Nintendo, Sony sued for alleged patent infringement

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 11th 2008 at 1:15PM }

A Pennsylvania company has filed suit against Nintendo and Sony for allegedly violating its patent held for a "hand held computer input apparatus and method." The Wiimote, Nunchuk, Sixaxis, and PS3 Blu-ray remote were all named in the lawsuit filed last month in the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Copper Innovations Group claims that these devices infringe on its 1996 patent for a method of sorting devices connected to a system by number identification.

Copper is after a cut of Wii's lucrative profits and PS3's (once there are some), seeking payment for damages, with interest, and legal fees. Copper is also calling for a permanent injunction that would prohibit Nintendo, Sony and 3rd-party manufacturers from further infringing on the patent.

Tags: blu-ray-remote, lawsuit, legal, nunchuk, patent, sixaxis, wiimote

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

aaron_k7 @ Jan 11th 2008 1:17PM

I hate patent trolls...

Ignatius @ Jan 11th 2008 1:48PM

I'm off to patent common sense, just try and use it, I'll sue your ass into the ground!

Oh, and I'll only pick hugely successful companies, of course. More money for me.

Worst Review Ever @ Jan 11th 2008 2:54PM

I have the feeling that, for the most part, you'll have that "common sense" all to your self.

B1gC72 @ Jan 11th 2008 9:11PM

yea patent trolls are the absolute worst. just out to make a quick buck at someone elses expense. i think patents are too vague anyway.

"hand held computer input apparatus and method"

couldnt that be just about any remote control? no one person or group should have this much power over such a vague idea.

aaron_k7 @ Jan 11th 2008 1:17PM

I hate patent trolls...

Russell @ Jan 11th 2008 1:18PM

apparatus=portal. i like cake.

Russell @ Jan 11th 2008 1:18PM

apparatus=portal. i like cake.

dan stabbingworth @ Jan 11th 2008 1:22PM

Comment system FTL?

Daniel @ Jan 11th 2008 1:35PM

Whatever it is they patented looks more like a dildo, honestly.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 11th 2008 1:39PM

Guess who is next in the "Sue" list?

Exo @ Jan 11th 2008 1:20PM

stop double posting

Exo @ Jan 11th 2008 1:20PM

stop double posting

Mr.ESC @ Jan 11th 2008 1:28PM

Irony is a cruel lady.

Russell @ Jan 11th 2008 1:32PM

Russell @ Jan 11th 2008 1:33PM

Exo @ Jan 11th 2008 1:43PM

"Irony is a cruel lady."

it would be if i haden't done it on purpose

Exo @ Jan 11th 2008 1:43PM

"Irony is a cruel lady."

it would be if i haden't done it on purpose

Exo @ Jan 11th 2008 1:45PM

lol

seriously though, i dont get how you can do that without trying to

Poisoned Al @ Jan 11th 2008 2:47PM

It's a case of the false idea of "clicking it makes it go faster." When you press the submit button, the reply is sent over the internet tubes to the sever. Sometimes the server is a bit slow loading up the next page so the reply button is left on screen. Pressing it again sends the post again so it's posted twice. Also, data requests are rarely lost, but sometimes it might take time to process, so the data gets put in a queue until the server it ready for it. The user see that the page hasn't updated straight away so mashes the reply button.

It happens to all of us sooner or later so don't get cocky.

NeverSage @ Jan 11th 2008 3:02PM

Actually, a couple days ago I definitely only pressed the button once, the next screen failed to load so I just restarted firefox. And there it was, two posts! Curse you intraweb!

Mr Khan @ Jan 11th 2008 4:10PM

That's how its been happening to me. If i'm on Internet Explorer, it will go to "Cannot Find Server" after i click once, i hit refresh and two comments are there. If i'm on Firefox, i get a blank white screen, hit refresh and get the same thing

hvnlysoldr @ Jan 11th 2008 7:14PM

Profile 0 or as I call him MissingNo. is cruel and has stolen my comments.

