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Visit our retail fencing, decking and gates
website: www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk
Steel fencing solutions for commercial, high security and residential applications
Ideal for boundary security, our focus is to offer a selection of systems which Deter, Detect, Delay and Deny unauthorised access
Pale-through-rail vertical bar steel fencing
Classic look with a less intimidating appearance
Virtually impossible to climb or scale
10mm round point barbs act as a highly effective deterrent and barrier from intruders
Projecting a powerful visual statement in perimeter protection
Combining style with performance
Innovative range of security fencing gates featuring pales and curve tops
Fully customised wire weld mesh fencing panels ideal for a variety of applications
Ideal for residential areas, commercial properties, schools or car parks.
Combining the beauty of natural wood with the strength of steel
Unique to Jacksons and feature thicker vertical and horizontal wires
Ideal for commercial sites; anywhere durability and security are important
Heavy duty security mesh designed to meet specifications including the use of CCTV
Provides ideal solution for a wide variety of high security perimeter and access control applications
Versatile fencing solution ideal for parks and residential areas
Also known as Hairpin fencing or hoop top fencing
High levels of security with a classical design theme
Strong adaptable and cost effective replacement for the traditional flat bar railings
Perfect feature to a residential project
Perfect for use in town or housing applications, giving a contemporary look.
Providing an effective roadside barrier for pedestrians
Enhance existing wall with decorative wall railings, adding security to your property
Secure sports pitch fencing for numerous sporting grounds
Boundary netting system ideal for a variety of sporting applications
Sports rebound welded mesh for high impact sports
Suits traditional outdoor tennis court facilities
Includes chain link, welded mesh tubular fencing systems and high quality temporary fencing
Feature a top rail for added security and strength
Ideal for providing site security and public safety or areas requiring a temporary boundary
Crowd Control Barriers
We offer a variety of solutions in timber and steel for school, playground and play area applications
Permanent protection for a variety of applications including, schools, park and play areas
Designed to match our Anti Trap Bow Top Fencing, conforming to all current play area safety guidelines.
Safe enclosure to play areas and protection against vandalism, dog-fouling and unwanted intrusion
Exceptionally strong steel paling fence featuring Jacksons unique vandal-proof connectors
Designed to compliment our Playtime Timber and Playtime Steel fencing
Security Toppings that increase levels of security against intrusion, damage, acts of vandalism or terrorism
Ultimate fence and gate security topping deterrent
Secured by Design accredited product, designed for use on the tops of fence, gates and walls
Aggressive rotating anti-climb wall spike
More imposing than barbed wire, Viper Spike offers a forbidding deterrent to the would be climber
Designed to prevent intruders from climbing drainpipes or other vertical structures
Available to further enhance perimeter security in different applications
Double Row of spikes
Highly effective alternatives to metal fencing when used to provide protection and access control around electrical equipment
LPCB LPS 1175 tested and certified
Designed to provide minimum level protection against opportunistic attacks.
Welded pale-through-rail construction with rounded tops for strength and security integrity.
Welded pale-through-rail construction with pointed tops for strength and security integrity.
Identical to standard Barbican® panels but with additional pales through top rail.
Vertical bar stopped pale-through-rail fencing with a flat top.
Standard welded pale-through-rail design with decorative finials.
Welded pale-through-rale vertical bar with barbs welded to the top of the pales.
Square bar pale-through-rail construction with anti climb curved top.
Heavy gauge twin wire welded mesh with a flat profile.
Combines natural wooden slats with steel mesh.
Designed to prevent entry against more determined opportunistic attacks.
Double layer of '358' mesh and small apertures with vertical steel clamp bars.
Designed to protect against deliberate attempts at forced entry.
Acoustic barrier with approved SR3 rating for improved security.
Constructed from 250mm wire double skinned mesh with clamp bars added and anti tamper security fixings.
Designed to withstand experienced attempts at forced entry with specialist tools.
'358' mesh panels are welded on both faces, with reinforced tubular vertical bars, horizontal rails and concertina barbed tape topping.
The highest possible security rating for fencing. Can withstand serious attempts at forced entry with battery powered tools.
'358' Securi-Mesh® clad on both sides with reinforced tubular vertical bars, horizontal rails and concertina barbed tape topping.
Downloadable guide explaining security ratings.
High security fencing and access control solutions suited to a variety of applications
Government approved high security fencing
High security mesh fencing solution designed to meet Home Office specifications for use in prisons and mental health units
Staggered double skin mesh panel, effective against the use of conventional hand and portable power cutting tools
Welded mesh fence with the ability to be rapidly deployed
A combination of timber and steel fencing, delivering higher levels security and an attractive timber façade
Combination of a single layer timber with a layer of steel mesh, providing security and reducing noise by up to 28dB
Two interlocking timber boards, interlined with a layer of rigid steel security mesh to deliver both security and noise reduction
A combination of vertical bar and 358 Securi-Mesh® fencing
Vertical bar fencing system with cut-delay technology.
Vertical bar and mesh combination, resistant to hand and battery powered cutting tools
Specifically designed to protect and prevent intrusion from moving vehicles
PAS 68 tested cable crash fence and gate system
PAS 68 automated bollards, used for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation
High security road blocker used to prevent potential vehicular attacks
Manually operated arm barrier used for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation
High security bi folding gate with an 8 second open cycle
Multifunctional perimeter security system with different configurations to suit the application
Multifunctional electronic perimeter security systems
Physical security is as important as cyber security
UK police initiative committed to 'designing out crime' through physical security and processes
Designed for use in internal and external environments to provide both protection and managed access control
Acoustic barriers to environmental noise pollution
Reflective acoustic fencing for lighter weight and less demanding applications.
Reflective acoustic fencing (28kg/m2 Superficial Mass) laboratory tested and certified to BS EN 1793 – 2 Category B3
Laboratory tested and certified absorptive acoustic fencing incorporating an absorptive layer and protective membrane.
Highway acoustic fencing available in reflective and absorptive formats.
Bespoke high-premium, perimeter fencing solution designed specifically for maximum protection whilst reducing noise
Acoustic gates are available in all styles listed above, either single or double leaf or manual or automated.
Timber fencing and gate solutions, designed for residential and commercial applications
A range of traditional and contemporary timber designs with a 25 year guarantee
A selection of our timber fence panels
Timber Trellis, constructed using high quality Jakcure treated softwood
Perfect for agricultural use around fields or large gardens
Ideal for demarcation and car parking areas
Ideal for demarcation and use around car parks
Traditional and panel designs available, round or pointed pales
Designed to work with all our timber fencing panels
Perfect for farming or agricultural areas. Available in a variety of styles.
A range of timber and steel fencing systems commonly used to define boundaries
Often used to define pedestrian walkways and paths and other demarcation purposes
High quality timber gates available as single or double leaf, manual or automatic and sliding or tracked.
Timber acoustic barriers designed and proven to reduce the impact of environmental noise pollution
Manufactured using treated softwood with a 25 year guarantee against rot and insect attack
Timber bin stores manufactured using our Jakcured softwood timber and finished with Tongue and Groove effect boards
Deer fence roll constructed using galvanised steel mesh
Our Jakcure timber treatment process allows us to guarantee all our timber products for 25 years against rot and insect attack
Timber and steel automated and manual gates
Manual or automated gates for commercial, high security and education sites.
Gates to control access to vulnerable target areas.
Trackless Bi Folding gates that can be manual or automated, an ideal solution where speed of opening and closing is essential.
Hot dipped galvanised tubular system Chain Link gates with single or double leaf options.
Swing and sliding single or double leaf gates to complement all EuroGuard® fencing styles. Can be manual or automated.
Latches and locks to secure all styles of gate.
Decorative and traditional design, available as single and double swing gates with manual or automatic operation
Made using our 358 mesh to match fencing. Single or double leaf sliding or swing options, with manual or automatic operation.
Ideal when there is insufficient room for swing gates to open and when higher security is required. Cantilever or Tracked options available.
Double or single leaf gates that can be manual or automated, in various sizes and with different control options.
Single or double leaf swing or sliding gates to match vertical bar fencing, with manual or automatic operation.
Traditional field gate style constructed from heavy metal, with padlockable sliding latch.
Single or double leaf timber gates with manual or automatic operation.
Gates to match acoustic fencing systems, with manual or automatic operation in swing and tracked sliding designs.
Single and double leaf gates ideal for entrances and driveways, with manual or automatic operation.
Gates that can be hung either right or left handed. Also known as a universal or field gate.
Specific style of courtyard gate with an ornate curve and railing panel. Perfect for driveways and entrances.
Also known as raised helve gates, with their curved hanging stile.
