Nintendo controllers to be banned in the US

[Doomsday Forte]

But who the fuck are Anascape?

They're rich now, that's what. =\

Legal system = fast cash isn't it?

 

[Retal]

Legal system = fast cash isn't it?

Only in your fucked up country.

 

[webyugioh]

Like I wanted to post on GSpot...:

Didn't this happen with the PS2's DualShock2 a few years ago? And weren't they still being sold during all of the legal proceedings?
yep
QUOTEIn 2003, Immersion Corporation sued both Sony and Microsoft for infringing on the company's "haptic" technology, which allows gamers to feel their controllers vibrate in sync with action that takes place on the screen. Microsoft decided to settle out of court, and is now a licensee of Immersion's technology. Sony decided to fight in court, but lost last year when a judge ordered the PlayStation factory to pay more than $90 million in damages.

In addition, Sony was ordered to stop selling both the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, as well as several games that used the force feedback system. Sony immediately appealed and was granted a stay, but was required to pay Immersion licensing fees while it continued to sell products that infringed on Immersion's patents.

Sony brought the case back in court last week, basing its argument on the fact that Immersion withheld information about previous haptic-technology inventions made by Craig Thorner, who previously consulted with Immersion. Sony claims it could have used some of the concealed information in its case to render Immersion's patents invalid.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that US District Judge Claudia Wilken denied Sony's motion to overturn the decision. According to the WSJ, Wilken claimed that Thorner's pro-Sony testimony was "unreliable" and that there is reason to believe that Sony paid him $150,000 "quid pro quo" for his services.

Sony still has an outstanding appeal with the US Court of Appeals for the stay of injunction. Should that case fail, Sony would be legally required to pay the entire $90.7 million and decide whether or not to pay Immersion licensing fees. If Sony opts not to become one of Immersion's licensees, which includes BMW, Logitech, and Mad Catz, the company would have to find an alternative design for its DualShock controllers.

 

[FAST6191]

I know I have been up for about 2 hours now but I am going to claim otherwise and say were I not to have just got up I would make a pun along the lines of if games are outlawed only outlaws will play games but that is not going to happen right now.

Hopefully third party controller makers will step up, else my plastics forming kit as well as soldering iron and I are going even more busy than ever

@Retal no argument the US legal system is little more than a joke these days but equally the jokes about the UK being the 51st state are getting to be more and more relevant by the day (see recent 'temp workers laws, cryptography laws, extreme porn laws, COVA legislation and just about every law it seems coming through).

 

[Retal]

Sadly I do not know where to access a digestible breakdown of current British law, however as a recent victim of inappropriate laws in this country I cannot disagree with you.

 

[silent sniper]

I still don't know what the patent covers!

 

[nando]

They really need to make it so if you don't file a claim within a year of a products creation you can't do shit even with a patent, filing years later for a product is just ridiculous.

actually they need to make it so if you don't implement the patent into an actual product within the year then the patent is not valid.

i had this great idea of a device in the form of a wrist band that can translate brain impulses into actions so you can literary control a video game with your mind. now i could go ahead and patent this idea with absolutely no means or know how on how to actually make it happen and wait for someone else to figure it out so i can sue them... but it's simply not right.

 

[PBC]

Too bad brain impulses aren't accessable from the wrist. Small muscle movements...but thats a WIImote....and there are already video mind control devices...they read from your scalp like an fMRI or EMG, with a combo of other inputs as well. EmotivEPOC...check it out...

As for the topic at hand...So nintendo has to pay royalities. Big woop? I think they will nintendopower through it.

 

[nando]

it was just a theoretical situation to illustrate the lack of morality in US law.

 

[jesterscourt]

Basically, these people made a patent that so vaguely defines a controller/input for a videogame system, it covers just about anything. It makes me wonder if the fake company will go after Sega for the Dreamcast controller next.

 

[Whizz]

So this is why Nintendo filed a patent for that new controller. It's a classic controller and gamecube controller in one.

 

[silent sniper]

And they let that patent pass? Those bastards.

 

[Mewgia]

And they let that patent pass? Those faggots.

You can get a patent on nearly anything as long as you can convince the judge that you have a viable case.
And that generally isn't too difficult

 

[steve007]

heheh i broke the law then i have one lol