I also laugh at the patent troll.

hvnlysoldr @ Jan 11th 2008 7:14PM

Profile 0 or as I call him MissingNo. is cruel and has stolen my comments.

I also laugh at the patent troll.

jmtb02 @ Jan 11th 2008 1:23PM

I always find it interesting that people wait for years before filing these lawsuits just so they can get the profit... I mean, really, the reason behind a patent is to protect a method, not to be a lottery entry for a lawsuit down the road.

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Jan 11th 2008 1:28PM

Anyone can think of an idea, but it takes a lot of money and man-power to make it happen. This guy couldn't have done it if his life depended on it. For a start, he doesn't have a fan-base like Sony and Nintendo have had for many years. Ugh, just such a silly case. I hope the judge laughs at him.

FOXHOUND @ Jan 11th 2008 1:25PM

*sigh* ... another ridiculous lawsuit.

Christian @ Jan 11th 2008 1:26PM

Hopefully the recent US supreme court rulings on patents will lead to the court quickly throwing this patent out the door as something obvious which shouldn't have been granted a patent in the first place.

Marty @ Jan 11th 2008 1:26PM

That patent image looks more like a mouse than a wand.

Marty @ Jan 11th 2008 1:27PM

That patent image looks more like a mouse than a wand.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 11th 2008 1:33PM

More like those ol' barely functional wireless mousses (mice?). I had one and it barely worked, it was annoying and looked sort of like a wii-mote except it didn’t work when you point it to the screen oh no, you had to use a damn trackball which is no good when you are using Windows 95.

It needed lot’s of batteries to work which didn’t last enough, at the end I throw it away. It looked cool tho’.

snowy @ Jan 11th 2008 1:30PM

Can you patent having a button on a remote???

Shadow Hog @ Jan 11th 2008 1:30PM

I'm sorry, WHAT does their product do again? Sort things? What the hell does that have to do with the Wii's controller again? Or the Sixaxis? Or the Blu-Ray remote control, the thing I'd think LEAST likely to provide copyright infringement (seriously, it's a goddamn remote controller, so unless I'm missing something, you might as well sue all TV companies who produced remotes after January 1996)?

I hope this lawsuit is struck down, and hard. It's ridiculous.

ballistic @ Jan 11th 2008 2:00PM

hmm from reading the patent. it claims to have domain over wireless devices that require an identification number to send thing in and out.

from that stand point depending on how sony and nintendo run their wireless devices they could have a point.

thing that Nintendo and sony can do are as follows:

A: nullify the patent stating prior use of it before them. for example using wireless networks and claim that it would be obvious to apply that technology to a wireless mouse or such.

B: argue the merits of the identification number. stating that they use use a different system.

C: pay them off and find alternative means to make it work. Nintendo could do is use the wavebird interface. sony use usb wirless devices for wireless.

weird that microsoft wasn't hit. maybe they paid them already.

wickedpheonix @ Jan 11th 2008 3:45PM

@ ballistic

MS wasn't hit because 1) there are wired controllers for the 360 and most importantly 2) The player number for the 360 is marked by a quadrant of a circle on the controller, not a number as it is on the Sixaxis and Wiimote.

steve @ Jan 11th 2008 1:32PM

definite troll. I doubt any wireless mouse manufacturer licensed this patent and he hasn't sued them. Also, he has given up his right to sue Nintendo because he didn't sue when Wavebird came out

polar @ Jan 11th 2008 1:33PM

I'm surprised they didn't file in Texas!

Zertoss @ Jan 11th 2008 1:43PM

That's because we have a little-known clause here in TX that states that the losing party in a frivolous lawsuit gets the chair.

Those other boneheads making news lately are soooooo screwed.

FOXHOUND @ Jan 11th 2008 2:32PM

LoL I don't remember where I saw it on TV, but I remember someone saying they solved their planet's lawyer problem by having them face the same punishment/fees as the losing party.