Available for manual or automatic operation, ideal for entrances and driveways.
We offer a wide range of automated gate styles, from traditional timber to contemporary steel
Gates in a variety of styles that can be operated from underground, through hydraulic rams or concealed in a stile.
Situated at ground level by each gatepost. Ideally suited to gates up to 4m wide per leaf.
Usually used when an automated gate requires high performance and heavy duty operation.
Information about correct automated gate installation.
Information about how to receive optimum safe performance from automation systems.
Information about the key safety requirements for specifying automated gates.
Various control options such as key switches, key pads, card readers, photocells and intercoms.
Read our guide on how to specify an electric gate, and what to consider.
Advice and guidance for developers using automation systems.
Car park barriers in lengths up to 12 metres in medium and heavy duty
Manual and automated arm barriers, bollards and turnstiles
Manual car park barriers designed with a 25 year guarantee.
Parking and traffic control barrier for car parks
Manually operated arm barrier for vehicular access control
Height restriction barrier designed for vehicle access
Designed for use in car parks and site entrances
One of our HVM products, ideal for high security sites.
Stainless steel, timber and PAS 68 Crash Rated Bollards in manual and automatic operation
Designed for external use to enhance security and control pedestrian footfall
Car park barriers available in lengths of up to 12 metres
PAS 68 rated gates, bollards and fencing
Welded mesh, vertical bar, acoustic, timber and access control solutions
Tested and certified solutions including, LPS 1175, CPNI, Secured by Design and PAS 68
Safe and secure fencing and access control solutions, suited to the healthcare sector
Timber and steel fencing and gate systems, suited for both existing and new housing developments
Safe and secure perimeter solutions for religious grounds
Dedicated sport fencing systems for sports pitches and muti-use games areas (MUGA)
From boundary demarcation to sports fencing
GRP, mesh, vertical bar, acoustic and timber solutions designed to secure transport infrastructure
Physical security solutions designed for utilities sites, including fencing, gates and vehicle barriers
Discover our RIBA credited CPDs
At Jacksons we are proud of our quality installation service.
Gate Automation and Safety
CPD's, Q40's, Technical Specification Sheets, White Papers
Download our Q40 Specification Documents
Download our latest White Papers offering insights and guidance
Download our latest Line Drawings
Download our Specification Documents
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dear all,
my name is thomas and i live in frankfurt germany. i first saw the fixx back in 1983 when i visited my uncle in hamburg, and decided to attend an a flock of seagull festival gig. the fixx, who were totally unknown to me back then, opened and get me fixxed straight away, thanks to songs like red skies at night and stand or fall!
i then saw them again, it must have been 1983 or 1984 at their own headlining show in frankfurt at the club batschkapp. and then - i had a dry spell and needed to wait solid 18 years till last month, when they played at the bett in frankfurt. it was about time ;-)
they still have not lost their magic to me, and i love the new album which have a few songs which are along the best tunes they ever recorded, such as the brillant f**** BRILLANT "take a risk"!
that's about it. but one more little story before i have to go: i have some relatives in the states who could be considered fixxtures too, and back in the eighties (we talking about no internet, right) they heard that the fixx were playing at a small venue near their town in upstate new york. they got pretty excited and showed up at the club, wondering why they were only a few dozens of people there instead of hundreds. so they asked the guy at the ticket booth: "the fixx are playing here tonight, is that right?" and he nodded. so they got their ticket and got into the place.
then some random band enters the stage, and my cousin and her husband got really confused. what the heck is going on in here...turns out, that the band in this club were not the fixx, but "the figgs" who, i guessed this is save to say, did not want to milk the name of our beloved british band, but just got involved in this missunderstanding!
so, see you soon at a the fixx show soon - thomas!

subset: commoncrawl


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by Lou Mancinelli
This summer marks the 97th anniversary of Chestnut Hill's Fourth of July Celebration at the Water Tower. You'd have to go as far back as the third year of World War I, when the German army failed to defeat France at Verdun – the longest battle of the war – to find a summer without local kids decorating their bikes to commemorate American independence.
This year's celebration once again begins at 9 a.m. at 118 East Hartwell Lane, headquarters of the Chestnut Hill Bocce Club. Fifty-yard dashes, sock races, face painting, a magic show, pony rides and a petting zoo will take place after the children's bicycle procession from the club to the Water Tower.
"There will be a few kids hanging around, and then all of a sudden 100 bikes or so will show up," said Frank Hendrie about the pre-bike procession scene.
Hendrie has been raising money for the celebration for the past 30 years, as well as for other local organizations in the past, such as the Chestnut Hill Youth Sports Club.
A free hot dog lunch, with Jack and Jill ice-cream cups for dessert, kicks off at noon, as is tradition. Also at noon, members of the Bocce Club welcome members of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Pennsylvania State Council Post 590, to the Water Tower, after their appearance in the Glenside Fourth of July Parade, accompanied by a Humvee and chopper. Afterwards, the vets will follow members of the Bocce Club back to their headquarters for an open house and barbeque, Hendrie said.
While the Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy Business Men's Association had sponsored the event for 65 years, members of the Bocce Club took over the tradition in 1981 when Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy began to each develop their own business associations.
It was four-weeks before the annual Independence Day celebration in 1981 when Bocce Club members stepped in to fill the void left by the dissolution of the Business Men's Association.
Local residents George "Rube" Brindisi, Sonny Intrieri (club president at the time), Frank "Stretch" Hendrie and Jay Overcash led the Bocce Club's efforts to raise money, garner local business sponsors and put on an event worthy of the nature of the celebration, their children and their community. They handled three months of planning in one month. Now, each, year, Hendrie and his volunteers begin planning three to four months before the event.
"I told them I could get the money, if the club will get behind me," Hendrie said.
In the years following the Bocce Club's takeover of the event, Brindisi became "Mr. Fourth of July," according to a Bocce Club history of its Fourth of July activities. Brindisi spearheaded planning and provided logistics until his death in 1990.
Since then, Hendrie and his "field general," Tom Beatty, have striven to maintain the tradition. He's also had assistance from numerous volunteers, including Tim Alexander and treasurer Dan Compton, who has helped for the past 30 years.
"It's really a wholesome, complete family event," said Beatty, who added that it was the community feeling that inspired him to be part of the celebration despite the fact he does not have children. Beatty helps round-up and direct volunteers and solicit donations. "You have people show up for the magic show who haven't had kids in 20 years," he said.
Years ago, at the 42nd annual July Fourth Celebration, Chestnut Hill festivities included a parade and evening fireworks on the grounds of the former Philadelphia School for the Deaf before a crowd of up to 20,000, according to police estimates as recorded in a 1954 Chestnut Hill Local article.
In 1975, afternoon fun included a Father's Club All-Star game, followed by an Old Timers softball game. Even volleyball used to be part of the post-parade party.
But in 1981, when the Business Men's associations parted ways, Hendrie and others still wanted Fourth of July celebrations to continue. He went to Intrieri and said, "We can do this."
"It's a great family tradition," Hendrie said. "I grew up in East Germantown, and you can't say we had anything like this. When I moved here and experienced the parade, and then when I had kids, I said we have to keep this."
The Chestnut Hill Business Men's Association itself was founded early in the 20th century as part of a nationwide movement of businessmen's associations. Its early members included doctors, lawyers, realtors, contractors and other Hill business owners. The organization began to falter during World War I, added Mt. Airy to its title by the 1940s, and, by the end of the decade, was replaced by the new Chestnut Hill Community Association.
Bocce Club members take pride in hosting the local celebration.
"We sponsor it for the love of it," the club history says. "We strive to be part of the community, and we take pride in preserving traditions. None of these traditions rises higher than the Fourth of July because it is for the kids. Rube wouldn't have it any other way."
A version of this story appeared in the Chestnut Hill Local in 2011.


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SKF Copperhead repeatedly delivers big savings and peace of mind for aggregates producer
Before SKF Copperhead
After SKF CopperheadInstalling the SKF Copperhead fault detection kit allowed the mill to see developing problems before it was too late to prevent bearing failures.
Using an SKF Copperhead 1C/10 kit, the mill was able to continuously monitor overall vibration of the crusher wirelessly. As the system detects emerging faults, it issues alerts through the plant automation system, warning staff to take corrective action before the condition became catastrophic.
The resultsReturn On Investment (ROI)
- Savings per machine by avoiding downtime: €4 000
- SKF Copperhead investment: -€800
- Total savings: €3 200
- Total ROI: 400%


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Welcome to film-friendly Santa Barbara, The American Riviera®.
The Santa Barbara Film Commission is here to assist you with your location and production needs.
