The porn industry is often one of the early adopters for new technologies. VR is no exception.
Virtual Immersion Technologies LLC is enforcing its patent against live VR porn operators. The patent 6,409,599 (“the ’599 patent”) is entitled “Interactive Virtual Reality Performance Theater Entertainment System.” It relates to an immersive virtual reality environment, in which a live performer interacts with one or more participants, and includes live or prerecorded video and tools to enable the performer and the participant to each partially control the experience. The patent is not limited to VR porn, but likely covers VR interactions in other contexts.
As the wide-scale commercialization of VR becomes more real, there is a rapid increase in patent filings for VR technology and applications of VR. The number of patent lawsuits is likely to increase as the number of patent filings increase as well. Many aspects of VR can be patented, yet often VR companies do not fully appreciate the scope of what is possible. If you are innovating in the VR space, speak to a patent attorney who can help guide you. You may be surprised at what you can patent!