News
Nintendo loses patent lawsuit
Christopher Dring May 15 2008, 10:38am
Comments (8)
Firm ordered to pay $21 million after infringing controller patent
Nintendo has been found guilty of infringing on a patent while designing controllers for GameCube and Wii.
The hardware developer has been told to pay Texas-based gaming company Anascape $21 million, the Associated Press reports. The jury found that Nintendo infringed on Anascape’s patent during the design process for the Wii Classic, WaveBird and Gamecube pads.
Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta said Nintendo will appeal to ‘significantly’ reduce the $21 million sum, and that the company is pleased no infringement was found with its motion-sensing technology used in the Wii Remote and Nunchuck.
Anascape also sued Microsoft for similar infringements, but reached an agreement before the start of its trial with Nintendo.
Comments
“Nintendo rule”
Posted: May 15, 11:27am
Nintendo stealing other peoples ideas? Never.
“Re: Nintendo rule”
Posted by: Dale - May 15, 12:09pm
@ last guy to post
i hope you realise that it is VERY hard not to infringe on a patent. Sony infringed on one for their dual shock rumble. Microsoft also infringed on one for their 360 controller and nintendo for the game cube controller.
I find it funny how you are targeting nintendo specificaly when sony and microsoft have made the same mistakes.
“Re: Nintendo rule”
Posted: May 15, 12:27pm
Why bring MS and Sony into this? No one has said they haven't ever infringed on patents, you just made that assumption. F**k off, fanboy.
“Re: Nintendo rule”
Posted: May 15, 2:22pm
Well done. Less than 3 hours for the use of the F-word. Funny how everyone is so highly strung around here and defensive of their preferred console. Get a life...
“Re: Nintendo rule”
Posted: May 15, 2:23pm
F-word meaning fanboy for clarification...
The most overused word on the internet today.
“Is that stolen, too?”
Posted by: Zed Zee - May 15, 2:47pm
"Nintendo...is pleased no infringement was found with its motion-sensing technology used in the Wii Remote and Nunchuck."
Why? Is that one stolen, too?!
“Re: Is that stolen, too?”
Posted by: Matty - May 15, 4:43pm
Apparently the patent was filed in 2000, LONG AFTER the rumble add-on feature was sold for the N64 controller, so how can Nintendo be sued when they clearly had the idea before the patent was filed???
I rarely understand these cases anyway...
“Re: Is that stolen, too?”
Posted by: Bluejonny - May 27, 3:43pm
NEWSFLASH:
Intellivision to sue Nintendo for Wii Graphics Infringement.
Sources suggest that games giant Intellivision were not best pleased with the apparent "copied" graphical abilities of the Wii. A spokesperson for Intellivision stated "We are investigating the possibility of suing Nintendo for making Wii graphics look the same as that of the Intellivision"
Colecovision are watching the developments.