Feast your eyes on our sumptuous Spanish architecture, as it sweeps you back a century or two – to California's gold rush era…the hunt for black gold…and the Wild West.
Variety is our calling card, whether it be vineyards, rustic ranches and farmlands, spectacular winding roads, sand dunes, remote islands, deserted beaches, oil platforms, marine preserves, forests and mountains, historical towns or extravagant estates. We have it all!
Looking for the right match? How about the old South, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, old Europe, Napa Valley (we have 100 wineries), or a 50's version of Main St. USA.
Located just 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, our County offers mild, sunny weather year-round. It's perfect for Southern California filmmaking and has been for nearly 100 years. In fact, that's why California's first, major film studio, Flying A Studios, came to Santa Barbara back in 1910.
Come and check us out! We look forward to being of service.
Please don't hesitate to contact the Film Commissioner with questions.


text:
Projects/OWASP Mantra - Security Framework/Releases/Mantra Security Toolkit - 0.92
From OWASP
back to project home page
|is this release?
|OWASP Mantra Janus - Beta 0.92 - 22 January 2013 - (download)
| Release Description: Sixth public beta release of OWASP Mantra Security Toolkit - Beta 0.92 code named Janus
|Release License: GNU Free Documentation 1.2 for documents & GPL v3 for source code
|worked on this release?
|Release Leader(s):
|Release Contributor(s):
|can you learn more?
|Release Notes: View
|Release Rating: Not Reviewed - Assessment Details
|Key Contacts


text:
Violent Times – mugged student
Published by The Thatcher Crisis Years
I'm Tony McMahon and I've had two books published set in this time of crisis. "Original Rude Boy", the biography of Neville Staple of The Specials. "No Place To Hide", the biography of 80s boxer Errol Christie. I was very politically active during this period - not on Thatcher's side! View all posts by The Thatcher Crisis Years


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Welcome to MyGURPS, a page full of resources and information for the GURPS® Fourth Edition roleplaying game from Steve Jackson Games.
Herein you'll find some of the house rules that I use (and heartily recommend) for the newest edition of GURPS, various resources and articles that you might find useful, new data files for the GURPS Character Assistant software, and some of the GURPS books (and other Steve Jackson Games products) that I've reviewed on RPGnet. You'll also find resources for other games near the bottom of the page. And if you'd like to know more about me, click here!
To remove or redisplay this introductory text, click on the MyGURPS logo at the very top of the page. To view or hide the content in a given section, just click on its header. Enjoy the site!
Recent Updates:
Fourth Edition not only streamlined GURPS, it fixed a lot of rules and exceptions that were unbalanced or otherwise broken. Of course, even an unashamed fanatic like myself has to admit that a few things can still use some tweaking. All of my house rules here have been extensively playtested and have had a positive effect on the system. Click on the rule if you want to know the details, or the rationale behind it.
Many of these house rules are available in the GCA Files section below if you want to incorporate them into your own game.
1. Perception and Will are separate from IQ.
Both Per and Will are their own attributes. They start at 10, and can be raised or lowered for 5 points/level. IQ is unchanged, at 20 points/level.
2. Reducing the value of "flavor" traits.
The values of all age-related traits (Extended Lifespan, Longevity, Self-Destruct, Short Lifespan) are halved, except for Unaging, which costs 5 points. Terminally Ill no longer exists, except when granted via an Affliction.
3. Arm DX, Arm ST, and Regrowth are cheaper.
Arm DX costs 9 or 12 points for one or two arms. Arm ST costs 3, 4, or 6 points for one, two, or three arms. Regrowth costs 10 points.
4. Control can be used normally to provide DR.
Each level of Control can be used to give people in your area of effect DR 1 versus appropriate attacks. A successful, IQ-Based Power Block will double any defensive use of Control for one attack.
5. Costs Fatigue is worth -10%/level.
Costs Fatigue is worth -10% per level, to a maximum of -40%. If you have an advantage that would normally remain on indefinitely, you can take "Costs 1 FP per 10 seconds" for -20% or "Costs 1 FP per second" for -40%.
6. Armor Divisor (100) is available.
Armor Divisor (100) is available as a +300% enhancement. This is a fair price in comparison to Cosmic (Irresistable Attack), which is more effective but is also stopped by Cosmic DR. Hardened DR reduces both enhancements normally.
7. Various new modifiers for traits.
While building characters and helping others to do so, I've come up with several new "special modifiers" for various advantages, as well as a new advantage (Indefatigable). Unlike the other house rules, this will load as a separate page -- it's too long to do inline.
8. Enthrallment skills require an Unusual Background.
For balance purposes, an Unusual Background is required to learn and use the four Enthrallment skills. This costs 5 points, plus 5 points for each level of Charisma (maximum 30 points.)
9. Temporary Enchantment fixed.
When using the Temporary Enchantment spell (from GURPS Fantasy and Magic), multiply the energy cost of the enchantment by (Uses)/(Uses+6), rounding up. So a wand that can cast Fireball 30 times costs (30/36), or 84% of the normal energy cost to enchant.
10. Slams use ST when possible.
Replace "HP" with "ST" for living beings in the formula for calculating the damage from slams. Use HP for inanimate objects and all other collisions or falls. If the type of Strength matters, use Striking ST.
11. (Psi) Static comes in two levels.
Resistible is no longer a limitation. Instead, it is the first level of Static, with a cost of 15 points. The normal advantage, as written, is the second level.
12. Changes to Trading Points for Money and Signature Gear.
The starting cash you get by trading in points now scales up (using a similar progression to Wealth) and is based on your starting wealth, not the campaigns. This makes it a fair deal for wealthy characters while reducing abuse from poor ones. Signature Gear no longer provides funds; it simply adds plot protection to gear that you've already purchased. Because there's a table involved, this house rule is located on its own page.
13. Streamlined Languages for Modern Games.
In games set on modern Earth, 99% of the people will speak one of the following languages: Arabic, Bantu (Southern African), Berber (Northern African), Cantonese/Wu (Chinese), Dutch/Afrikaans, English, Farsi/Kurdish (Iranian), Finnish/Hungarian, French, Gaelic/Welsh, German/Yiddish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi-Urdu (Indian/Pakistani), Indonesian/Malay, Italian/Romanian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mandarin (Chinese), Navajo, Norwegian/Swedish/Danish, Polish/Czech, Russian/Ukranian, Spanish/Portugese, Thai/Burmese, Turkish/Mongol, or Vietnamese/Cambodian. A slash means that the languages are closely enough related that, for simplified game purposes, they count as a single language.
14. Combat, Combat Art, and Combat Sport Skills Are Techniques.
When you learn a Combat skill, Combat Art skill, or Combat Sport skill (see p. B184 for details), you may buy up the other two versions as an Average technique defaulting to your skill-3. For example, if you know Karate Art at DX+2, you know Karate at DX-1 and can buy it up to DX+2 level for 3 points.
15. Cheap Firearms.
Cheap guns are -60% to Cost (-0.6 CF). They have -1 Acc, -1 HT, and -1 Malf. If you aren't using Malfunctions (p. B407), treat this as "16 is always a failure, and 17 is always a critical failure."
Alternatively, if you don't mind extra detail, the firearm's HT is unchanged. However, whenever it would normally get a bonus to a HT roll -- like the HT+4 roll to resist Slime, Sand, and Equipment Failure (p. B485) -- it rolls against straight HT, no bonus.
Note for My Players: I also have a minor house rule about Dependents and Enemies. They may be only taken with a Frequency of "6 or less" or "9 or less" without special GM permission.
Retired House Rules
Several of my house rules have been retired due either to them being incorporated as official rules or to new rules which solve the same problem in an acceptable way. I'm glad that this section exists! It means that the system is being constantly improved as it grows. Retired house rules include those for Gunslinger, Magery 0, and Off-Hand Weapon Training.
This section is for resources for GURPS GMs or players that I've created or helped with. It's also where you'll find various worked examples of what can be done in GURPS, from sample characters to writeups of super-powers or other abilities.
1. Historical Folks Conversion for GURPS Fourth Edition.
A few years back, Brian C. Smithson released Historical Folks as a free (unofficial) supplement for GURPS Third Edition. MyGURPS is proud to host the Fourth Edition Conversion of this incredibly useful e-book.
2. Revised GM Control Sheet (MS Word).
I've always liked the overall layout of the official GM Control Sheet, but find that it could use space better. This version gives each character two lines of info, keeps all of the attributes together, has a spot to track both HP and FP, gives you two lines each for reaction bonuses and DR, and even has room left over for notes. The lower half of the sheet is basically unchanged. It's all done with tables, so you can fill it in on the computer and print it out. Click here for a snapshot of what the sheet looks like, or click on the title to download the MS Word file.
