Crowd in a Box sues Inflatable Crowd for patent violation

Fortune Small Business ^ | 6/26/07 | Elizabeth Wright

[ProtectOurFreedom]

You've seen them in Million-Dollar Baby, Be Cool, and Ocean's 13: stands crammed with spectators cheering for the hero. But in the movies, sometimes not even the extras are real. To cut costs, filmmakers dress up inflatable vinyl torsos to intersperse among real people in crowd scenes. Now the two startups in the market are squaring off in court. Crowd in a Box (crowdinabox.com), which holds patents issued in 2004 and 2005 for the use of inflatable humanoid figures in background scenes, is suing Inflatable Crowd for patent violation.

Joe Biggins, owner of Inflatable Crowd (inflatablecrowd.com), declines to comment on the suit but says he came up with the dummy idea independently in 2002, while working on the crew of Seabiscuit. Since then Biggins, 35, has become the market leader, placing his inflatables in more than 50 feature films, while Crowd in a Box has five (plus five TV shows and 22 commercials).

"He seems to have better connections in Hollywood than we do," admits Crowd in a Box co-owner Mark Woolpert, 58, who anticipates a court date in November.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The jokes just write themselves. Have at it...

[theDentist]

The gallery will be packed with quiet supporters of both sides...

[yobid]

Save your breath for your inflatable date

—R.Dangerfield

[cripplecreek]

Probably made in Mexico to be the crowd Americans won’t be.

[Calpernia]

This is something to look for when we see pictures of anti war protest events.

[COBOL2Java]

Wonder if they sell inflatable HOV passengers...

[battlecry]

Next they will be voting.

[COBOL2Java]

[Agent Smith]

Only if they are registered democRATS.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I'm starting Crowd Full Of Hot Air so that I can get in on the action.

[tje]

Ahh, well DUmmies have to work too...

[isthisnickcool]

Her box in a box for you.

[JRios1968]

[higgmeister]

Crowd in a Box sues Inflatable Crowd for patent violation,

Aren’t they afraid “Clown in a Courtroom” will sue both of them?

[Lorianne]

Ha! They need to make them mobile. Inflatable crowds are always in demand for “Million Whatever” marches in Washington.

[bigfootbob]

What ever happened to the actress from this scene, and the other guy, too?

[Lorianne]

Those are old hat. People have been using them for years. Big fine if you get caught, however.

[Calpernia]

I worked in marketing for years and never encountered an event where I need to look for a blow up person. Thankfully!

[Petronski]

Since then Biggins, 35, has become the market leader, placing his inflatables in more than 50 feature films, and campaign rallies for Ron Paul and John McCain.

[Domandred]

I’m laughing and I haven’t even read the article yet.