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Sony Ordered to Pay For Dual Shock Tech
GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that a ruling against the Japanese software giant has been handed down in the case of Immersion vs. Sony. Immersion sued the company over the force feedback effect experienced in the dual-shock controller, which it has a patent on. From the article: "Now a Californian district court has ordered Sony to pay a 1.37 per cent license fee based on sales of the PlayStation console and of the named videogames, to be paid quarterly effective from July 1st."
I'll have you know this can also be used for men - the dual shock controllers are excellent for stimulating the prostate, or so I'm told.
Quote from Gamespot.Com article:
0 82 98.html
The company holds patents for what it calls "vibro-tactile" technologies that make the video game player feel as if he is "touching" an object in the game.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/09/23/news_61
xBox already settled with Immersion to the tune of $26 million
m mersion/2100-1041_3-5056455.html
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+settles+suit+with+I
http://www.tomandemily.com
... and Nintendo has patented rumble before Immersion has.
I've compared the patents the last time something relating to Immersion was posted, Immersion has patents for all kinds of variations of controllers (e.g. a controller with two analog sticks and two rumble motors as seen here, a joystick with rumble, etc) but Nintendo holds the patent for rumble with a single unit in a gamepad or something like that. Immersion's patents even reference Nintendo's patents for prior art but claim that because they cover different input devices they aren't conflicting with N's earlier patents. I'd call that a trivial step up but whatever.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Immersion's patents are a trivial step up from Nintendo's rumble patents by referencing different controller types and claiming that's enough to differentiate themselves from N's prior art. In other words Immersion's patents specifically exempt Nintendo as Nintendo was there first and trying to lay claim on N's rumble would invalidate Immersion's patents as N held the patent first.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
I dug up these three patents that Immersion Corp apparently holds: 6,366,273 6,271,833 6,184,868.
:P
I think that something this simple really shouldn't be given a patent. But since it has, I think I'll patent "audio notification of consumable liquid boiling point" and charge all tea kettle manufacturers exorbitant licensing fees
PS: This is not a seriously researched opinion, IANAL, etc.
When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
It's 1.37%, so for every $100 Sony makes off of the stuff they're getting sued over, they must hand over 1 dollar and 37 cents to Immersion.
According the article, this is about $27 million a year.
"When the atomic bomb goes off there's devastation...but when the atomic bong goes off there's celebraaaaation!"
Good link, but apparently you didn't read it. It says that Logitech has licensed technology that will be used in a steering wheel controller which will come out for Gamecube. The article has nothing to do with Nintendo or first party gamecube controllers.
If you had super powers, would you use them for good, or for awesome?