Update: The GM Control Sheet is now available in PDF format, thanks to Eduardo Alvarez. He has created two different versions -- a standard PDF and one with editable fields so you can still fill it in on the computer if you don't have MS Word.
3. Creating a "Super Archer".
Archers like Green Arrow and Hawkeye have been a part of the supers genre for some time. Using Alternative Attacks, it's remarkably simple to create all of their trick arrows and then some.
4. Diabetes as a Disadvantage.
A brief summary of the effects of Type I and Type II diabetes, followed by how to build each one in GURPS using existing disadvantages. Find out why Dependency (Insulin) is the wrong way to approach this condition.
5. Using "Either/Or" Limitations.
Have you ever needed to build a power that was affected by either one limitation or a different one, but not both at the same time (e.g., an attack that doesn't have its full range except in direct sunlight)? Though it isn't immediately obvious, the rules do officially support such a thing, and it's surprisingly easy to do.
6. Super-Effort for Striking ST.
GURPS Powers added a new Super-Effort enhancement so that bricks and telekinetics could make amazing lifts in high-powered games. Here's a similar enhancement for Striking ST that makes it a more reasonable purchase in games offering Innate Attacks.
7. Cosmic Power for "Super Gadgeteers".
A set of ground rules and a modifier for characters who use their Modular Abilities to build "super gadgets" (like "Density Nullification Rays" and "Teleportation Belts"). Boils everything down to one modifier, one roll, and a few simple rules.
8. Upgrading the Magic System.
A few simple adjustments and optional rules that I've added to the GURPS magic system. Balancing Ritual Magic is a minor tweak to prevent the point-crock abuse that seems to invariably occur when the ritual magic rules are used in a game. Modifying Spells is an easy answer to the question, "How can I make my fireball homing?" Long-Ranged Magic is a worked example of modifying spells, to allow for a world in which mages aren't limited to just a few yards of range.
9. Heavier Weapons for Stronger Characters.
Since every melee weapon has a minimum ST (and thus a maximum ST) rating, it can be useful to know how to raise this value for very strong characters. Here are some simple and fast guidelines. (Also includes a tangent on quickly calculating armor weights and such for humanoids with non-zero Size Modifiers.)
10. Infinity's Table of Organization for Infinite Worlds (PDF).
Infinite Worlds is easily one of my favorite settings, though trying to keep track of how all of the departments interact can be tricky, especially when it comes to remembering exactly where the United Nations fit in. So I've drafted up an "org chart" for Infinity Unlimited, including page references for every group listed. The second page is a brief summary of each group, intended to be printed on the back side -- this makes for an excellent player handout.
11. Absorption Revised.
The current rules for Damage Resistance (Absorption) produce some odd results, such as paying 4 character points for the privilege of being able to temporarily add 1 character point to a single ability when attacked. I've taken it apart and rebuilt it -- though not quite "from the ground up."
12. "Upon Death" Abilities.
I present some guidelines for building abilities which are linked to the death of the user, whether that means, "I can use it, but at the cost of my own life," or, "It triggers automatically when I die." There are a variety of approaches which can be taken, depending on exactly what the effect is, though fortunately they're all pretty straightforward.
13. New Techniques.
A repository of new techniques that I've created, both ex nihilo and using the system in GURPS Martial Arts. A bit sparse at the moment, but I will be adding to it every time I come up with something I feel is universally useful.
14. Veterans of the Weird West.
My conversion guide for playing Deadlands using GURPS Fourth Edition. This is based on a loose combination of original Deadlands, the newer Savage Worlds take on it, and some of my favorite things about how GURPS does things.
15. Beetle - A Sample Wastelander
In our first game of GURPS After the End, I was a player, not the GM. And my PC was "Beetle," a 200-point experienced scavenger "ghost." Check out his character sheet for an idea of the kind of adventurers you can build with GURPS After the End 1: Wastelanders.
16. Splitting IQ from Per/Will in GURPS After the End.
If you plan on using my house rules for divorcing IQ from Per and Will in a GURPS After the End game, use these simple rules to do so.
Here is where my thoughts, ramblings, and pontifications on GURPS end up. Many are of a rules-related nature, but don't really count as house rules, either because they're only guidelines or they focus on examining a rule rather than changing it. Others are just opinions or experiences that I felt were worth sharing. In all cases, I hope you find them useful.
1. Yes, Virginia, You CAN Afflict Yourself.
In an attempt to put an end to the confusion about using Affliction to give yourself an advantage, I got to the bottom of how it's really supposed to work. Read why you can zap yourself with your own shrink ray, but why you may not want to.
2. Innate Attacks, Wuxia, and You.
My thoughts on Martial Arts and allowing Innate Attacks in a cinematic wuxia game, along with some guidelines and limits that work well for preventing such things from harming the flavor of the campaign.
3. Just Say No to Mass Combat Systems.
Mass combat systems have their place -- specifically, when the PCs initiate a huge battle with another sizeable force. But not when the PCs are just soldiers in a larger war. Read on to see why the question of "who wins" is a meaningless one -- and why the battle itself should never take center stage.
4. Nipping Problem Allies in the Bud.
While few people actively set out to abuse the Ally advantage, certain designs can prove quite problematic if the GM isn't prepared for it ahead of time. After sparking a discussion about this with several veteran gamers, I've tried to condense the key issues (and solutions) down to a single article.
5. Preserving the Polarity of Weirdness Magnet.
One of my pet peeves is the persistent meme that Weirdness Magnet is hardly a disadvantage. Both players and GMs often seem to treat it like anything from a minor inconvenience to an actual advantage. For those gamers, this part-rant, part-article attempts to present Weirdness Magnet in a new light.
6. Gun! Versus Pistol.
A short article, based on a playtest email, which addresses the utility of Wildcard skills. Some gamers see each Wildcard skill as restricted to a fixed list, instead of as a cinematic "uber-skill." This is especially prevalent with the Gun! skill, which I address specifically here.
The good Dr. Kromm created the Dungeon Fantasy series to show that GURPS can truly handle any genre -- even the classic dungeon crawl. The combination of a new-school system with old-school gaming worked surprisingly well. I'm honored to have contributed to the series officially, and I'd like to continue contributing in this small section of MyGURPS.
Much of the following is now available in a handy PDF format, along with other rulings and additions posted to the forums. Basically, this is the file that I print out for my own games. Each section is labeled with the Dungeon Fantasy book for which it acts as an addendum.
1. Splitting IQ from Per/Will in Dungeon Fantasy.
One of my most popular house rules (above) is the one separating Will and Per from IQ. It's rather self-explanatory, except when you're trying to use premade templates . . . which is what Dungeon Fantasy is all about. So here are some guidelines for tweaking the templates to preserve point balance while fixing the IQ issue.
2. Alchemy (and Alchemists) in Dungeon Fantasy.
Here I expand the rules for alchemy in Dungeon Fantasy, creating a middle road between "NPCs make real elixirs in town" and "PCs use Gizmo for a potion that must be used immediately." In doing so, it makes a new character type possible: The Alchemist (a lens for the Artificer template).
3. New Template: Seventh Son.
You are the seventh son of a seventh son (or daughter -- the "son" part is just tradition), a blessed wanderer, or a peasant adventurer. You don't have the specialized training that any of the other templates have, but you're quick and clever and the fates are definitely watching out for you. This template is good for those looking to play an "underdog" without actually sacrificing survivability.
This template was created by aesir23, not me. I offered suggestions and feedback and made a few tweaks.
4. Splitting IQ from Per/Will in Action.
Okay, this doesn't exactly belong here, but I know that gamers associate the Action line with the Dungeon Fantasy line closely, due to the very similar design and approach of the two. So here is the Action breakdown of how to split Per and Will from IQ for each template.
These are the house rules and articles which were written specifically for GURPS Traveller. Traveller is the epitome of a "classic sci-fi" setting, with a rich history and a universe clearly tailored to gaming. It also happens to mesh perfectly with GURPS -- an example of a great system supporting a great setting.
1. Building Jump Drives with Warp.
Just a mental exercise that occupied me one night; I thought it might be of interest to others. Making Warp work like a Traveller-style Jump Drive is actually easy; the tricky part is ensuring that the jump distance makes a difference in play. (Also includes a tangent on easy rules for calculating move relative to the speed of light with Enhanced Move (Space).)
2. Updated Traveller Racial Templates
I was disappointed that GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars didn't feature the templates for any major race except the Droyne (and they were oversimplified.) So I took it upon myself to convert them -- not just converting over each trait, but rebuilding them with the tools of the new edition to (hopefully) truly capture their essence.
