Atari files $30 million lawsuit over bootleg console

Atari Interactive has filed a $30 million lawsuit against distribution company Tommo for selling counterfeit versions of its Flashback 2 console.

The plug-and-play Flashback 2 was released in 2005. It was modeled on the company's landmark Atari 2600 console and contained 40 games, most of which were from the 2600 era. The hardware sold 860,000 units, and was discontinued in 2006.

According to Gamasutra, the bootleg consoles and packagaing are cosmetically identical to the Flashback 2 design, prompting original manufacturer Legacy Engineering to speculate that the counterfeiters had access to the source files and molds. However, glitches have been reported in several of the games that were not present in the Flashback 2.

Tommo was founded in 1989 as a wholesaler of imported videogames, and is now one of America's leading third-party suppliers of game hardware and software.

Atari is claiming that more than 80 of its copyrights have been violated, and is seeking damages of $150,000 for each one.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ootleg-console