counterweight, a dead style?

alright, so if you didn’t already know Steve Brown invented using a counterweight on the end of the yoyo string. this became the style known as 5a. Steve Brown sold the patent to 5a to duncan. lately, duncan has been enforcing it’s hold on the counterweight patent (much like they did with the name of yoyo). during contests, all CWs must be manufactured by duncan. nobody other then duncan can post results for 5a. the list goes on (if you want to know more, read up on it). what I want to know is: Will duncan’s crackdown on 5a influence if you’re gonna play it, and would this be enough to kill the style?

Im looking forward to reading your responses.

http://yoyojam.com/yoyojam/yoyojam-first-licensee-of-duncan-counterweight/

so if i compete in a counter weight i cant use ones i make?

With all due respect Tag, there is some misinformation here.

Contests are practically unaffected by the patent. People can still use dice with holes drilled in them, or SpinTop Buttons. Duncan said that people will not be pursued for using a CW of their choice at contests.

Also, results for 5A can be posted by anyone, but companies aren’t allowed to say “The 5A division was dominated by our very own Who and who using our very own this yoyo”.

Just needed to clear up inaccuraces. Oh, and this thread is going to be a pretty touchy subject, considering 99% of threads dealing with the 5A patents get locked.

And as far as your question goes, I don’t really play 5A, but if I wanted to start, the patent crack down wouldn’t affect my resoning to do so at all. I see no reason why I would have to be a rebel and boycott 5A, no one else is.

In my opinion, no. :slight_smile:

Dead horse over here…  ;)

This patent thing is going wild. This whole thing patent is just sick to me.

This too will pass.

Remember waaayyy back when…
Duncan had a trademark on the word yoyo.
No? Didn’t think so. 8)

HAHAHA i never liked 5a, its a nice style, but the hitting of the bag and cucumber is seriously pissing me off. i hope it goes dead >:( especially since duncan is running it. i dont exactly like duncan… they had this one thing called a yoyo cover, something that goes on the side of a duncan yoyo and has jewels and stuff
and
on the packaging
it says
“if it isnt a duncan, it isnt a yoyo” which is retarded.

Yoyojam and Duncan are now making a 5a a semi mutual thing so now yyj will make cw and cw yoyos

[quote=“zomah2,post:9,topic:19792”]

Stop - Making - This - Thread. Its been closed like 9 times already take a hint.

ohlookitsthisthreadagain.jpg

The fact that Duncan has started licensing 5A is more then enough reason to drop this discussion and any bashing of their company.  Please note - any threads that are straight out ‘bashing’ a company or ‘individual’ will be locked here - we do not approve of this type of thing on our forums.

Everything is clearly explained here:
http://www.yo-yo.com/Temp/DuncanToysCounterweightPlayQA.pdf