wraggster
April 15th, 2010, 22:28
US tech firm IA Labs has filed a lawsuit against Nintendo, claiming one of its patents has been infringed by Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus and the Wii Balance Board. Not to mention the Wii Remote, Wii Nunchuk, Wii MotionPlus, Wii Wheel and Wii Zapper, by the way.
The patent, as spotted by Gamespot, alleges Nintendo has violated a 2006 patent for "Computer Interactive Isometric Exercise System and Method for Operatively Interconnecting the Exercise System to a Computer System for use as a Peripheral". IA Labs also cites a 2008 patent it owns for "Force Measurement System for an Isometric Exercise Device".
The company manufactured two products - the Kilowatt Sport and Exer-Station - under the terms of the patents. According to IA Labs, they add a workout feature to "any off-the-shelf video game on the PlayStation, Xbox, GameCube, or PC".
In the filing, the firm claims that IA Labs chief technology officer Greg Merril began having meetings and exchanging emails with Nintendo in 2007. The two parties failed to reach a licensing agreement and Nintendo ended contact late the following year.
IA Labs wants the court to ban the sale of products which infringe its patents, and is asking for damages, legal fees and court costs to be paid.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/technology-firm-sues-over-wii-fit
The patent, as spotted by Gamespot, alleges Nintendo has violated a 2006 patent for "Computer Interactive Isometric Exercise System and Method for Operatively Interconnecting the Exercise System to a Computer System for use as a Peripheral". IA Labs also cites a 2008 patent it owns for "Force Measurement System for an Isometric Exercise Device".
The company manufactured two products - the Kilowatt Sport and Exer-Station - under the terms of the patents. According to IA Labs, they add a workout feature to "any off-the-shelf video game on the PlayStation, Xbox, GameCube, or PC".
In the filing, the firm claims that IA Labs chief technology officer Greg Merril began having meetings and exchanging emails with Nintendo in 2007. The two parties failed to reach a licensing agreement and Nintendo ended contact late the following year.
IA Labs wants the court to ban the sale of products which infringe its patents, and is asking for damages, legal fees and court costs to be paid.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/technology-firm-sues-over-wii-fit