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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…

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 Federal Circuit Case No. 2014-1244 (non-precedential) On appeal from S.D.N.Y., case no. 1:11-CV-04256 Back in 2011, Tomita sued Nintendo over…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

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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…

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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
Lawsuits

Lions, and Tigers, and…. Joustin’ Beavers?

RC3, Inc. v Bieber Florida Middle District Court, No. 3:2012cv00193 Florida based game developer RC3 created a game, Joustin’ Beaver, in which a beaver that jousts must navigate the whirlpool of success,…

Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,670,220: Racing games and other games having garage, showroom, and test drive features

U.S. Patent No. 7,670,220: Racing games and other games having garage, showroom, and test drive features Issued March 2, 2010, to Microsoft Summary: The ‘220 patent describes a racing game where players…

Patents
Lawsuits

Electronic lip syncing patent invalid as abstract idea – 101 analysis based on admitted prior art

McRO, Inc. v. Namco Bandai, et al. Central District of California No. CV 12-10322 September 22, 2014 In a case described by the court as illustrating “the danger that exists when the…

District of California McRO v. Namco Bandai patent
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,666,079: Video game processing apparatus, a method and a computer readable medium that stores a program for processing a video game

U.S. Patent No. 7,666,079: Video game processing apparatus, a method and a computer readable medium that stores a program for processing a video game Issued February 23, 2010, to Square Enix Summary:…

Patents
Patent Analysis

U.S. Patent No. 7,677,967: Battle school

U.S. Patent No. 7,677,967: Battle school Issued March 16, 2010 Summary: The ‘967 patent is aptly named “Battle school” because it deals with a lesser-explored kind of game—the educational game.  The invention…

Patents