Nintendo Controllers Headed for Ban in the US

Techtree News Staff, Jul 23, 2008 1818 hrs IST

At the heart of this matter is a patent that Anascape claims -- is infringed upon by some of Nintendo's controllers.

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Sales of some Nintendo controllers including Gamecube, Wavebird, and Classic may be facing a ban in the US; a US District Judge has not only rejected Nintendo's bid to overturn a $21-million patent infringement lawsuit slapped against it by Anascape but said he will ban US sales of the said controllers.

Though as of now, the ban is on hold even as Nintendo appeals the verdict to a higher court, i.e. the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The judge in question: Judge Ron Clark, based out of Lufkin, Texas, is slated to issue the ban order today; to avoid the ban, Nintendo will have to post a bond or put royalties in an escrow account.

At the heart of the matter is the patent that Anascape claims -- is infringed upon by Nintendo's controllers; the patent deals with certain configuration of the remote to control six different types of motion at one and the same time. It was first licensed by Sony in 2004, and recently, Microsoft settled a similar lawsuit around it.

All along, Nintendo has maintained that the alleged controllers do not use Anascape's technology. Further, some of its other controllers such as the rectangular Wii-mote and the Nunchuk are found not to infringe upon the patent, hence, find themselves excluded from the ban.

Meanwhile, in a fresh development also concerning Nintendo's Wii, the console seems to have got a makeover of sorts. Just a couple of hours ago, Nintendo said it will offer new online photo services in association with Fujifilm Holdings, thus allowing users upload and print photos through the Internet. So, Wii fans can now start compiling their very own photo albums, even ordering business cards that display their Wii alter-ego aka 'Mii'



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