Japanese inventor sues Nintendo over use of 3D technology.

[McHaggis]

Seijiro Tomita, a Japanese inventor, has taken Nintendo to court, claiming that he invented the technology used to create the 3D effect on the LCD screen used by the 3DS.

According to Tomita's attorney, Joe Diamante, he displayed a prototype of his technology for seven Nintendo officials at the company's headquarters in 2003, while his patent application was pending. He was looking for licensee partners at the time.

Tomita, a former employee of Sony Corp., felt "betrayed" and "hurt" when he found out that four of the seven people present at his meeting would go on to help develop the 3DS system.

Nintendo's lawyers have hit back, saying that the 3DS's technology comes from another vendor, and doesn't use the "cross-point" feature mentioned in Tomita's patent.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/02/nintendo_facing_lawsuit_over_3d_technology_on_the_3ds

I bet when Nintendo were courting potential partners, they didn't expect they'd be seeing one again in an actual courtroom a few years later. (I'm actually going to apologise for that one, sorry everyone!)

 

[emigre]

Nintendo are doomed.

 

[McHaggis]

Nintendo are doomed.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

 

[Gahars]

But I thought only Sony stole. Nintendo is supposed to be the one original innovator.

My life is built around a lie.

 

[Foxi4]

Looks like somebody's cross with Nintendo, to the point of suing them.

Find the pun.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Shouldn't he be taking Sharp to court instead? Nintendo didn't manufacture those screens.

 

[Foxi4]

Shouldn't he be taking Sharp to court instead? Nintendo didn't manufacture those screens.

If Nintendo holds the rights and Sharp merely manufactures the screens for them, you sue Nintendo. Similarily you don't sue Foxconn when one of the consoles manufactured by them infringes upon your IP, you sue the patent holder.

There's also a matter of whether the patent concerns a particular type of technology only or perhaps the use of said technology, as that too can be patented.

 

[PolloDiablo]

According to Tomita's attorney, Joe Diamante...

 

[BORTZ]

This sounds like some nobody claiming to have a child to someone famous, dragging that famous individual into court just to have the nobody slapped around by the high end lawyers and shiz.

Its desperate and sad really.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

If Nintendo holds the rights and Sharp merely manufactures the screens for them, you sue Nintendo. Similarily you don't sue Foxconn when one of the consoles manufactured by them infringes upon your IP, you sue the patent holder.

There's also a matter of whether the patent concerns a particular type of technology only or perhaps the use of said technology, as that too can be patented.

I thought Sharp was the one who created the screen technology though, and Nintendo just used their screens?

 

[Ergo]

It's Sharp's tech, so unless Nintendo made some rather large modifications to implementation, he's suing the wrong company.

(Makes more sense to sue Nintendo, money-wise, since Sharp--like a number of other Japanese used-to-bes--is on the ropes.)

 

[Qtis]

Also guys, don't forget about that "annoying WiiU controller rattle" suit!

 

[pwsincd]

The delay is astounding , did this guy just climb out from under a preverbial rock ? seriously ?

 

[McHaggis]

Also guys, don't forget about that "annoying WiiU controller rattle" suit!

The first time I realised the GamePad buttons rattled, I shook it a little and the game I was playing crashed; I want me some of Nintendo's money! At least 30 minutes in Iwata's money shower should suffice.

 

[KingVamp]

Now when did the 3ds release and he/she is saying something now? I don't know, it seem he/she (the person suing) should be shot down just on that.

 

[emigre]

Now when did the 3ds release and he/she is saying something now? I don't know, it seem he/she (the person suing) should be shot down just on that.

He was too busy in a state of betrayal and hurt to start legal proceedings.

 

[Wizerzak]

They haven't even used the same technology as him. It's probably more akin to him inventing a car, then Nintendo coming along and using the idea of 4 wheels as this is what they had seen throughout in their "hundreds of meetings".

What's more likely is that this 58 year old guy is slightly short on cash and wants an early retirement.

 

[PolloDiablo]

Nintendo as ALWAYS STEALING IDEAS THE SHOULD BE LIKE US SONY WE ARE THE ORIGINAL GAMING GODS

welcome back, we missed you!

 

[XDel]

If this is true, then it's not good business practice. They least they can do is give credit where credit is due, if it is in fact due. That's one aspect of all corporations that I dislike is when they take a technology that has been in development behind the scenes and push it into the main stream spot light, it seems they never give the original inventors the credit they deserve, otherwise we would not be seeing Sony, Nintendo, and Microsloth in court for such things all the time.

 

[mysticwaterfall]

Successful things get sued like this all the time, usually nothing comes of it since it's just people trying for quick money. Dozens of people have claimed to have invented harry potter and sued. And let's not forget Nintendo was also sued over the Wiimote and they won that.