Wii Classic Controller faces US sales ban
Patent case goes against Nintendo
The fate of the Wii Classic Controller is hanging in the balance after a US judge rejected Nintendo's attempt to avoid a $21m pay-out awarded against it when a patent infringement case came to trial this year.
Nintendo's Classic Wii controller
Texas-based US District Court Judge Ron Clark overturned the Japanese giant's request for a retrial. He may go on to order a ban on the sale of the controller, though any such ban would have to put on hold should Nintendo take the case to the appeal court.
In May this year, Nintendo vowed to fight a court order demanding it pay $21m (£10.7m/€13.5m) to US gaming company Anascape. To that end, it asked Clark to consider a fresh trial to re-appraise the case.
Anascape's original lawsuit claimed Nintendo had infringed 12 of its patents relating to six types of simultaneous controller motion.
The case also implicated the old WaveBird and GameCube controllers, but Nintendo has stated that it no longer makes either device. The Wii's Remote and Nunchuck controllers aren’t affected by the legal action.
Nintendo now plans to appeal the judge’s latest retrial rejection. To avoid a temporary ban, Nintendo can also opt to post a bond or ringfence royalties accrued from controller sales in case the appeal eventually fails.
COMMENTS
So what's the patents involved?
Let me guess... The patents involved are all for either a retarded reason (like using white for the entire casing) or were granted illegally (like filing for a patent on game input controls in the last 20 years, despite plenty being around before then).
I hope Nintendo appeal and win. USA's patent law suites really need to start off with someone checking the damn patent was even legal to start with.
If the Gamecube and Wavebird controlers are effected...
...then why did the supposed 'patent holders' wait until the Wii was a roaring success to sue?
And dispite the number of Wii's sold, I doubt that Nintendo have sold $21m worth of Classic Controlers. (And everyone, even me - being a bit of a Ninty fanboi, knows that the 'Cube didn't sell too well.)
%*^$ing patent squatters!