3. Psionics in Traveller
This is a breakdown of the power groups (and the abilities which they comprise) which are available to psis (and anti-psis) in my Traveller games. It includes suggested limits on power levels and rules for Unusual Backgrounds and developing psi. There are also notes on Droyne psi and Zhodani characters.
4. Using GURPS Spaceships in Traveller
The simple GURPS Spaceships rules are a natural fit for Traveller games, as they give the ship just enough detail to be useful, but not so much that flying the ship turns into a wargame. With the rules tweaks and judgment calls on this page, I think it's pretty close to a perfect fit. Update: Also includes my rules for the Ship Owner advantage in Traveller.
I have become a big fan of the GURPS Character Assistant program since its Fourth Edition release. It is versatile and quite customizable, even if the syntax does take some practice. So here's a little bit of my handiwork, from complete custom GDFs to patchwork creations, along with instructions for ease of installation.
PK's House Rules[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
If you like my house rules (above) and would like to incorporate them into your game, here they are! I tend to tweak this file a lot, so come back often. By left-clicking on it, you can check the Last Modified date (it's right there at the top) and see if you've got the latest version.
This file also includes some of the other, simpler entries from my site. For example, it has the Diabetic disadvantage but not the Super Archer power writeup. It's fully documented, so if there's any rule that you don't care for, it can be edited out easily, even if you don't understand anything about GDF syntax.
Balanced Ritual Magic Rules[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
This data file implements the two tweaks that I recommended to balance Ritual Magic. Path skills no longer default to the core skill and all spells are Average techniques instead of Hard. It also includes a very basic template for mages who want a starting level in every useful Path skill with one click.
You may also be interested in this text file which contains the corrected prerequisite count for all of the spells in Magic; I distilled it from the official Variant Ritual Magic GDF.
GURPS Mysteries 4E[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
This started out as an unofficial data file for the excellent GURPS Mysteries (a PDF which is available as an electronic download through e23). It has since been made official and is part of the latest data file update available at the GCA support page. It adds all of the new traits, though I'm still working on the professional templates.
Talents and Wildcards: A Compilation[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
I love Talents. If you're at all like me, you've wondered if it's worth the extra loading time and memory to add in all of the "source book" GDFs just to give your players access to the Talents therein. And then there's all the ones people have created -- a search through the forums will turn up countless homebrewed Talents, many of which are at least as good as the canonical ones.
So I created this file. It includes the official Talents from various GURPS sourcebooks as well as my favorite homebrews from the forums. Add this to your GCA loadout and you'll have all the Talents you'll ever need. (Hint: Click on the drop-down box at the top of the Advantages menu and select "Talents" to see a full list.)
As a bonus, this file now includes a list of Wildcard! skills, both official and homebrewed, with full descriptions of what each one covers. As with the Talents, you'll want to select "Wildcard!" from the drop-down box at the top of the Skills menu once you've loaded this file.
Features Talents and Wildcard! skills from GURPS Fantasy, GURPS Mysteries, GURPS Infinite Worlds, GURPS Banestorm, GURPS Space, GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars, and Transhuman Space: Changing Times.
Traveller Racial Templates[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
This file reproduces my Fourth Edition conversions of all of Traveller's major races. It also features a few traits (Unusual Backgrounds, Secret (Psi), and Patron (Psionic Institute)) to facilitate the creation of a psionic character. If you use the regular character sheet, I recommend choosing the option to print the racial template details (in paragraph form) above the advantages and disadvantages. I've tried to optimize the descriptions for that choice.
Our Star Trek Game[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
Someone requested this, so I'm making it available, though was never intended for the masses and is thus not internally documented. This is the data file for the Star Trek game our group is currently starting. As of this writing, it has racial templates for the Klingons, Ullians (they were in a single TNG episode), and an amphibious player-created race called the Nadissians. It also features professional templates for Starfleet Enlisted, Starfleet Officers, and Klingon Marines, as well as what I think are balanced skills and rules for the bat'leth.
GURPS Powers: Divine Favor[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
A complete data file for GURPS Powers: Divine Favor. Includes the titular advantage, all of the learned prayers, and the new versions of Blessed and Power Investiture.
GURPS Monster Hunters 1: Champions (PARTIAL)[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
This is the beginning of a GDF for GURPS Monster Hunters 1: Champions. It includes all of the boring stuff -- the individual new traits, the equipment lists, and so on. It's missing a few things, but most notable are the new character and racial templates. This will help to give a head start to anyone working on those templates, and it works just fine in itself for those who'd rather use the templates in the book rather than via GCA's interface.
Skillful Character Sheet[ DOWNLOAD FILE ] [ INSTRUCTIONS ]
I created this for a GURPS Martial Arts convention demo game, and realized that others might find it useful. It's based on (and directly edited from) the normal GURPS character sheet, but with several additional options to alter the content.
You can remove the "Languages" box and/or the "DR and Cultural Familiarity" box to make more room for skills. In addition to shrinking the "Notes" box to make more room for Hand Weapons, you can also shrink the "Ranged Weapons" box for even more room. Finally, you can prevent Bite from showing up as a weapon, to save room for more common attacks.
Note that the Instructions (above) are slightly different for this file.
If you encounter any errors while using any of these data files, I'd appreciate if you'd tell me on the GCA forum or shoot me a private message.
Expand All >>
While this website is devoted to GURPS, I'm a fan of countless other games, both from Steve Jackson Games and from other publishers, including several card and board games. This page collects the resources that I've created or collected for various other games, in order of creation date.
1. Nobilis: When Mondays Really CAN Be Out To Get You
By far the largest offering in this section, this is my fan site for the Nobilis RPG. It has resources for players and GMs alike. If you're unfamiliar with Nobilis I strongly recommend perusing the page. I tried to capture as much of the flavor and scope of the game as I could, as this is one of the most amazing RPGs I have ever encountered. It's well worth a look or two.
This fan site is for Nobilis Third Edition (the latest one), but I left my old Second Edition resource page up as well in case you haven't switched over yet. (You should! The new edition is great.)
2. Frag: Improved Record Sheet (PDF)
This is a custom-made record sheet for Steve Jackson Games' Frag® board game. This PDF prints two record sheets to a page and has fields for the attributes as well as other important values. (Update: This record sheet is now available from the Fan-Created Material page on the official Frag site.)
3. Deluxe Illuminati: Goal Cards (PDF)
This is a set of nine cards, one for each Illuminati®, with that Illuminati's goal clearly listed. I created these for two reasons. First, it makes it easier for new players to remember the goals. Second, it makes it much easier and faster for the UFOs to select a goal. (I recommend you print out two sets if you want to get both benefits.)
Note that this set includes a house rule. Weird has always been a very common alignment, and the Y2K expansion made it the most common alignment (by far), forcing us to change Discordia's goal to six Weird groups instead of five. Trust me, it's a good change -- use it.
4. King's Blood: One-Page Solitaire Rules (PDF)
While they were promised in the instruction sheet, the solitaire rules for King's BloodTM took a while to get approved by SNE (the designers and copyright holders of the game.) I've converted those rules into this PDF which conveniently prints on a single page. Keep a copy in your tuck box for those times when you're the only gamer around.
5. SPANC: FAQ and Optional Rules
I've collected the questions and resultant wisdom about SPANCTM into a full-fledged FAQ. This page also includes a few optional rules to help gamers better tweak the way the game works.
6. Cowpoker: Record Sheet (PDF)
CowpokerTM is a pretty straightforward game, but at the end of each round, it can be nice to have a reminder of what bonuses need to be accounted for. This sheet has enough room for four full rounds with provisions for carrying over across multiple sheets, for those late night Cowpoker marathons. (Update: This record sheet can now be downloaded from the official Cowpoker web page.)
7. Lord of the Rings: Friends and Foes Reference (PDF)
Reiner Knizia's cooperative Lord of the Rings board game includes a complete reference guide. But while the Friends and Foes Expansion adds a wonderful level of depth and strategy to the game (which I highly recommend), it can be a bit tricky keeping up on exactly how the Foes work and when you can skip certain scenario boards.
This two-page reference merges the rules from both instruction books. The first page covers turn flow and free actions, while the second has rules for bypassing scenarios and winning/losing the game. It includes the Black Gate rule, an official erratum which fixes how easy it was to achieve a Military Victory. I recommend printing this as one double-sided sheet and keeping it handy during games.
8. Munchkin: Sammlerbox Translation Sheet (PDF)
Munchkin is very popular in Germany. So much so that there are some exclusive goodies that one can only find there (or on amazon.de), such as the Sammlerbox. A wooden box for storing Munchkin cards, it comes with its own special rules and several unique cards... all in German. Fortunately, BIGsheep and T. Dorst posted translations of everything on the forums, which I've edited and formatted into this PDF.
