Notifications
Clear all
Nintendo found guilty of patent infringement over glasses-free 3DS technology
In developing its 3DS portable console, Nintendo infringed on a glasses-free 3D patent owned by a former Sony employee. That's according to a New York federal jury, which earlier today hit Nintendo with $30.2 million in damages. The patent in question — granted in 2008 — pertains to viewing 3D content without a need for specialized glasses, which is a major selling point of the 3DS. Seijiro Tomita (who spent 30 years at Sony according to the court complaint) sued Nintendo in 2011 for infringing on his invention, claiming that he'd met with the gaming manufacturer in 2003 to discuss the technology. In its defense, Nintendo's attorney argued that Tomita was just one of several 3D purveyors it was in contact with at the time and that the 3D implementation in the portable device avoided key aspects of his patent.
Ultimately the jury sided with Tomita and awarded him the compensatory damages. $30.2 million isn't exactly going to bankrupt Nintendo, and the case is unlikely to have any long-term consequences, but it's still an embarrassing legal defeat for the gaming industry giant.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/13/41009 ... technology
Topic starter
Posted : 14/03/2013 12:48 am
You're right, not a huge fine and it will not have any significant impact on Nintendo's bottom line.Â
Posted : 14/03/2013 2:08 am
But...but...did'nt Nintendo invent, like everything in gaming, ever??????
🙂 Sorry, been reading too much of RG history of how Nintendo saved the industry etc
Posted : 14/03/2013 8:30 am
Yep, it's not the first time they have been guilty of this . . . .
Topic starter
Posted : 14/03/2013 1:52 pm
Business is business. Nintendo are not different to what Sega and Atari were and what Sony and MS are.
Posted : 14/03/2013 3:39 pm
Agreed they all steal each others ideas and hope they change them enough to avoid copyright issues lol.Â
Posted : 14/03/2013 4:07 pm
Business is business. Nintendo are not different to what Sega and Atari were and what Sony and MS are.
But Atari have never been sued for patent infringement, quite the opposite in fact. They have successfully sued a number of people for just this thing over the years including Nintendo, Sega, Coleco and Magnavox/Philips.
Topic starter
Posted : 14/03/2013 5:01 pm
Atari was sued, but they settled out of court with Magnavox/Ralph Baer... they also paid a trivial amount. And, the experience probably taught them to document & patent everything that followed.
Posted : 14/03/2013 7:17 pm
Atari was sued, but they settled out of court with Magnavox/Ralph Baer... they also paid a trivial amount. And, the experience probably taught them to document & patent everything that followed.
Well yeah there was that but like you say it was settled out of court and cost them bugger all.
Topic starter
Posted : 14/03/2013 7:33 pm
Same thing though. And no doubt Atari poached plenty of ideas from other people or areas. Even more likely considering how long ago they were huge in the business. Things were much easier to cover up in the 70 and 80s.
Posted : 14/03/2013 10:57 pm
Same thing though. And no doubt Atari poached plenty of ideas from other people or areas. Even more likely considering how long ago they were huge in the business. Things were much easier to cover up in the 70 and 80s.
I would bet that they created far more than they took from other people. The Magnavox suit was over Pong, not hardware, and let's face it that was a just a computer version of tennis anyway.
Topic starter
Posted : 14/03/2013 10:59 pm
I'm not denying that. You are certainly quick to condemn Nintendo though yet quick to defend Atari when they are all fundamentally the same. 
Posted : 14/03/2013 11:07 pm
Forum Statistics
26
Forums
25.5 K
Topics
51.7 K
Posts
30
Online
458
Members
Latest Post: [Game] Chiller 2 Our newest member: Razzplomturge Recent Posts Unread Posts
