Nintendo sued by peripheral maker alleging Switch design infringes patents

Nintendo is being sued again by Gamevice on the claim the design of the Nintendo Switch and its Joy-Con controllers infringes the design of Gamevice patents for controllers that also slide onto handheld gaming devices.

Additionally, Reuters on Tuesday reported that Gamevice had lodged a complaint against Nintendo with the U.S. International Trade Commission. In a statement, the ITC said it had begun an investigation into “certain portable gaming console systems with attachable handheld controllers and components,” naming Nintendo.

The nature of the complaint is the same as one Gamevice filed in August 2017 and withdrew two months later. It alleges that Nintendo was fully aware of two patents Gamevice held for designs that affix joystick controllers to opposite sides of a mobile device. In 2015, Gamevice launched this device (also called the Gamevice, pictured at top) and it supports Apple and Samsung smartphones and tablets. Nintendo announced the Switch in late 2016 and launched it in March 2017.

“Defendants [Nintendo] direct and instruct customers to assemble and use the components [the Joy-Con controllers] in an infringing manner,” Gamevice said in its complaint. “Defendants are aware that, absent infringement, the bundled Switch system will not have a substantial use because the Joy-Con Controllers need to be assembled in the infringing manner to recharge.”