Palm to contest game patent suit
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Posted in Personal, 29th March 2003 00:52 GMT
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Palm tells us that it will "vigorously contest" the patent filed against it by Peer To Peer Systems.
As we reported earlier today, the patent is wideranging and affects multiplayer games over an "ad-hoc, wireless, all-to-all broadcast network."
Peer To Peer Systems LLC has also filed suit against Illinois-based wireless games company Cybiko. Representatives from Cybiko or the law firm it has retained could not be reached for comment this afternoon.
The suit has implications for much of the phone industry, as cash-strapped carriers are desperate to drive up ARPUs and see games as an opportunity to boost wireless data services. They've invested heavily in upgrades to 2.5G and 3G, and want a return.
Nokia is launching a games console, NGage, that can play multiplayer games both over the air and via Bluetooth - and a Bluetooth PAN falls under the shadow cast by Peer To Peer Systems patent, too.
An executive at Nokia in the US declined to comment. ®
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