MarketWatch reports that the video game industry grew 6% in 2005, weighing in at $10.5 billion. That's quite a sum of money, given that as reported by Fox, box office receipts for the movie industry were below $9 billion in 2005. Ironically, the market for flagship game consoles and related software shrank, allegedly due in part to the supply shortages of the new Xbox 360.

Other random industry samples for 2005:

• Father's day gifts - $8.23 billion
• Used books - $2 billion
• Aerospace industry - $170 billion
• U.S. beef industry - $78 billion
• Live Auctions - $217.2 billion
• Halloween - $3.3 billion
• Residential water treatment - $2.6 billion
• U.S. sales of generic drugs - $28 billion
• Search engine marketing - $5.75 billion
• Hot tea - $6.8 billion
• Hot Coffee - Well, that's another IP issue entirely.
  

I can't wait for next year...

Following up on a previous post, two Hollywood video game store owners and a third man who were charged in December for allegedly pirating video games and installing them on modified Microsoft Corp. Xbox consoles were indicted on Thursday, according to the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

Read more here.

Well I have been a little slack about posting over the holidays. Hasn't been much news or developments to keep up with in the past month, anyway. To start off the new year we are beginning development of a new Patent Arcade logo. Look for it soon, errr, eventually. If you have any ideas to suggest, let me know.

-Ross