Nintendo Ordered to Pay $21 Million Over Patent

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/52706

Anascape, the company that apparently holds patents on everything a videogame controller can do, has won their case against Nintendo.

Nintendo was sued for using Anascape's patented technology in their GameCube, Wavebird, and Wii c!ass!c controllers. The Wiimote and Nunchuk were safe, however.

Anascape is the same company that sued Microsoft over their controllers, but MS settled with them for an undisclosed sum of money.

Nintendo intends to appeal the decision to get a discount.

Sony had a law suit out on them for the Duelshock 2, that why they came out with the sixaxis.

why are they waiting until now to sue nintendo since they apparently infringed on the patents back in the GC days?

EDIT: also, sony had a lawsuit with Immersion, not anascape

why are they waiting until now to sue nintendo since they apparently infringed on the patents back in the GC days?

EDIT: also, sony had a lawsuit with Immersion, not anascape

ogvampire

The people that had the patent needed a new yacht.

and the patented technology is...

there should be a time limit on patents. cause this is ridiculous. whats the point of patenting something if you are never gonna develope it? instead it just stays there limiting the options for other companies.

and the patented technology is...

crunchUK

Seriously, what does someone have a patent on Infared? I'm going to go patent a cheeseburger and wait for a Fast Food place to fall victim.

[QUOTE="crunchUK"]

and the patented technology is...

Mau-Justice

Seriously, what does someone have a patent on Infared? I'm going to go patent a cheeseburger and wait for a Fast Food place to fall victim.

There's a patent for stat tracking in competetive online games you know? I read it in an issue of Edge.

Nice, another company that just makes its money by suing other companies.CheeChee_Macko

Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, they should have looked into all this b4 hand, its lazyness on they part, serves them right.

$22 million is like $22 to them, same goes for MS and Sony.

[QUOTE="CheeChee_Macko"]Nice, another company that just makes its money by suing other companies.CubanBlunt

Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, they should have looked into all this b4 hand, its lazyness on they part, serves them right.

Not to mention all of them are probably swimming in money at this point. A little sharing of greedy tendencies won't kill them...

A jury should never be allowed to decide a case like this. Patents have so much twisted speak in them that it's impossible for your average person to know what the hell is going on. It should be decided by people who have specific knowledge of the subject. I also think their should be a 12 month limit for charges being filed.

Too many companies are filing patents which they never use, wait 5+ years and then sue when they think they can make a chunk of cash.

Everyone has a lawsuit from time to time, even Microsoft who had to pay over 22 million in an anti-trust charge to the EU :|thrones

http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/02/27/business/OUKBS-UK-MICROSOFT-EU.php

"Microsoft has now been fined a total of 1.68 billion euros by the EU for abusing its 95 percent dominance of PC operating systems through Windows." That must be close to 3 billion dollars

why are they waiting until now to sue nintendo since they apparently infringed on the patents back in the GC days?

EDIT: also, sony had a lawsuit with Immersion, not anascape

ogvampire

The case finally got settled, it has been going on for some time.

$22 million is like $22 to them, same goes for MS and Sony.

aka_aj03

How it's been lately for Nintendo. $22 mil is $2

[QUOTE="crunchUK"]

and the patented technology is...

Mau-Justice

Seriously, what does someone have a patent on Infared? I'm going to go patent a cheeseburger and wait for a Fast Food place to fall victim.

I'm gonna go patent some vowels. You all owe me twenty million btw.

[QUOTE="Mau-Justice"][QUOTE="crunchUK"]

and the patented technology is...

metroidfood

Seriously, what does someone have a patent on Infared? I'm going to go patent a cheeseburger and wait for a Fast Food place to fall victim.

I'm gonna go patent some vowels. You all owe me twenty million btw.

I don't think money is an issue for Nintendo, its more about pride, and Anascape is stepping all over it

GoGoGoGo. Crush the innovation out of them and store in a bottle for safe keeping. I don't want a Wii2 (or Wiii)

Before anyone can sue for patent infringement they should have to prove that they have plans for the use of whatever they patented. And that these plans would be put into action already, or the near future.Tylendal

seriously the patent system is so outdated and abused today. (esp when it comes to patenting software and life)