9. My Mutants and Masterminds Games
A collection of information, house rules, and other details for my Mutants and Masterminds (Third Edition) games. Right now it's primarily a few house rules and clarifications, but I expect it to grow as I run more supers games with it.
10. Burn Notice in the Fate Core RPG
Rules for using the Fate Core RPG to run a game based on the TV show Burn Notice. Primarily focused on new skills and stunts, along with ways to keep the show's themes in focus.
11. Resources for The Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine RPG
I don't have a full Chuubo web page, as I've chosen to instead add what I can to the Chuubo wiki. This includes my Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine character sheet and my intentionally vague map of Town.
This website is administered by Reverend Pee Kitty [About Me]. All original content is ©Copyright 2005-2019 Reverend Pee Kitty.
The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games. GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and the art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by Steve Jackson Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJGames online policy.


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All information on this web site is copyright and may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without permission. To obtain such permission, please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or write to The British Association of Dramatherapists, P.O.Box 1257, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 9YX.
© 2011
The British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth) is the professional body for Dramatherapists in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1977, is formally constituted with Officers and an Executive Committee and has its own Code of Practice. BADth has the legal status of a non-profit-making company, limited by guarantee. Currently, it does not have charitable status. Through the work of its executive officers, sub-committees and individual members, it represents Dramatherapists' interests in numerous ways: for example, with employing authorities, government departments, professional bodies and the media.


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For three decades, Mr. Phillips had focused on writing software to allow computers to understand human speech. In 2006, he had co-founded a voice recognition company, and eventually executives at Apple,
But in 2008, Mr. Phillips's company, Vlingo, had been contacted by a much larger voice recognition firm called Nuance. "I have patents that can prevent you from practicing in this market," Nuance's chief executive, Paul Ricci, told Mr. Phillips, according to executives involved in that conversation.
Mr. Ricci issued an ultimatum: Mr. Phillips could sell his firm to Mr. Ricci or be sued for patent infringements. When Mr. Phillips refused to sell, Mr. Ricci's company filed the first of six lawsuits.
Soon after, Apple and Google stopped returning phone calls. The company behind Siri switched its partnership from Mr. Phillips to Mr. Ricci's firm. And the millions of dollars Mr. Phillips had set aside for research and development were redirected to lawyers and court fees.Continue reading the main story
When the first lawsuit went to trial last year, Mr. Phillips won. In the companies' only courtroom face-off, a jury ruled that Mr. Phillips had not infringed on a broad voice recognition patent owned by Mr. Ricci's company.
But it was too late. The suit had cost $3 million, and the financial damage was done. In December, Mr. Phillips agreed to sell his company to Mr. Ricci. "We were on the brink of changing the world before we got stuck in this legal muck," Mr. Phillips said.
Mr. Phillips and Vlingo are among the thousands of executives and companies caught in a software patent system that federal judges, economists, policy makers and technology executives say is so flawed that it often stymies innovation.
Alongside the impressive technological advances of the last two decades, they argue, a pall has descended: the marketplace for new ideas has been corrupted by software patents used as destructive weapons.
Vlingo was a tiny upstart on this battlefield, but as recent litigation involving Apple and Samsung shows, technology giants have also waged wars among themselves.
In the smartphone industry alone, according to a
Patents are vitally important to protecting intellectual property. Plenty of creativity occurs within the technology industry, and without patents, executives say they could never justify spending fortunes on new products. And academics say that some aspects of the patent system, like protections for
However, many people argue that the nation's patent rules, intended for a mechanical world, are inadequate in today's digital marketplace. Unlike patents for new drug formulas, patents on software often effectively grant ownership of concepts, rather than tangible creations. Today, the patent office routinely approves patents that describe vague algorithms or business methods, like a software system for calculating online prices, without patent examiners demanding specifics about how those calculations occur or how the software operates.
As a result, some patents are so broad that they allow patent holders to claim sweeping ownership of seemingly unrelated products built by others. Often, companies are sued for violating patents they never knew existed or never dreamed might apply to their creations, at a cost shouldered by consumers in the form of higher prices and fewer choices.
"There's a real chaos," said
Almost every major technology company is involved in ongoing patent battles, but the most significant player is Apple, industry executives say, because of its influence and the size of its claims: in August in
Apple has filed multiple suits against three companies — HTC, Samsung and Motorola Mobility, now part of Google — that today are responsible for more than half of all smartphone sales in the
HTC, Samsung, Motorola and others have filed numerous suits of their own, also trying to claim ownership of market-changing technologies.
While Apple and other major companies have sometimes benefited from this war, so have smaller partners. In 2010, Apple acquired Siri Inc., the company behind the software of the same name. The stock price of Mr. Ricci's company, Nuance, which had by then become Siri's partner, rose by more than 70 percent as iPhone sales skyrocketed. Some former executives at Vlingo, Nuance's old rival, remain bitter.
"We had spent $3 million to win one patent trial, and had five more to go," said a former Vlingo executive who spoke on condition of anonymity because he had signed confidentiality agreements. "We had the better product, but it didn't matter, because this system is so completely broken."
Mr. Ricci declined to be interviewed. Others at Nuance said they were simply protecting their intellectual property.
"Our responsibility is to follow the law," said Lee Patch, a vice president at Nuance. "That's what we do. It's not our fault if some people don't like the system."
Today, Nuance is a giant in voice recognition. Apple is the most valuable company in the world. And the iPhone is wrapped in thousands of patents that keep companies in numerous court battles.
"Apple has always stood for innovation," the company wrote in a statement in response to questions from
"We think companies should dream up their own products rather than willfully copying ours, and in August a jury in California reached the same conclusion," the statement said.
At a technology conference this year, Apple's chief executive,
"There's some of this that is maddening," he said. "It's a waste; it's a time suck."
The evolution of Apple into one of the industry's patent warriors gained momentum, like many things within the company, with a terse order from its chief executive,
A Patent Warrior's Education
It was 2006, and Apple was preparing to unveil the first iPhone. Life inside company headquarters, former executives said, had become a frenzy of programming sessions and meetings between engineers and executives. And, increasingly, patent lawyers.
Just months earlier, Apple reluctantly agreed to pay $100 million to Creative Technology, a
Apple settled three months after Creative went to court. "Creative is very fortunate to have been granted this early patent," Mr. Jobs said in a statement announcing the settlement in 2006.
Privately, Mr. Jobs gathered his senior managers. While Apple had long been adept at filing patents, when it came to the new iPhone, "we're going to patent it all," he declared, according to a former executive who, like other former employees, requested anonymity because of confidentiality agreements.
"His attitude was that if someone at Apple can dream it up, then we should apply for a patent, because even if we never build it, it's a defensive tool," said Nancy R. Heinen, Apple's general counsel until 2006.
Soon, Apple's engineers were asked to participate in monthly "invention disclosure sessions." One day, a group of software engineers met with three patent lawyers, according to a former Apple patent lawyer who was at the meeting.
The first engineer discussed a piece of software that studied users' preferences as they browsed the Web.
"That's a patent," a lawyer said, scribbling notes.
Another engineer described a slight modification to a popular application.
"That's a patent," the lawyer said.
Another engineer mentioned that his team had streamlined some software.
"That's another one," the lawyer said.
"Even if we knew it wouldn't get approved, we would file the application anyway," the former Apple lawyer said in an interview. "If nothing else, it prevents another company from trying to patent the idea."
The disclosure session had yielded more than a dozen potential patents when an engineer, an Apple veteran, spoke up. "I would like to decline to participate," he said, according to the lawyer who was at the meeting. The engineer explained that he didn't believe companies should be allowed to own basic software concepts.
It is a complaint heard throughout the industry. The increasing push to assert ownership of broad technologies has led to a destructive arms race, engineers say. Some point to so-called patent trolls, companies that exist solely to sue over patent violations. Others say big technology companies have also exploited the system's weaknesses.
"There are hundreds of ways to write the same computer program," said James Bessen, a legal expert at
The number of patent applications, computer-related and otherwise, filed each year at the United States patent office has increased by more than 50 percent over the last decade to more than 540,000 in 2011. Google has received 2,700 patents since 2000, according to the patent analysis firm M-CAM.
In the last decade, the number of patent applications submitted by Apple each year has risen almost tenfold. The company has won ownership of pinching a screen to zoom in, of using magnets to affix a cover to a tablet computer and of the glass staircases in Apple stores. It has received more than 4,100 patents since 2000, according to M-CAM.
And as patent portfolios have expanded, so have pressures to use them against competitors.
