Sony ordered to pay $90.7 mil. in patent infringement suit

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElCapitan

What is it exactly that they infringed on? Dual analog sticks or just overall design of the controller?

---

The vibration I believe.

These seems stupid to me. It's basially a patent on vibro-tactile feedback, but the patent post-dates the N64 Rumble pack by about 4 years.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElCapitan

What is it exactly that they infringed on? Dual analog sticks or just overall design of the controller?

---

I believe it was the rumble feature. Why it's taken Immersion this long to sue their asses I'll never know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Master of 7s

I believe it was the rumble feature. Why it's taken Immersion this long to sue their asses I'll never know.

---

But doesn't the xbox and GC controllers rumble as well? So why not sue them to?

They most likely entered a license agreement with them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Master of 7s

I believe it was the rumble feature. Why it's taken Immersion this long to sue their asses I'll never know.

---

i know they began the lawsuit around the ps1 days, but our wonderfull law structure just finally managed to get this to light and get a ruling.

Since PS1 days? Damn.

Well however long it took, the injunction against Sony from selling any Playstations and the associated games in this suit in the U.S. is going to do serious harm unless they can reach some kind of agreement with Immersion. The U.S. is their largest market so they can't afford to lose this region.

Unless Sony decides to simply make their own controller, I expect serious ass rape from Immersion if Sony wants to keep using their technology.

Either way, Sony is royally fucked here.

i bet SONY will give a percentage royalty starting this next gen (and possibly some back pay for the last 2 gen) on every piece sold and Immersion will be happy. simple, end of story.

Sony will probably end up paying the money like Sega did for their infringement suit in the 16-bit era.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElCapitan

But doesn't the xbox and GC controllers rumble as well? So why not sue them to?

---

They already did sue MS and settled out of court.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

i know they began the lawsuit around the ps1 days, but our wonderfull law structure just finally managed to get this to light and get a ruling.

---

Seeing as the patent dates to 2001, years after the release of the Dual Shock, that seems pretty impossible. The patent wasn't even filed until 2000. This smells like horseshit to me.

EDIT: Apparently the patents cited in the suits are "continuations" of a prior patent, but even the original patent was filed in April, 1998, well after the release of the original Dual Shock.