Nintendo and Microsoft sued for “patent violations”
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 2:22pm by Jake
Anascape has filled suit against both major companies Nintendo, and Microsoft over violation of “controller patents”. The infringements include: “Remote Controller with Analog Pressure Sensors”, and “Game Controller with Analog Pressure Sensors.” The claim includes 10 more patent violations that deal with a users input into a device.
They are seeking damages with interest. In addition, they are asking the courts to instruct these two companies to pay them license fees in case they are allowed to continue selling gaming consoles with controllers infringing on their patents.
Give me a break! Just another ploy from a society of sue happy companies trying to squeeze one more dime out of failure to act on their own designs. My question is: Where’s Sony in all this?
via Techwhack
Update: Yes this was filed (and covered) in 2006, but to my knowledge not resolved. Just bringing the issue back up. Anyone know if there was an outcome?
May 7th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
When are they gonna get bored of doing this. It’s pathetic. Analog Pressure Sensors on a controller? That’s been around since the PS2’s Dualshock was released 8 years ago…
May 7th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Wait….pressure sensitive…analog buttons? Which buttons on the wii controller are pressure sensitive?
May 7th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
OHHHH NOOOOOOO.
HOW IS NINTENDO GOING TO PAY FOR THIIIIIIS.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Why wasn’t this news in 2006…
May 7th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
neither wii nor 360 controllers do anything button wise that hasnt been done before. this obviously wont go anywhere, not that history of buttons really matters. can they get away with suing 2 companies whos supposed patent infringing controllers have been out for nearly 2 years? if so, the law needs to be fixed, no more then 6 month wait, or you arent paying attention to your segment of the world.
if they have a patent on game controls, they should be able to see controllers as well used as these
May 7th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Let’s assume it does go to court…..
Between Nintendo and Microsoft both, I’m pretty sure they can afford a hell of a lot more lawyers than this obscure company ever could. The litigation would be trudged through courts for so long, that by the time any kind of decision would be made, the industry would already be a hardware generation and a half past the supposed “infringement” technologies. I don’t these guys are thinking things out completely. Microsoft could probably afford to simply buy their company outright, and shut it down, selling off all its assets, and terminating all its employees. And they could probably do all that for cheaper than what the court costs would be….
May 7th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
The point of these claims is that they don’t go to court. Nintendo and Microsoft have great lawyers, sure, but they’re expensive lawyers, and even if you win you don’t get all your costs back. They will pay some go-away money and the whole thing will be settled out of court.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
@Dustin Rue
The analog stick.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
@lifeisaglich: The claim refers to a “remote controller with analog pressure sensors”. The nunchuck is not a remote. It is a games controller.
Anyway, yeah, if this company knew what they were doing, they probably would have raised hell in 2006/early 2007. This is garbage, as far as I’m concerned, and probably won’t go anywhere.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I believe the pressure sensitive buttons they are talking about is like the cross, triangle, square and circle buttons ont eh PS2 controller. on games like Star Ocean. pressing the button harder will perform a different task. instead of the button being digital and only having activate/unactivate, it has multiple possible activate presses, and a deactivate.
I think the R and L buttons ont he GC controller/Wii classic controller use the same technology.
waltermh has got it right. This should be done like charging people rent in the game of Monopoly. If you don’t notice another player has landed on your mayfair until after the turn is over, you can’t do a thing about it.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I’d like to know exactly which buttons they’re suing over - N64 analog stick or buttons on the Wiimote or something in between? I know if you don’t protect your patent you can’t retroactively gain licensing fees. This was a big deal with JPEG and GIF codecs - companies tried to retroactively assess fees from over a decade but lost because they hadn’t protected their patent for so long. Sound like the same thing could well happen here. I wouldn’t be surprised if MS/Ninty (and Sony if involved) countersued.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Sooo…umm….this was covered in 2006. Why post it now?
It’s been 2 years since this article was written.
So what? I don’t get it. Has VG news suddenly dried up?
This isn’t new news IMO.
May 7th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
“Give me a break! Just another ploy from a society of sue happy companies trying to squeeze one more dime out of failure to act on their own designs.”
Way to jump to conclusions there, bud. You have no idea what these people have gone through. Their case might be legitimate and justified.
May 7th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
^gojiguy
I have the copyright to the name “gojiguy”, and have the patent on the “hamburger”. I also have original patents to a Italian with a occupation in the plumbing industry as well as rights to a green tunic dressed swordsman.
You see how ridiculous this is? The patents for “controllers” are too simplistic. Guess what…a TV remote is a….remote. Bam. Suit.
Just not seeing their side, “bud”
May 7th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Oh God here we go, another lawsuit! What is it with these companies? If every patent was broken/sued for, I guarantee only a hand-full of companies would actually succeed in the business industry.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I wonder what else Nintendo and Microsoft will get sued for next time.