In March 2010, Apple sued HTC, a Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer that had partnered with Google. Apple did not talk to HTC before suing. Negotiations were not part of the strategy, according to a former executive. "Google was the enemy, the real target," the executive said.
It was one of seven major smartphone and patent-related lawsuits Apple has initiated since 2006. The suits have focused on two large companies, HTC and Samsung, both Google partners, which together account for 39 percent of American smartphone sales. Apple has also filed countersuits against
In addition, the company has filed two declaratory judgment actions asking the courts to rule on the provenance and validity of patents. Over the same period, Apple itself has been sued 135 times, mostly by patent trolls interested in its deep pockets.
Apple is not alone. The number of patent lawsuits filed in United States district courts each year has almost tripled in the last two decades to 3,260 in 2010, the last year for which federal data is available. Microsoft has sued Motorola; Motorola has sued Apple and
Patents for software and some kinds of electronics, particularly smartphones, are now so problematic that they contribute to a so-called patent
Supporters of suits initiated by Apple say that the litigation is vital to the company's success and that Apple is sued far more often than it sues, as do all major tech firms.
"If we can't protect our intellectual property, then we won't spend millions creating products like the iPhone," a former Apple executive said, noting that some of Apple's patents, like the "slide to unlock" feature on the iPhone, took years to perfect. The concept "might seem obvious now, but that's only after we spent millions figuring it out," the executive said. "Other companies shouldn't be able to steal that without compensating us. That's why the patent system exists."
But others challenge that logic, given the huge profits the technology industry enjoys. Apple collects more than $1 billion a week in iPhone and related sales. "I am skeptical whether patents are needed in the software industry to provide adequate incentives," Judge Posner wrote in an e-mail.
One consequence of all this litigation, policy makers and academics say, is that patent disputes are suffocating the culture of start-ups that has long fueled job growth and technological innovation.
"Think of the billions of dollars being flushed down the toilet," said Ms. Heinen, the former Apple general counsel, who left the company and paid $2.2 million in connection with a federal investigation of stock option backdating. "When patent lawyers become rock stars, it's a bad sign for where an industry is heading," she said, adding that she had no issue with the lawyers themselves.
There are some indications that the big companies themselves are growing weary of this warfare.
In its response to The Times, Apple addressed "standards-essential" patents, which companies are obligated to license to competitors at reasonable rates, and wrote that it was "deeply concerned by the rampant abuse of standards-essential patents by some of our competitors."
"Standards-essential patents are technologies which these companies have volunteered to license to anyone for a reasonable fee," the statement said, "but instead of negotiating with Apple, they've chosen to sue us." Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and HTC have sued Apple, claiming it violated standards-essential patents.
Another sign of fatigue is the frequency with which executives and lawyers from Apple and Google speak to one another about patent disputes. Earlier this year, Google proposed a cease-fire, according to people familiar with the conversations. And when Google withdrew its Motorola suit last week, it was widely seen as a peace gesture.
But Apple has been hard to pin down, said one person from Google who was not authorized to speak publicly. "Sometimes they're asking for money. Then they say we have to promise to not copy aspects of the iPhone. And whenever we get close to an agreement, it all changes again.
"Our feeling is they don't really want this to end. As long as everyone is distracted by these trials, the iPhone continues to sell."
Apple declined to comment on the negotiations.
The Patent Bureaucracy
The application by Apple that eventually became patent 8,086,604 first crossed desks at the Patent and Trademark Office on a winter day in 2004.
In the next two years, a small cast of officials spent about 23 hours — the time generally allotted for reviewing a new application — examining the three dozen pages before recommending rejection. The application, for a voice- and text-based search engine, was "an obvious variation" on existing ideas, a patent examiner named Raheem Hoffler wrote. Over the next five years, Apple modified and resubmitted the application eight times — and each time it was rejected by the patent office.
Until last year.
On its 10th attempt, Apple got patent 8,086,604 approved. Today, though the patent was not among those Vlingo and Nuance fought over, it is known as the Siri patent because it is widely viewed as one of the linchpins of Apple's strategy to protect its smartphone technologies.
In February, the company deployed this new patent in a continuing lawsuit against Samsung that could radically reorder the $200 billion smartphone business by giving Apple effective ownership of now-commonplace technologies, software experts say.
Patent 8,086,604's path to approval "shows there's a lot wrong with the process," said Arti K. Rai, an intellectual property expert at
When Apple submitted the first application for 8,086,604, the iPhone and Siri did not exist. The application was aspirational: it described a theoretical "universal interface" that would allow people to search across various mediums, like the Internet, corporate databases and computer hard drives, without having to use multiple search engines. It outlined how such software might function, but it did not offer specifics about how to build it. It suggested that some people might speak a search phrase rather than use a keyboard.
The ideas contained in the application would blossom at Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nuance, Vlingo and dozens of other companies. All the while, the application traveled quietly through the patent office, where officials rejected it twice in 2007, three times in 2008, once in 2009, twice in 2010 and once in 2011.
The patent office has a reputation for being overworked, understaffed and plagued by employee turnover, and employees concede that some of their work is subjective.
"When I get an application, I basically have two days to research and write a 10- to 20-page term paper on why I think it should be approved or rejected," said Robert Budens, a 22-year patent examiner and president of the examiners' labor union. "I'm not going to pretend like we get it right every time."
To receive a patent, an invention must be novel (substantially different from what exists), not obvious (one can't patent a new toaster simply by expanding it to handle five slices of bread), and useful (someone can't patent an invisibility machine if invisibility is impossible).
"If you give the same application to 10 different examiners, you'll get 10 different results," said Raymond Persino, a patent lawyer who worked as an examiner from 1998 to 2005.
After patent 8,086,604 was first rejected in 2007, Apple's lawyers made small adjustments to the application, changing the word "documents" to "items of information" and inserting the phrase "heuristic modules" to refer to bits of software code. A few years later, the inclusion of the word "predetermined" further narrowed Apple's approach.
These changes had little substantial impact, said experts who reviewed the application for The Times. But the patent office slowly began to come around to Apple's point of view.
Though submitting an application repeatedly can incur large legal fees, it is often effective. About 70 percent of patent applications are eventually approved after an applicant has altered claims, tinkered with language or worn down the patent examiners.
One consequence is that patents are sometimes granted for ideas that already exist.
In 1999, for instance, two men received a patent for a crustless, sealed peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (The
A year earlier, the patent office had awarded an
For Apple's 8,086,604, the examiners finally relented last December and issued a patent.
"Apple got another warhead in its arsenal, but there's no big invention here," said David J. Pratt, president of M-CAM, the patent analysis firm, who analyzed the application for The Times.
The patent office declined to discuss 8,086,604. Officials pointed out that the agency's 7,650 examiners received more than half a million applications last year, and the numbers have kept climbing.
By all accounts, there have been improvements in the patent office since David J. Kappos took over as director in 2009. In an interview, Mr. Kappos said the lengthy back-and-forth between examiners and Apple was evidence that the system worked.
"It's called the patent office," he said, noting that issuing patents is the agency's job. In a statement, the agency said it had spent the last three years strengthening policies to improve patent quality. Besides, Mr. Kappos said, "we realize that only a handful of these patents will be really important."
However, patent 8,086,604 has proved very important. In February, Apple sued Samsung in a California court, arguing that 17 of Samsung's smartphones and tablets violated 8,086,604. In June, a judge banned sales of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus phone, validating 8,086,604 and ruling that the phone infringed on Apple's patent because it featured a "Google quick search box" that allowed users to enter one search term, either typed or spoken, that returned results simultaneously from the Internet, contacts stored on the phone and recently visited Web sites. (The ban has been stayed while under appeal.)
Searching for Fixes
Some experts worry that Apple's broad patents may give the company control of technologies that, over the last seven years, have been independently developed at dozens of companies and have become central to many devices.
"Apple could get a chokehold on the smartphone industry," said Tim O'Reilly, a publisher of computer guides and a software patent critic. "A patent is a government-sanctioned monopoly, and we should be very cautious about handing those out."
Others say the system works fine.
"Intellectual property is property, just like a house, and its owners deserve protection," said Jay P. Kesan, a law professor at the
"And if someone gets a bad patent, so what?" he said. "You can request a re-examination. You can go to court to invalidate the patent. Even rules that need improvements are better than no rules at all."
Five years ago, Congress was debating how to fix the patent system when an inventor named Stephen G. Perlman went to Capitol Hill.
Mr. Perlman worked at Apple in the 1980s. Today, he runs a start-up incubator called Rearden in
Patents are crucial to his business, Mr. Perlman said, particularly in raising money from venture capitalists and deterring large companies from copying his innovations. "When we file a patent application, it's a big deal," he said.
