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Nintendo wins Wii patent case

Brendan Sinclair GameSpot | June 12, 2009 8:49 AM PDT

Summary

Wii-maker touts early dismissal of infringement suit regarding parental controls on DVD video playback...which the Wii doesn't have. This is just one of 15-patent-related suits.
Since the launch of the Wii, Nintendo has been the subject of no fewer than 15 patent-related lawsuits. While many of those suits are still winding their way through the courts, Nintendo today issued a press release triumphantly touting victory over Guardian Media Technologies in one of its more recent patent suits.

A judge struck down spurious allegations that the Wii could play DVD movies.

"We are very pleased with the Court's decision," Nintendo of America senior vice president of legal Rick Flamm said in a statement. "Nintendo vigorously defends patent lawsuits. At the earliest stages of this case, Nintendo convinced the court to dismiss this case as Guardian's patent had nothing to do with Nintendo's products."

Flamm is correct about the suit having nothing to do with Nintendo's products. The Wii maker was one of dozens of defendants in the suit, which alleged violations of Guardian's patent for parental control technology in TV programs and DVD video playback. While the Wii does include parental control functions, it does not feature DVD video playback. Nintendo's early dismissal from the case comes a scant six months after the suit was first filed.

Earlier this year, a federal judge in Texas dismissed a patent suit against Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. That suit was brought by Fenner Investments and centered around a patent the firm holds for a "low-voltage joystick port interface." It was originally filed in January of 2007.

This article was originally posted on GameSpot News.

Talkback Most Recent of 5 Talkback(s)

  • Wii DVDs
    How do you play DVDs on the Wii? Can you respond to me, Brendan
    Sinclair?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    matthewm12
    12th Jun 2009
  • Um, did you READ the article?
    Perhaps I can help you...

    "While the Wii does include parental control
    functions, it does not feature DVD video
    playback."
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Reply_account
    13th Jun 2009
  • Wii can play DVD's
    The Wii can play DVD's if its soft modded. Just follow the instructions on the below site:

    http://lifehacker.com/400581/hack-your-wii-for-homebrew-apps-and-dvd-playback

    This article now helps me understand why Nintendo didn't do this themselves.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    darrenedmonds
    13th Jun 2009
  • RE: Nintendo wins Wii patent case
    Patents exist only for money, but now it is time to focus on using Technology to relieve the need for money itself.

    All patents must be voided to clear the path for this. There will (un)naturally be opposition to reversing the concept of a patent, but holders can take comfort in the simple truth that they are human, too.

    Once we've successfully applied technology to relieve the need for money, current patent holders will no longer require all that is currently earned through the incredibly destructive practice of outlawing entire arenas of productivity and innovation.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    blog.floogy.com
    12th Jun 2009
  • Re: RE: Nintendo wins Wii patent case
    Right, because that is logical.

    Patents may provide a monopoly right, but they also provide inventors with an incentive to share their inventions with the world.

    Greed is the problem here, not patenting.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    zdneter0000
    15th Jun 2009

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