ITC investigating Nintendo patent infringement

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 18th 2008 at 8:45PM }

The International Trade Commission has agreed to look into claims, made by Hillcrest Laboratories, that Nintendo infringed on several of the company's patents with the Wii. According to Reuters, the ITC has the power to block products from entering the United States if Hillcrest's claims are found to have merit.

Nintendo stated it will "vigorously defend this action," which it is sure to do with its ~~buckets~~ chasms full of cash. Nintendo's success has certainly been, in the words of a great 20th century poet, a case of "mo' money, mo' problems." Nintendo recently lost one patent case, and there are always more popping up.

Tags: hillchrest-laboratories, hillcrest, hillcrest-labs, investigation, lawsuit, nintendo, probe

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

WRE @ Sep 18th 2008 8:55PM

Dude, fuck patent trolls.

Red Leader @ Sep 18th 2008 9:33PM

Fuck! You beat me to it.

FSK405K @ Sep 18th 2008 9:33PM

Hillcrest: putting wiimotes on the market years before Nintendo started marketing them, right?

zlickrick @ Sep 18th 2008 9:35PM

Dugg for "mo' money, mo' problems." - Wait, where am I?

nofriendo @ Sep 18th 2008 10:00PM

"when I grow up I want to be a patent infrigerator"

Koopaknight29 - (Nintendo Loyalist) @ Sep 18th 2008 10:30PM

I guess no one will be getting Wii for Christmas at this rate.

You know this will only end in the general masses rioting in the streets...

T.H. @ Sep 18th 2008 11:37PM

First, Hillcrest Laboratories is not a patent troll. They do have products out for years on motion controllers. Second they will lose because of prior art as well as Nintendo having patents on motion controllers filed before they did.

WRE @ Sep 19th 2008 1:20AM

If they weren't patent trolls then they would have known what you (apparently) know and would never have pursued the issue.

why not the LS2LS7? @ Sep 19th 2008 1:35AM

The ITC is a piece of crap. It works outsides our courts and you are presumed guilty until proven innocent. If you don't respond rapidly, they will stop ship on your products.

It's the ultimate tool of a patent troll.

t_m @ Sep 19th 2008 5:27AM

If any of these megacorps would actually have the guts to stand up to the patent trolls, and point out to the ITC (or the courts, or whoever asks) that EVERYONE can't have a patent on the frickin wiimote, then maybe they could get the patent system sorted.

Since nintendo licenses the motion tech from the wiimote from another company ANYWAY, can't nintendo just point all the lawsuits at them? Otherwise, what are they paying for?

Ideally the ITC will make all the claimants fight it out in Wii Sports bowling.. and then have the winner take on Miyamoto.

meist3r @ Sep 19th 2008 7:49AM

And what effect exactly will this have? If they get the Wiimote banned for abusing a patent then what? There are already millions of the things out there. Maybe the 360 will finally be able to keep up in sales but what's more likely to happen is that Nintendo pays a huge fee and then just keeps leading the field.

With great success, jealousy is not far away.

Nocturnal14life @ Sep 19th 2008 12:27PM

Oh sweet Jesus look at the wii ones. Um the ITC is out there to protect copyright holders. If you guys actually created something you'd be thankful for the ITC. God forbid if someone infringed on one of Nintendo's patents. You fanboys would be screaming for the ITC to bring you the blood of the infringer.
Also yes Gyration Inc. came up with the technology but the wiimote design came from Nintendo itself. Nintendo didn't have to license it but they did. So therefore they marketed it and made it a consumer product. Thus if they infringed Nintendo should be held responsible not Gyration Inc. Not sure if they'll win but this looks like a legitimate beef.