Nintendo and Sony sued over controller patent

Written by Joe Martin

January 11, 2008 | 10:29

Tags: #copper #lawsuit #nunchuck #patent #ps3 #psp #sixaxis #wii #wiimote

Companies: #sony

Everyday it seems another crazy lawsuit pops up and every single day we pay no mind to the wacky turnings of the legal world - rarely do such patent infringements end happily and seldom do they bother us much. This new lawsuit though may be a little bit different...

Copper Innovations Group, a company we've never heard of before, is, according to GameSpot, suing both Nintendo and Sony for patent violation in their consoles. Copper is claiming that twelve years ago it filed a patent which "covers a method for connecting devices to a system and sorting their inputs by means of hardware identification numbers tied to each transmission".

Yeah, it's a vague patent, but that's the point. Copper Innovations is alleging that Sony and Nintendo have both violated that patent with their controllers. Both Wii and PlayStation 3 controllers use Bluetooth to connect to the main console, assigning each controller a player identity which remains fixed to the hardware.

The lawsuit specifically names a number of devices, including the PS3 Blu-Ray remote as well as the game controllers for both systems.

Where it gets really interesting though is in regards to the punishment being sought. Copper Innovations is wanting not only legal costs and damages covered by both companies, but also an injunction which would stop Sony and Nintendo infringing on the patent - driving the duo back to the drawing board. No, we can't see that happening either.

Does Copper Innovations have a leg to stand on, or are they money-grubbers of the worst kind? Let us know your thoughts in the forum!
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