Monday, November 30, 2009

Good News/Bad News- Wireless blues

Folks, I sense some sadness in the air. So right now, it's time for some Good News/Bad News.

First, the good news. And unfortunately, it's quick. All 3 hardware maufacturers: Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, are bunched together.

The bad news? Starts with an L and ends with an awsuit. Edmonton company Eleven Engineering has filed a lawsuit against all 3 companies over the wireless capabilities of the controller. That includes the Bluetooth part of it. Said the president John Sobota

“We had made a number of pioneering efforts in video game control, and were granted patents on that technology. There has been widespread infringement of those patents and we had no choice but to protect our rights. I can’t say any more at this point.”

And in terms of their own lawsuit, they demand the following should they win

Eleven seeks compensation for the use of its inventions, plus a court order that would stop further infringement of the patents, which were issued in 2001, 2002 and 2004 for remote frequency and wireless game controllers.

Exactly. This will force our gaming controllers back into the stone age, or last generation. But wait a minute. Wasn't there a lawsuit against Nintendo over its Wiimote? Interlink and Hillcrest Labs. I'm surprised Eleven Engineering doesn't go after those guys.

Works Cited: Edmonton Journal

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