Nintendo Wiimote Patent Infringement Suit

[PV5150]

Nintendo finds themselves in the firing line, as accusations of alleged patent violation surface over their new Wiimote. What are the implications for Nintendo should they lose this suit? Considering that the Wiimote is one of the defining features of their new console. Feel free to voice your opinion below...

Linkage

 

[Rastalovich]

My heart tells me Nintendo should eff em, coz they`re a lovely fluffy company.

My head says they`ll probably settle for it if the lawyers think they need to.

Having said that, I bet there are 50 million concepts for a controller that shaped. Tricky, some1`s always after a buck.

I wonder if the likes of Atari and Collecovision should start looking back in their archives and sue everyone!

 

[nathan]

strange how many companies come out moaning about patent infringment as soon as a console comes out, think the 360 had the same problem. not sure bout ps3 mind you. Just the companies trying to earn a quick penny or two.

 

[Rastalovich]

An uncle of mine used to bang on (he`s pushing 90 now, so he doesn`t bang on so much >.< ) about some guy in South Wales invented the first joystick - don`t know if we got any serious research guyz here who could verify that. Saying that, it would be typical if some1 invented one and did nothing about it, then some1 nicked it. Sounds like the telephone and the television.

 

[FarFarAway]

That looks nothing like the Wii-mote nor does it seem to work like the Wii-mote

Fight the stewards I say

 

[Nagaru]

This seems frivolous to me, but I maybe wrong. My guess is that Nintendo will settle out of court though just to avoid bad publicity.

 

[Ham]

I hope nintedo flaten them like a tank going over a drinks can.

 

[Rastalovich]

Isn`t it strange how people, including myself, fully get behind Nintendo giving some1 a kick in the teeth for trying to sue them - when on the other side of things, if it were m$/Sony we maybe wouldn`t.

Nintendo the people`s champion in gaming ? hmm

 

[nathan]

dont think nintendo play dirty like microsoft and sony. Dont ask me for evidence for this as i have none what so ever

 

[mrapoc]

Unless the company does actaully have a case

 

[nathan]

Unless the company does actaully have a case

yeah, theres that too..

 

[FragTek]

Nintendo will shut these money grubbing bafoons down. There is no resemblence between the two remotes, and I highly doubt that company invented the motion sensor. Some companies are really brazen these days...

 

[Doddsy]

Surely if this company has a case to sue over the motion-sensitivity then sony has a case to sue them over the same thing. Sony patented a motion sensitive controller in 2001, read something a while ago about how they thought about suing nintendo, don't think anything came of it.

 

[ady_flame]

i heard the other way round, that sony stole from nintendo lol ! and they stole "live" from m$

 

[Doddsy]

They probably did steal live from ms but you can find the patent online for the motion sensing controller (sixaxis) that sony patented quite a while ago.

 

[ady_flame]

tbh i dont see how people can claim a "motion sensor" controller their idea so no1 else can use it...

 

[Sticky Mick]

Jeeeez!! How long has the Wii been in development, 2 years or more?

Isn't that long enough for other companies to look and say "We'll have to discuss that bit, 'cos it looks too much like our bit."

The thing is, it's difficult to patent an "idea" unless you have some hard copy with dates and "Patent applied for" certification.

These people just wanna stop whining and get on with their own business. It's not as if Nintendo bought the controllers off Interlink, scratched out the name and replaced it with Nintendo.

 

[Phnom_Penh]

What I think they're basing this on is the idea that the controller acts kind of like a light gun, that you move the remote, and it leads to the output from the sensor box being changed. There two points from this that interest me.

1. If it's not the above, then they're basically going after Nintendo for having a controller that is similar to a lot of project, and some tv remotes.

2. If it is the above, why the **** did Nintendo even bother with the control strip? they could have used the accelerometers (mems) in the controller to get the same response anyway.

 

[ady_flame]

at the end of the day, i doubt they could be bothered to do anything with lawyers and will end up just paying them anyway so i guess thats why every1 sues every1

 

[PV5150]

Wow this news article got a workout Regardless of whether Nintendo has allegedly violated the patent, I think it's high time they addressed the complex nature the way patents are held and allocated. Sure it's fair to protect ones intellectual property, but it has become so ridiculous, and the lines are no longer clearly black and white (more grey actually) that one company can't really help but tread on another's toes.