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Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,497,776: Multiplayer game mode with predator feature

  U.S. Patent No. 7,497,776: Multiplayer game mode with predator feature Issued March 3, 2009, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘776 patent provides a new multiplayer feature for the user. One of the…

Patents
Lawsuits

New Case – White Knuckle IP v Electronic Arts

White Knuckle IP, LLC v. Electronic Arts, Inc. US District Court for the District of Utah 1:15-cv-00014 Filed January 16, 2015 In a new case, plaintiff White Knuckle IP accuses Electronic Arts…

District of Utah patent White Knuckle IP v. Electronic Arts
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,090,576: Personalized behavior of computer controlled avatars in a virtual reality environment

  U.S. Patent No. 7,090,576: Personalized behavior of computer controlled avatars in a virtual reality environment Issued Aug. 15, 2006, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘576 patent describes a racing video game which…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 8,523,668: Controlling access to and use of video game consoles

Summary: While the ‘668 patent does not cover video game systems or hardware, it does rely on access to a video game controller and aim to limit access to game consoles. The…

Lawsuits

Federal Circuit Affirms Invalidity of Virtual Camera Patent Based on Real-World Prior Art

Gamecaster, Inc. v. Dreamworks Animation SKG, Inc. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Case No. 2014-1380 January 8, 2015 The Federal Circuit affirmed a finding by the USPTO during an inter partes…

Gamecaster v. Dreamworks Animation patent
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 6,454,652: Video Game System and Method with Enhanced Three-Dimensional Character and Background Control Due to Environmental Conditions

  U.S. Patent No. 6,454,652: Video Game System and Method with Enhanced Three-Dimensional Character and Background Control Due to Environmental Conditions Issued September 24, 2002, to Nintendo Co. Ltd. Summary: The ‘652…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,500,916: Game strategy analysis tool generating a two dimensional image overlaid with telemetry data

  U.S. Patent No. 7,500,916: Game strategy analysis tool generating a two dimensional image overlaid with telemetry data Issued March 10, 2009, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘916 patent describes a computing network…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,582,010: Game machine, game program, and information storage medium

U.S. Patent No. 7,582,010: Game machine, game program, and information storage medium Issued Sep. 1, 2009, to Nintendo Summary: The ‘010 patent describes a golf game which features a shot mode where…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,559,834: Dynamic join/exit of players during play of console-based video game

  U.S. Patent 7,559,834: Dynamic join/exit of players during play of console-based video game Issued July 14, 2009, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘834 patent allows for people to join in or leave…

7559834 Dynamic join/exit of players during play of console-based video game Patents
Lawsuits

Nintendo gets second chance from Federal Circuit on 3DS patent suit

Tomita Tech. USA, LLC et al. v. Nintendo Co., LTD et al. Federal Circuit Case No. 2014-1244 (non-precedential) On appeal from S.D.N.Y., case no. 1:11-CV-04256 Back in 2011, Tomita sued Nintendo over…

patent Tomita Tech v. Nintendo Co
Lawsuits

Patton goes to War Over Use of Name and Likeness in Video Game

Catching up on some reading from last week, Ars Technica (via Video Gamer Law) reports on a new lawsuit filed by the rights holder to Patton’s name and likeness against Maximum Family…

Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,591,721: Video game that imposes penalty for violation of rule

U.S. Patent No. 7,591,721: Video game that imposes penalty for violation of rule Issued Sep. 22, 2009, to Square Enix Summary: The ‘721 patent describes a video game apparatus which allows a…

Patents
Lawsuits

New Case: Ubisoft v Guitar Apprentice

Ubisoft Entertainment, S.A., v. Guitar Apprentice, Inc. 3:14-CV-05202 Northern District of California Filed November 24, 2014   In a new case, Ubisoft asserts U.S. Pat. No. 8,835,736 against Guitar Apprentice.  The ‘736…

Northern District of California patent Ubisoft Entertainment v. Guitar Apprentice Ubisoft v Guitar Apprentice
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,640,300: Presence and notification system for maintaining and communicating information

U.S. Patent No. 7,640,300: Presence and notification system for maintaining and communicating information Issued Dec. 29, 2009, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘300 patent provides for a system to assist in the Xbox…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,618,322: Game system, storage medium storing game program, and game controlling method

  U.S. Patent No. 7,618,322: Game system, storage medium storing game program, and game controlling method Issued Nov. 17, 2009, to Nintendo Summary: The ‘322 patent describes a game with a controller…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,594,847: Squad command interface for console-based video game

U.S. Patent No. 7,594,847: Squad command interface for console-based video game Issued Sep. 29, 2009, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘847 patent provides for a squad-based game whereby the player can select characters…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,637,817: Information processing device, game device, image generation method, and game image generation method

  U.S. Patent No. 7,637,817: Information processing device, game device, image generation method, and game image generation method Issued Dec. 29, 2009, to Sega Summary: The ‘817 patent describes a method of…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,621,813: Ubiquitous unified player tracking system

U.S. Patent No. 7,621,813: Ubiquitous unified player tracking system Issued Nov. 24, 2009, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘813 patent provides for the use of a single-name for people who wish to play…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,657,477: Gaming system providing simulated securities trading

U.S. Patent No. 7,657,477: Gaming system providing simulated securities trading Issued February 2, 2010, to SummaLP Applications, Inc. Summary: The ‘477 patent may be interesting to anyone who took a business course…

Patents
Lawsuits

Winning the lottery type game is your destiny – Sweepstakes Patent Company

Sweepstakes Patent Company, LLC v. Burns et al. and Mosely et al. Southern District of Florida Case Nos. 0-14-cv-62351 and 0-14-cv-62354 In two new cases, plaintiff Sweepstakes Patent Company (SPC) accuses internet…

patent Southern District of Florida Sweepstakes Patent Company v. Burns