GameCube and Wii Classic Controllers facing ban |
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Seems Anascape Ltd. wasn't satisfied with US$ 21 million. Anascape is the company that slammed Nintendo with a patent infringement suit on several of their controller designs, a case that Nintendo lost and was ordered to pay US$ 21 million for. The story isn't over yet though - Anascape now wants to ban Nintendo from selling the controllers at all.
The controllers in question are the Wii Classic Controller, the WaveBird controller, and the GameCube controller. It seems that Anascape wants to ban these so that they can enter the market themselves, claiming that Nintendo has "clogged the channel." The ban is put on hold while Nintendo files an appeal.
The judge overseeing the case said that Nintendo will have to post a bond or put royalties in an escrow acccount to avoid the consequence of a ban.
Related Articles:
- Anascape Ltd. Drags Nintendo and Microsoft to Court
- Nintendo ordered to pay Anascape USD 21 million for patent infringement
- Nintendo's appeal on reduced US$ 21M verdict denied
Via Bloomberg
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Comments [refresh]
Seems like Anascape wants tha big moohlahs. Seems no one is content with what they originally said. "Hey Anascape, I hear you won the case against Nintendo." A"Yeah." "So what are you going to do with that 21 mil?" A"Get more moneys"
Well it's sad to say that it's pretty much how it will always work in business and corporate wars.
Hit him in the face, once he falls to the ground, start kicking.
What's Nintendo to do now?
At least they can be proud of Wii fit, the only controller NOT designed by an outside company.
Fail.
Nintendo designed the controllers. The issue here is over patents. As far as I can find, Anascape doesn't actually design anything. They just took a bunch of ideas and patented them.
This is more about how the patent system is completely broken and ridiculous. Why bother inventing anything when there are businesses like this just sitting on a stack of patents waiting to sue the pants off of anyone who successfully produces and markets something.
I'm all for protecting the right to an idea, but it has proven to be too often abused of late.
Take a look at the product sticker on any of these controllers. I'll bet money you'll see something about the patents the company applied for.
The patent office shouldn't award patents for inventions that already exist, but they do. It happens all the time because there's just too much information to sift through. Introduce the human element and errors happen. It's all BS and needs to go away.
Xastabus nailed it. No outside company designed these controllers so your comment is bogus.
The patent system is as broken as the DNS registrars. They're both a joke!
In addition, the Wii is a global product which means you have MANY patent offices to work with. So it's a joke times many.
If they had an issue with the GameCube controller, you'd have to wonder... Why exactly wait til the GameCube is dead and the Wii has become extremely successful? I'll tell you why, it's because they waited for Nintendo to be extremely successful and have money shooting out of their asses. This is exactly what we see in so many of these cases... Smaller companies sue the extremely successful big companies in order to make some quick cash.
This sort of thing makes me sick... I'm glad I still have GameCube controllers then.
patent system is borked.. hopefully with new laws companies will not be allowed to just sit on patents till they run out. they should be given a deadline (i.e. 5 years or something) to develop there patent into an actual product or else they lose the patent..
Oh right. Nintendo designed the outside plastic. Big acomplishment. The technology inside was developed by outside companies. Nintendo makes toys, not technology.
If you actually read the patents involved, it covers the analog stick, any wireless controller with an analog button, controllers enclosed with an electronic display, etc...
These patents basically describe everything a video game controller is. I believe they've sued Microsoft and Sony as well.
MCS, you are an idiot. Do your research before you post ignorantly just because you hate Nintendo.
For the record I am not a Nintendo fanboy. I own an Xbox 360, PS2, and a PSP as well as my Nintendo products.
This patent infringement lawsuit hits at the core of gaming. If Anascape gets their way there won't be any way to controll video games. I highly doubt Anascape is actually going to produce anything once the dust settles. They're just going to take their fat paycheck to the bank and laugh at the world.
I've been searching for any shred of evidence that Anascape actually produces anything and the only thing I can find is news bits about how they've sued Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony.
Microsoft was also sued by Anascape, but they got out of it real quick and settled the lawsuit before the trial began.
Sony got out of the line of fire way back when. They had licensed the patent, so Anascape was already getting money from them, and so had no reason to go after them.
It was only Nintendo who challenged the lawsuit and claimed that they didn't use the designs described in Anascape's patent.
Errr.. i personally think that companies, corparations or whatever they are, such as MS Nintendo and Sony have an unfair advantage over smaller companies and such like in getting there products out to the world.
So i can kinda see why companies such as this "Anascape" even do this sort of thing. But on the other hand MS, Nintendo and Sony are all good in there own little way.
So who would want to see them fall just because some other company is scared of there competition??
Posty is quite right, this is a blatant opportunistic move on Anascape's part. If the GameCube controller were of any consequence to them, they would have sued years ago. The fact that they *didn't* practically implies consent. Any sane judge should take that into consideration and throw this case out. But it's doubtful that they will. The legal system is such a complete and total shambles.
"Why exactly wait til the GameCube is dead"
Easy!!! You know that fat check Nintendo is going to write to them if they win? Where do you think that number comes from?
If they win then Nintendo owes them royalties for EVERY SINGLE controller sold. Of course they are going to wait until the console is dead. That maximizes their bankroll.
It occurs to me that Anascape could also pursue lawsuits with MadCatz, Pelican, GameStop, Nyko, and all the other third party manufactures and MS, Sony, and Nintendo licensees of the controllers in question.
If Nintendo isn't able to stop them, this debacle won't end here.
If they're licensed accessories then have to go after the license holder.
My bad. Good thing I'm not a lawyer.
Eh, I just happen to be in the licensing industry. It's not my job, but I know about it as much I know about any other aspect of the company I work for.