Fenner Investments sues Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo for infringing on it's joystick patent

[zekrahminator]

Fenner Investments sues Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo for infringing on its joystick

It sounds too nonsensical to be true, but Texas-based Fenner Investments sued all three console manufacturers for infringing their copyright on a "low-voltage joystick port interface" (patent number 6,297,751). The patent basically states:

The joystick port interface according the present invention is a low power port which interfaces a typical 5 Volt joystick peripheral device with a lower power computer port. The low-voltage joystick port interface includes a bidirectional buffer circuit and a pulse generator which, together, generate a digital pulse signal, representing a joystick coordinate position, based on an input analog measurement signal.

If Fenner wins the lawsuits, then they will succeed in banning all three consoles from market, as they are seeking damages and an injunction against the consoles.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[blobster21]

sounds 2 good to be true

 

[Wile E]

So wait, isn't what they describe, just USB?

 

[Seany1212]

hahaha, fenner are morons. They intend to put a halt on multibillion (or million?) dollar selling consoles? When will these lawsuits end?

 

[HookeyStreet]

LMAO Bill Gates will just have the Fenner boss' assassinated

 

[Mad-Matt]

notof those companies issue joysticks so to them they are low voltage Joypad ports, not the same thing fenner is shouting about. with all there powers combined, they will bankrupt fenner from ever making stupid claims again

 

[InfDamarvel]

hahaha, fenner are morons. They intend to put a halt on multibillion (or million?) dollar selling consoles? When will these lawsuits end?

o Man Na Nintendo plans to make 1 billion dollars this year themselves and with all 3 consoles being sued this is multi-billion.

 

[Jimmy 2004]

Yeah, I can't see three companies with that much money to throw around backing down. For once we're going to see Nintendo and Sony on the same side.

 

[Random Murderer]

pffffffffff... even if fenner succeeds, they will hafta deal with millions of irate gamers! believe you me, just from playing gta we know how to handle guns!

 

[WarEagleAU]

Fenner: "I want money for you using something similar to my patent."

SonyMSNintendo: "well too bad, it doesnt infringe on what you patented."

Fenner: "well Im gonna sue you."

SonyMSNintendo: "Go ahead, if you think you will win."


I can honestly say this is stupid bullshit. Especially if they want to halt all three consoles, which the governments will never let happen.

 

[Benpi]

hahaha, fenner are morons. They intend to put a halt on multibillion (or million?) dollar selling consoles?

Xbox360 sold 10 million consoles at $300 > that's 3billion in xbox360 consoles alone. No fukking way this bullshit lawsuit will pass. If they invented that shit, why didn't they sue 10 years ago with the n64?

 

[JC316]

It sounds too nonsensical to be true, but Texas-based Fenner Investments sued all three console manufacturers for infringing their copyright on a "low-voltage joystick port interface" (patent number 6,297,751). The patent basically states: If Fenner wins the lawsuits, then they will succeed in banning all three consoles from market, as they are seeking damages and an injunction against the consoles.

Source: Gamasutra

Yeah, like that will EVER happen. They are walking head first into a SHITLOAD of money, they will lose.

 

[OnBoard]

That patent must be from C-64 era! I'll be impressed if modern console kids even know what a joystick is Can't remember any console using a joystick in 20 years. If the patent said joypad, then they would have something to cry about.

As stupid and smilar would be Ford to sue Harley-Davidson for a petrol engine vehicle on rubber wheels..

 

[tkpenalty]

Rofl

Then you find in the future, all the gaming console companies combine >_>...

S.N.M!!!

 

[Random Murderer]

Xbox360 sold 10 million consoles at $300 > that's 3billion in xbox360 consoles alone. No fukking way this bullshit lawsuit will pass. If they invented that shit, why didn't they sue 10 years ago with the n64?

cuz the n64 didnt net billions of dollars.

 

[jocksteeluk]

one thing is for certain when Fenner loses they wont be suing anyone else because no doubt they will be bankrupt

 

[Random Murderer]

one thing is for certain when Fenner loses they wont be suing anyone else because no doubt they will be bankrupt

they'll go bankrupt suing nintendo alone, yet they chose to sue all three giants at once.... they will be crushed like the annoying little bugs they are...:shadedshu

 

[JC316]

That patent must be from C-64 era! I'll be impressed if modern console kids even know what a joystick is Can't remember any console using a joystick in 20 years.

The Sega Genesis had a joystick and the Sega Dreamcast also had one. Besides, those are "thumbsticks" not a joystick.

 

[Random Murderer]

The Sega Genesis had a joystick and the Sega Dreamcast also had one. Besides, those are "thumbsticks" not a joystick.

fenner is just looking for a way to make some quick cash, when in reality this lawsuit will end up swallowing up everything they own just so they can afford to stay in the lawsuit...

dumbasses... theyre way out of theyre league...:shadedshu

 

[Carcenomy]

If anyone's curious, here's the patent.

This is ridiculous. They obtained the patent in 2001 on technology that's been in use since the 80s. How about they go to the fiscal hell that I'm sure MS/Sony/Nintendo want them in?

 

[LonGun]

LMAO Bill Gates will just have the Fenner boss' assassinated

HAHAHA that's very possible, my friend. Very possible

 

[Benpi]

Yeah, I can't see three companies with that much money to throw around backing down. For once we're going to see Nintendo and Sony on the same side.

Sony has already done this. What happened to the rumble????

 

[Thermopylae_480]

I have a suspicion that this is what "Fenner Investments" does. I imagine it is a corporation dedicated to litigation as it's sole source of income. Companies which use this method, file mass patents/copyrights, in a dragnet approach, in the hopes of selling, or suing for and, hopefully settling out of court, for these intellectual rights. It's very shady, but entirely legal.

 

[evil bill]

These "I'll Sue You" companies and the type of people they attract are the scum of the earth, and are a shining example of the "screw you, I'm alright Jack" society we live in today. Parasites.

Say what you like about companies like MS, Sony and Apple - whatever shady business practices and cynical marketing tactics they emply that we may not care for, in the grand scheme of things they came to prominence because they innovated and brought original and revolutionary products to market at one stage or another and THAT will be their legacy. You will always get people who want a piece of that without doing the work.

 

[Carcenomy]

It's curious to note that according to the patents office, that patent is issued to Lucent Technologies... I'm guessing this 'Fenner Investments' snapped it up after Lucent merged with Alcatel. Why Lucent had a patent for a low power joystick port I don't know, but in any road it's still dirty bollocks tactics in a feeble attempt to get quick cash. I hope the big three's lawyers give them a hard time.