Nintendo, Microsoft sued over patents

Texas-based Anascape Ltd. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Microsoft and Nintendo for allegedly infringing a number of controller-related technology patents. Anascape cited 12 patents filed by "Brad Armstrong" in its claim. Anascape has no web presence, not even on wikipedia 0.o.

The details:

-US Patent 5,999,084, granted in 1999 covers a "sensor having a housing" and a depressible actuator in a "resilient dome cap," appearing to cover pressure-sensitive controller buttons. Patents 6,102,802, 6,135,886, 6,343,991, 6,351,205, 6,400,303, and 6,208,271 all basically cover the concept of controllers that include analog pressure-sensitive buttons.

-The company also claims that the following patents have been violated: 6,906,700 (3D Controller with Vibration), 6,344,791 (Variable Sensor with Tactile Feedback), 6,347,997 (Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays) and 6,222,525 (Image Controller with Sheet Connected Sensors). A patent similar to 6,906,700 (3D Controller with Vibration) held by Immersion Corp. cost Sony millions when it lost a lawsuit brought against it over the company's DualShock technology.

As to why they haven't sued Sony, I'm completely clueless.

source: afterdawn.com, ign.com

[ShadowMarth]

If they have the patent on ""sensor having a housing" and a depressible actuator in a "resilient dome cap"", then they'd better sue my vacuum cleaner. Also, don't they have to sue whenever there's a breach of this, or there's precedent that it's free to use? Because these have been going on in electronics and even some gaming devices for easily 10-20 years.

[Mario Famous]

Lmao, all I see is an unknown company trying to be noticed and trying to get a piece of the gaming pie by taking it from Nintendo or Microsoft...a squirrel trying to get a nut.

Two words: Patent Squatters.

[lemmywinks]

Meh, give it a few weeks and they'll disapear back into the nothingness from where they once came...

(they ain't gettin' squat!)

[Lite_Noxus]

The reasons for the suing are reasonable but still, like Shadow Marth said about his Vacuum Cleaner, which is very funny by the way. What Lemmywinks said also makes sense that the problem is just going to go away.