Interlink's trigger design for its wireless pointing deviceNintendo faces legal threats, but it has nothing to do with Wiimotes smashing TVs
With all the reports of snapping Wii Remote wrist straps causing broken TVs, Nintendo has been hit with the first lawsuit over its controllers. The surprising thing, however, is that the complaint is not because of a broken TV, but rather patent infringement.
Interlink Electronics is suing Nintendo over the Wii Remote's trigger button, which Interlink claims to be its own original patented design (patent no. 6,850,221). Interlink states in its filing.
Nintendo has made, used, offered for sale and sold in the United States, and continues to make, use, offer for sale and sell in the United States one or more controllers which activities infringe, induce others to infringe, and/or contributorily infringe the '221 patent.
Interlink goes on to state that it is seeking compensation for "loss of reasonable royalties, reduced sales and/or lost profits as a result of the infringing activities." To read the entire legal filing, see the story on Kotaku.
On the topic of triggers, the Wii Remote trigger feels and operates in a similar fashion to the Z-trigger found on the Nintendo 64, which was released in North America on September 29, 1996. Interlink filed its patent for its trigger operated electronic device on September 17, 1997. While the three-pronged N64 controller is much differently shaped than a remote, it shows that Nintendo had the trigger design in its labs long before Interlink patented its idea.
This is not the first time a game console maker has been sued over its controllers. Immersion sued Sony and Microsoft over its force feedback controller vibration technology during the previously generation of consoles. Microsoft settled with immersion by paying royalties for every controller sold, while Sony put up a fight. Sony suffered defeat in the courtroom and ended up paying over $80 million to Immersion. Some point to the lawsuit as the reason for Sony not including any vibration feature in the PlayStation 3 controller.
