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Microsoft Sues Immersion Over Rumble Deal
Waaay back in 2003, Microsoft settled with Immersion over the rumble technology found in their Xbox game controllers. Now, Microsoft is filing suit against Immersion, claiming that the company has not paid Microsoft 'based on certain business and IP licensing arrangements.' CNet has the release, and links over to a Seattle PI blog entry with some investigative digging by Todd Bishop. "One provision of the Microsoft-Immersion settlement wasn't reported widely at the time, if at all: Microsoft negotiated rights to a payment from Immersion -- a refund, of sorts -- if Immersion settled its case with Sony ... Here's where the new dispute arises: On March 1, nearly four years after the Microsoft settlement, Sony and Immersion announced that they had 'agreed to conclude their patent litigation at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and have entered into a new business agreement to explore the inclusion of Immersion technology in PlayStation format products.' ... while Immersion and Sony have agreed to conclude their patent litigation, they don't use the word 'settlement,' describing it instead as a business agreement."
What about a system where the Plaintiff pays in full for the defendants legal fees as well as the court fees if the defendant is found not guilty?
That would have the benefit of plaintiffs not bringing frivolous lawsuits to court, less they risk losing a bit of money themselves. Not only that it would remove the burden of court costs from the tax payers and place it on those who would bring ridiculous lawsuits to court.
Collector's Edition
Those things have been around since before Immersion Corp existed. If I remember correctly, their patent amounted to "put two vibrators in a gaming controller", and that's the reason Nintendo didn't get sued: they used one.