica if it has to be,
but its never going to go completely away.
The more they push the sooner it will be seeded as a bittorrent far and wide.

As Regeneration pointed out the right way to decrease its prominence would have been friendly PR.
What they have now is a sh1tstorm that will just grow the harder they push.

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NVIDIA threatens website with legal action

W1zzard

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