Posted January 10, 2007 Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo Sued Over Joystick Port Patent As the latest lawsuit to be leveled against video game hardware manufacturers, Richardson, Texas based Fenner Investments has filed suit against Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo for infringing on the company's patent number 6,297,751 for a "low-voltage joystick port interface." The patent, filed in 1998 and later awarded in 2001, is summarized: “The joystick port interface according the present invention is a low power port which interfaces a typical 5 Volt joystick peripheral device with a lower power computer port. The low-voltage joystick port interface includes a bidirectional buffer circuit and a pulse generator which, together, generate a digital pulse signal, representing a joystick coordinate position, based on an input analog measurement signal.” The lawsuit from Fenner Investments was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, seeks damages and an injunction against Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo for each company's willful infringement of the patent. While none of the three console manufacturers are strangers to being sued over their products, it is perhaps Sony, with its well documented court battle with Immersion Corporation over rumble technology that stands out as the most recent similar case as the one brought by this latest lawsuit. That suit by Immersion was also later extended to Microsoft, which was then settled in 2003, while Sony has continued its battle Immersion, with oral arguments having been heard in a DC appeals court just this week. http://www.Gamasutra.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2007 All I can say is good luck...not! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2007 Joysticks, and their ports, existed before 1998. I can't believe they weren't patented before then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 11, 2007 patent blocks shouldnt apply to the big n .... there too far out there and zainy , and they been in the game longer ; like a old injured war veteran in a white and blue knit sweater... its like spiting on your grandfather when hes not lookin , and without warning... just pick on MS and sony damn you !1one ; there the ones you want ... there the ones who smell like metalic tools and unfriendly dentist equipment.... not nintendo ...nintendo smells like freshly baked special cookies and fresh corn bread ... company A:im sueing you nintendo , for infringing.............. .. nintendo:infringe on these... nuts...... company A:............................................. nintendo :im serious ...come over here and infringe on these nuts ...come on just come over here .. come on... come on ....fine ....ok ok just come over here and i promise i wont make you infinge on these nuts..ok? ...ok? im sorry ok ? stop crying company A:............ok....(walks over there) nintendo: see that wasnt so hard now was it..................... .............. now infringe on these nuts ! HAAAAAAAA! company A : (runs off crying) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 11, 2007 patent blocks shouldnt apply to the big n ....there too far out there and zainy , and they been in the game longer ; like a old injured war veteran in a white and blue knit sweater... its like spiting on your grandfather when hes not lookin , and without warning... just pick on MS and sony damn you !1one ; there the ones you want ... there the ones who smell like metalic tools and unfriendly dentist equipment.... not nintendo ...nintendo smells like freshly baked special cookies and fresh corn bread ... company A:im sueing you nintendo , for infringing.............. .. nintendo:infringe on these... nuts...... company A:............................................. nintendo :im serious ...come over here and infringe on these nuts ...come on just come over here .. come on... come on ....fine ....ok ok just come over here and i promise i wont make you infinge on these nuts..ok? ...ok? im sorry ok ? stop crying company A:............ok....(walks over there) nintendo: see that wasnt so hard now was it..................... .............. now infringe on these nuts ! HAAAAAAAA! company A : (runs off crying) What the fuck is this shit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 11, 2007 i'd call it a well thought out idea mixed in with an amazingly documented discusion......................... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 11, 2007 i'd call it a well thought out idea mixed in with an amazingly documented discusion......................... i'd call it shit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 12, 2007 i'd call it a well thought out idea mixed in with an amazingly documented discusion......................... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
