Nintendo's Playstation Settlement Bombshell (or not...updated)

Magamo writes "Console Talk has the story on a settlement between Sony and Nintendo over the rights to the "PlayStation" name, which was originally a joint owned copywrite, given to a CD and Cartridge based system to play SNES games. The settlement is for 10% of Sony's proceeds, past and present on the "PlayStation" name, currently amounting to approximately $2.3 billion. Nintendo is allowing Sony to pay it off in installments over the next 20 years. Nintendo currently plans on using the money to create a new game studio comprised of members of some of the biggest in the japanese industry, in order to create titles exclusively for the GameCube. Hmm, my guess is that Sony's next console will be shying away from the PlayStation moniker..." CD: It seems that I might have fallen for a hoax. Doh!

Comments

Not copyright

[0x0d0a]

joint owned copyright

I think it should be "trademark"...

WTF?

[Frozen-Solid]

I am in total disbalief that an upstanding bullshit free site such as slashdot as posted this article. For one, Nintendo has never had ANY stake in the playstation name. Nintendo and Sony's partnership on the then dubbed "SNES CD" ended without the project going anywhere. Because of Sega CDs flop, Nintendo pulled out extremely early in the process and left Sony to develope it alone. AFTER Nintendo left the partnership is when Sony took up the PlayStation name. Check out Copyright.gov if you dont believe me. 3. Registration Number: VA-759-813 Title: PlayStation. Description: Computer graphic. Claimant: acSony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Created: 1994 Published: 10May94 Registered: 2Apr96 Title on © Application: PS device. Special Codes: 5/S The official copyright database says NOTHING ABOUT NINTENDO. There is no way in hell that Nintendo could POSSIBLY win this suit, and there's no way in hell they are dumb enough to pursue it. I have lost much faith in my beloved slashdot for posting such total unofficial rumored bullshit.

This simply cannot be true

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's why:

I would expect Sony's stock price to have plummeted and investors would be made aware (no evidence on Yahoo Biz).

I would expect that Sony's website would mention this issue (here's the press release site for the Playstation http://us.playstation.com/news/PressReleases/ and Sony's official press release site) Note the lack of this story.

Google turns up no results either.

Don't post stories like this without checking them.

Re:I bet this is a faek story.

[micheas]

Probably, since a google news search of sony playstation nintendo turned up this article from Dec. 4 calling it a rumor for the gullible. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?sect ion_name=pub&aid=998

How the shit did this get here?

[rosewood]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?sect ion_name=pub&aid=998

uh? This is an old rumor. Fuck, its damn near ready for snopes. chrisd: Dont just post cause it looks cool, check it out first.

US Patent and Trademark Office

[minesweeper]

After doing a search on PlayStation, here are some of the results:

• PlayStation
  • (REGISTRANT) KABUSHIKI KAISHA SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION JAPAN 1-22 AKASAKA 8-CHOME, MINATO-KU TOKYO 107 JAPAN

• PlayStation
  • (REGISTRANT) Kabushiki Kaisha Sony Computer Entertainment CORPORATION JAPAN l-l Akasaka 7-chome Minato-ku, Tokyo JAPAN

Re:Sorry but

[btellier]

Particularly since Penny Arcade just did a comic on it.

*sigh*

[autopr0n]

Don't you think the trademark of relevence would have been filed in japan, not the US?

Re:Well, damn

[Nexx]

I've been wondering if Sony changed the name from Playstation to PSX

No, the PSX moniker came about because the popular Japanese abbreviation for the PSX (puresute) sort of implied "play and throw away"(1). It had *nothing* to do with Nintendo and everything to do with Sony's brand image. Subsequently, they pushed "PSX" in the US as well, because ultimately Sony K.K. in Japan outranks Sony of America, Inc.

(1) The moniker PSX didn't stick in Japan. Not all marketdroid schemes work. *grin*

Re:Slashdot Liablity (slightly off topic)

[iapetus]

The story did exist at the time the article was posted. I know, since I've had to prune out countless topics about it on a well-known gaming forum (incidentally, if Slashdot is covering ludicrous gaming rumours these days, I'm sure we can supply them with a few more interesting ones...) Consoletalk have since taken it down, presumably partly in response to the widespread coverage Slashdot is getting it. :)