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Nintendo Sued over Wiimote Trigger

kaizokunami writes "A company named Interlink Electronics, Inc., creator of interface devices has filed a suit in US District court against Nintendo of America, claiming the Nintendo the trigger on the bottom of the Wii controller infringes on their patent. The article includes images submitted with the patent application." From the article: "The complaint alleges that the trigger on the bottom of the Wii controller infringes on Interlink Patent No. 6,850,221 (Trigger Operated Electronic Device), which the company secured on February 1, 2005. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata first presented the Wii controller to the public not too long after that date, during the 2005 Tokyo Game Show."

14 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. ummm by snuf23 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm thinking finding prior art on a trigger shouldn't be too hard.

    --
    Sometimes my arms bend back.
  2. Re:And just how else by stoolpigeon · · Score: 2, Funny

    there are three other ways, and i hold patents on them all. i'd tell you about them but then i'd have to sue you.

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
  3. Re:Um, prior art? by thebdj · · Score: 3, Funny

    Too bad this has priority to Sep. 5, 1995. Patents are fun aren't they? The issue date really means shit; look at the filing date and then check for a priority. In this case, we need to go back 11 yrs.

    --
    "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
  4. Re:Obvious? by CastrTroy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, Xbox (and Sony I think) already have analog sticks on top of buttons, so I don't see how buttons on top of buttons would be much worse.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  5. Re:Obvious? by 7macaw · · Score: 2, Funny

    Buttons on sticks and sticks on buttons are fine with me. But buttons on buttons is abomination!

  6. Wow... by Jugalator · · Score: 3, Funny

    That company's lawyers sure were trigger happy.

    *cough* :-p

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  7. Re:Um, prior art? by Brunellus · · Score: 2, Funny

    IANAL (yet) but I'm not aware of any case where fictional descriptions of an object were used as prior art to invalidate a patent under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103. If someone could produce a proper citation, I'd be *very* interested to read about it.

  8. Re:Obvious? by Psiven · · Score: 2, Funny

    At least it's not a button button button.

  9. Re:Um, prior art? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Why do people who hate america get modded up?

  10. Re:Um, prior art? by Mike+Buddha · · Score: 2, Funny

    It looks like any number of Star Trek hand phasers to me.

    I hate to be the one to have to tell you this. I never like being the bearer of bad news. Star Trek isn't real, dude.

    --
    by Mike Buddha -- Someday the mountain might get him, but the law never will.
  11. It's has two AA batteries too.. by Quila · · Score: 2, Funny

    Time to start suing everyone!

  12. Re:Um, prior art? by DesireCampbell · · Score: 4, Funny

    "You guys are going to have to come up with new input devices that don't involve small entities with two toggleable states."

    I propose some kind of 'bacon-activated' controller.

    --
    Whoo, signature!
    DesireCampbell.com
  13. Re:Prior Art by bradkittenbrink · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just so we're clear on this, you did just imply that the wii controller is made out of ground up orphans, right?

    I feel like we may have just discovered a new corollary to Godwin's law.

  14. Re:Um, prior art? by LKM · · Score: 1, Funny

    I think you just confirmed point 12.b on the list of "things to do when destroying my own freedoms":

    12.b: Tell everyone wo criticises my country to "go fuck himself," becaues criticising my country is clearly unpatriotic.