When Mr. Perlman went to Congress, he brought ideas to protect small inventors. He wasn't alone in suggesting solutions. Thousands of companies, from start-ups like Vlingo to large technology firms, have argued that a well-functioning patent system is essential to their success. The problems with the current system are so pervasive, they say, that the courts, lawmakers and Silicon Valley must find their own fixes.
One option is judicial activism. This year, Judge Posner, in an Illinois federal court, tossed out patent arguments made by both Apple and Motorola Mobility in a 38-page opinion that dismissed a lawsuit between the two companies. Cleaning up the patent mess, Judge Posner said in an interview, might also require reducing the duration of patents on digital technologies, which can be as long as 20 years. "That would make a big difference," he said. "After five years, these patents are mainly traps for the unwary."
Ideas have also come from policy experts and Silicon Valley. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recently published a working paper calling for the abolition of patents, saying they do more harm than good.
Another idea is to create different classes of patents, so that some kinds of inventions, like pharmaceuticals, would receive 20 years of ironclad protection, while others, like software, would receive shorter and more flexible terms.
A third suggestion was made by the Internet company
"We're just trying to do something modest," said Benjamin Lee, Twitter's legal counsel.
Similarly, law school faculty at the
But to really make a difference, such ideas require the participation of large technology companies, and the incentives to cooperate are small. So some frustrated engineers have become outspoken advocates for reform.
Mr. Perlman, the independent inventor, for instance, was hopeful his voice would be heard on Capitol Hill. But alongside Mr. Perlman were hundreds of lobbyists from high-tech corporations and the pharmaceutical industry, which often push conflicting proposals. Big technology companies, in general, want to limit the financial damages juries can award for minor patent violations, while drug makers want to make sure they can sue for billions of dollars if a single patent is violated.
These and dozens of other narrow battles have paralyzed Congress's ability to make real changes, lawmakers and lobbyists say. The last attempt, the America Invents Act, which was passed last year, achieved mostly administrative fixes, like making it easier for outsiders to challenge a patent's validity.
The new law did make one fundamental change. Since the patent system was overseen by
The shift, inventors like Mr. Perlman say, makes life harder for small entrepreneurs. Large companies with battalions of lawyers can file thousands of pre-emptive patent applications in emerging industries. Start-ups, lacking similar resources, will find themselves easy prey once their products show promise.
That is the concern of people like Mr. Phillips, the voice recognition specialist and one-time Siri partner who founded Vlingo. "Start-ups are where progress occurs," he said in an interview. "If you spend all your time in court, you can't create much technology."
In June, Mr. Phillips started work at his new employer, and former courtroom adversary, Nuance. Theoretically, his job was to help manage the companies' integration and find new technological frontiers to explore. With a background at
But he spent much of the summer on vacation, recuperating from the last six bruising years. And in September, he quit. He plans to leave voice recognition altogether, he has told friends, and find an industry with less treacherous patent terrain.Continue reading the main story


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Microsoft Surface: A Big Game-Changer but a Big Gamble
Regardless of what you may personally think about Microsoft's new Surface tablet strategy, it's undoubtedly a game-changer for the company. Not only is Microsoft entering the tablet market where it will compete head-on with Apple's phenomenally successful iPad, but the company is also revamping its business model in a major way by going up against the hardware companies with which it has traditionally partnered.
From everything I've seen, the basic Surface hardware looks quite good. There are two versions: a consumer version running an ARM-based processor and Windows RT, which runs the new Metro user interface applications and a new version of Microsoft Office; and a professional version for content creators using a new Intel Core i5 processor and the standard (x86) version of Windows 8 that should support traditional desktop Windows applications as well.
Both versions have 10.6-inch displays, with a 16:9 aspect ratio designed to watch HD content. The edges are angled at 22 degrees, which Microsoft says is optimal for viewing the screen and letting the hardware fade into the background. Both have cases created out of a new composite magnesium material Microsoft calls "VaporMg" (pronounced Vapor-Mag).
The cases both include a kickstand for viewing content, as well as optional magnetic covers that snap onto the device, but also include a keyboard and a touchpad. On the 3 mm thick "TouchCover," Surface interprets keystrokes as gestures, which the company says is better than an on screen keyboard. The 5 mm "TypeCover" adds a more traditional keyboard. I'll be interested to try these out.
Surface for Windows RT is running on an ARM-based processor, and Nvidia says it will be the company's Tegra processor. It is designed to be slim—9.3 mm, which is just thick enough for a full-sized USB 2.0 port—and light, at 676 grams (or less than 1.5 pounds). For comparison, the new iPad is 9.4 mm thin and weighs 652 grams, so it's just about the same. It has a 31.5 watt-hour battery (though the company didn't give exact battery life specs), and will be available in a 32GB and 64GB models. Microsoft said it will be timed for the Windows 8 general availability this fall, but didn't give pricing other than to say it will be competitive.
Surface for Windows 8 Pro will be thicker and heavier, but should be more powerful. With the same size display, it weighs in at 903 grams and is 13.5 mm thick. It has vents for cooling and a 42 watt-hour battery, available in 64GB and 128GB versions. Using the Intel processor, it should be compatible with existing Windows software but isn't going to include a bundled copy of Office. It will offer "digital ink" in addition to touch, meaning it will work with a stylus. The company didn't give exact prices, but said they would be priced in the range of comparable tablets or Ultrabooks. Windows Pro tablet will ship three months after the Windows RT one, which means we'll probably see hybrid Ultrabooks from other vendors first.
The tablets will sell at Microsoft's handful of retail stores and through some online channels. The company didn't clarify whether they will also be sold through normal retail channels; if not, that's a big drawback because these designs need to be seen to be successful.
Microsoft went out of its way to discuss its history of creating companions to its software, like keyboards and mice, and other hardware with the Xbox. However, this feels different to me. If the Windows RT model is out before any other Windows RT tablet (or at the same time) and costs the same, other Windows RT devices will have trouble standing out. Indeed, I saw the Asus design based on the Nvidia Tegra chip, as well as reference designs from Qualcomm and TI at Computex two weeks ago, but the only real difference I notice is that Asus is showing a more traditional keyboard.
As far as Surface for Windows 8 Pro goes, it's essentially another Intel-based hybrid Ultrabook. I saw many hybrids and touch-screen Ultrabooks at Computex, all aiming for this fall, and thought many of these looked quite good. So, while Surface appears to be a strong contender, it will face some stiff competition.
One big difference is that the Microsoft tablet is larger than most of the 13.3-inch Windows Ultrabook hybrids I saw at Computex. In addition, if this version of Surface arrives three months later than the Windows RT one, it will be late to the market.
Of course, the biggest game-changer—and the biggest gamble—for Microsoft is selling its own PCs. Microsoft's founding business model was unique in that it focused on selling software to all sorts of hardware makers, as opposed to trying to make its own PCs. So, this seems very different.
At the introduction, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer tried to reinforce Microsoft's long-standing alliances with hardware companies. "Those partnerships are essential to the reimagination of Windows," Ballmer said, and Microsoft hopes its tablets will jump start the market. I'm not sure how this doesn't come across as a threat to them, though; when Microsoft talks about how its tablets are "really high quality," that doesn't say great things about its partners.
Still, the jump start concept makes some sense. Windows RT tablets will initially face some big challenges going up against the iPad because the number of Metro applications that will run on it pales in comparison to the number available for the iPad. Microsoft is going to have to work very hard to get third party developers to create these applications in time and will have to price Surface aggressively to make the Windows RT version attractive to consumers.
Corporations may well look more favorably on the Windows Pro/Intel version, as it will presumably have all the management features that IT departments like about Windows today, as well as the ability to run the existing applications. It's still a major change, however, and one that will take some getting used to.
It may be that Microsoft just wants to enter the parts of the market where its partners weren't going to compete and will leave the standard notebook and Ultrabook market to its partners. Any way I look at it, though, this appears to be a big gamble. If Surface fails, that hurts the Windows 8 brand in the market; if Surface is successful, Microsoft's traditional OEM customers are bound to see it as a competitor. (However, it's not like they have all that many options. They could theoretically put more resources behind Android tablet, but with Google owning Motorola, it has the same issue.) I suppose if Windows 8 is really successful, that makes a bigger market for everyone. Still, it does feel like a refutation of the basic software company business model that Microsoft pioneered.
Windows 8 hybrids are an intriguing and attractive concept, and the new Surface devices look strong. It's way too early to judge their success as units are not yet ready, the software still isn't final, and pricing isn't set. (By the way, I wonder what Microsoft will do with its tablet-size touch-screen project, also known as Surface.) Overall, from every angle, it seems like a big gamble, but one that is certainly intriguing.