Lawsuits
News: Konami sues Viacom over Rock Band
Konami Digital Entertainment Co. v. Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. No. 6:08-CV-286, (E.D. Tx, Filed July 9, 2008) Summary by Steve Chang, Esq. If you build it, they will come. The tagline from…
Case: Sega v. Accolade (9th Cir. 1992) – Copyright Fair Use
Sega Enterprises Ltd. v. Accolade Inc. 977 F.2d 1510 (9th Cit. 1992) If you owned a Sega Genesis at any time in your life, chances are you will NEVER forget the singsong…
Case Update: Anascape v. Nintendo
As indicated in a previous post, Anascape Ltd., an invention and license-holding company, sued Microsoft and Nintendo for patent infringement over their controllers for their respective video game console systems. Microsoft settled…
New Case: Nintendo v. Nyko (W.D. Wash.) Filed June 10, 2008
Nintendo of America Inc. v. Nyko Technologies Inc. Case number 08-cv-907 U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington Nintendo of America filed a lawsuit on June 10, 2008, against Nyko…
Case: Anascape Ltd. v. Microsoft et al. (E.D.Tex. 2008) [P]
Back in July 2006, Anascape Ltd. sued Microsoft and Nintendo over various game controller patents, including United States Patent Numbers 5,999,084; 6,102,802; 6,135,886; 6,208,271; 6,222,525; 6,343,991; 6,344,791; 6,347,997; 6,351,205; 6,400,303; 6,563,415; and…
Case: In re Bilski – Federal Circuit oral argument
The status quo is that video game play methods are patentable subject matter, provided the game play methodology is new, useful, and nonobvious. Never before has there been a case with the…
News: Korean Copyright Suit over Advent Rising
I don’t normally track foreign video game cases, but perhaps I should. However, it does make one more category of work for me in view of all my regular work and blogging…
Case: Eros v. Simon (SETTLED 2007) – Second Life
Somehow this well reported case got overlooked here at the Patent Arcade, and that appears to be because I thought I’d already written about it. In any event, it now gets its…
Case: Tafas v. Dudas (USPTO rules)
Today the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted Tafas’ and Smithkline Beecham’s Motions for Summary Judgment, effectively holding that the USPTO’s proposed 5/25 and 2+1 rules regarding claims…
Case Update: MDY v Blizzard – Summary Judgment Motions
Well it looks like this case has not settled yet, and the parties have filed their summary judgment motions. MDY’s Motion can be viewed here. Blizzard’s filings are here, here, and here.
Case: Eros v. Leatherwood (Settled, March 2008)
Eros, the maker of the Second Life sex bed, sued the avatar Volkov Catteneo for illegally copying and selling unlicensed copies of the sex bed, thereby infringement the intellectual property of Eros.…
Case: Activision v. Gibson (C.D.Cal.) PENDING
After receiving a letter accusing them of patent infringement, Activision filed a declaratory judgment action March 12, 2008, against Gibson Guitars, asking the court for finding of invalidity and noninfringement. Gibson is…
Case: Romantics v. Activision (E.D.Mich) – Publicity
The re-performance of a song for use in a video game pursuant to a non-exclusive synchronization license does not, without more, violate the original artists’ right of publicity, even if the artists…
Case: MGA v Ubisoft (Settled)
From IP Law360: MGA Entertainment, makers of the popular Bratz dolls, will hand over $13.2 million to video game company Ubisoft Entertainment, after an arbitrator ruled that Ubisoft had not violated the…
Case Update: Lonestar v. Nintendo (E.D.Tex.)
Lonestar Inventions LP v. Nintendo of America Inc., case no. 6:07-cv-00261 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. This lawsuit between patent-holding company Lonestar Inventions LP and gaming…
Case: CBC v. Major League Baseball
C.B.C. Distribution and Marketing, Inc. v. Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P., et al. — F.3d —, 2007 WL 2990366, 84 U.S.P.Q.2d 1328 (8th Cir. 2007) In a much watched case, on…
Case: MicroUnity v. SCEA Settles
Word on the street is that MicroUnity and Sony Computer Entertainment America have settled their ongoing patent dispute regarding Sony’s PlayStation products. The two companies have asked for a 30-day stay of…
Case: Frosty Treats v. Sony [T]
Frosty Treats Inc. v. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. 426 F.3d 1001 (8th Cir. 2005) I scream, You scream, We all scream for Ice Cream! Sony was sued over its use of…
Case Update: MDY Industries, LLC v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. et al
MDY Industries, LLC v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. et al.United States District Court, District of ArizonaCase No. 2:2006cv02555, Filed October 25, 2006 On October 25, 2006, MDY Industries, LLC (“MDY”) filed a declaratory…
Case Update: Konami v. Roxor (E.D.Tex, SETTLED 2007)
Konami v. Roxor (E.D.Tex 2007 – SETTLED) We previously reported that Konami Corporation sued Roxor Games, Inc. in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging patent infringement, trademark…