Sony ordered to pay $90.7 Million, stop selling Playstations!

Agent Plissken · 03-28-2005, 05:57 PM

Sony ordered to pay $90,700,000, and stop selling playstations!

Dual Shocked: Sony Immersed in $90.7 million fine, injunction

US District Court favors San Jose tech company Immersion; Sony injunction to halt American sales of PS2s and affected materials.
Three years ago, Northern California technology company Immersion Corporation brought a suit against Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Corporation claiming patent infringement of its proprietary technology used in the controllers for the companies' home consoles: the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.
Microsoft settled out of court with Immersion in 2003, avoiding messy legal proceedings for $26 million, which also got Microsoft a 10 percent stake in Immersion.

Sony, on the other hand, left the decision up to the courts, a move that appears to have cost the company a serious chunk of change. Last Thursday, United States District Judge Claudia Wilken ordered the electronics giant to pay Immersion $90.7 million in patent infringement damages. The fine stems from the $82 million awarded to Immersion by a jury's decision on September 21, 2004, plus prejudgement interest of $8.7 million tacked on last week, which Sony unsuccessfully objected to.

The tiff involves Immersion's technology that creates the "rumble" feature that causes controllers to vibrate in sync with events in games. The court found in favor of Immersion's claims that Sony's Dual Shock controllers, the standard sticks for Sony's PlayStation and PlayStation 2, and several of its games infringe on two of its patents.

The Oakland, California, court also ordered an injunction stating that Sony is to immediately stop selling the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, both versions of the Dual Shock controllers, and 47 games found to use the vibration technology, including Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Gran Turismo 3. The injunction only effects sales in the United States.

Sony immediately appealed the decision and has been granted a stay of permanent injunction, allowing Sony to sell its products as normal during the appeals process. However, Sony will have to pay a licensing fee to Immersion for the duration of the stay.

Bires · 03-28-2005, 08:31 PM

Did anyone buy stock in Immersion?

Agent Plissken · 03-28-2005, 08:38 PM

Seriously! I bet Sony planned on using that technology in PS3 also... Sucks for them!

yippiekiyeh · 03-28-2005, 09:30 PM

I wouldn't say sucks for them, more like, pay for what you stole...

CornMonkey · 03-28-2005, 10:02 PM

whoa..this is huge! sony can't sell PS, PS2, and any games with rumble feature in the US? that's a huge setback for them...

i hope this doesn't affect my friend's new job at sony...which would shatter my hopes of getting a PSP at an employee discount.

civicdidex · 03-29-2005, 12:20 AM

i can see it now... "gran turismo 5 - drive it like you stole it"

Showtime · 03-29-2005, 12:25 AM

ha ha!

-j

Chgoman · 03-29-2005, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CornMonkey

whoa..this is huge! sony can't sell PS, PS2, and any games with rumble feature in the US? that's a huge setback for them...

i hope this doesn't affect my friend's new job at sony...which would shatter my hopes of getting a PSP at an employee discount.

They immediately stayed the injunction not to sell PS during the appeal which will probably last 12-18 months. By that point they can either incorporate different technology into PS3 or they can decide to start paying the royalties. It'll cost them some money, but it won't really hurt them.

Bires · 03-29-2005, 04:11 PM

I thought (in business) costing them money and hurting them were the same thing.

ialsohaveadream · 03-29-2005, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bires

I thought (in business) costing them money and hurting them were the same thing.

Not when what they pay in a lawsuit was less than what they would've had to pay originally.

Grubbie · 03-29-2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ialsohaveadream

Not when what they pay in a lawsuit was less than what they would've had to pay originally.

I believe MS settled with them for about 25million. So it actually cost sony $65million more...

linky
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+settle...3-5056455.html

Agent Plissken · 03-29-2005, 09:46 PM

But when MS settled it also got them 10% ownership of the company that they settled with. Therefore it is almost like Sony is paying MS $9.07 million right now...

ialsohaveadream · 03-29-2005, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agent Plissken

But when MS settled it also got them 10% ownership of the company that they settled with. Therefore it is almost like Sony is paying MS $9.07 million right now...

Not only that, but I meant that paying for the original product through that company probably would've cost Sony more than just stealing it and paying for it later through lawsuits.

Grubbie · 03-30-2005, 01:16 AM

MS did the same thing, but they settled for 25million instead of fighting and losing almost 100milllion.

DarkSamus · 04-13-2005, 01:37 PM

I guess the true winner is Nintendo. Unlike like MS and Sony, Nintendo got licensed for there rumble feature.

03-28-2005, 05:57 PM	#1
Agent Plissken Commander Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Montgomery Posts: 1,264	Sony ordered to pay $90.7 Million, stop selling Playstations! Sony ordered to pay $90,700,000, and stop selling playstations! Dual Shocked: Sony Immersed in $90.7 million fine, injunction US District Court favors San Jose tech company Immersion; Sony injunction to halt American sales of PS2s and affected materials. Three years ago, Northern California technology company Immersion Corporation brought a suit against Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Corporation claiming patent infringement of its proprietary technology used in the controllers for the companies' home consoles: the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Microsoft settled out of court with Immersion in 2003, avoiding messy legal proceedings for $26 million, which also got Microsoft a 10 percent stake in Immersion. Sony, on the other hand, left the decision up to the courts, a move that appears to have cost the company a serious chunk of change. Last Thursday, United States District Judge Claudia Wilken ordered the electronics giant to pay Immersion $90.7 million in patent infringement damages. The fine stems from the $82 million awarded to Immersion by a jury's decision on September 21, 2004, plus prejudgement interest of $8.7 million tacked on last week, which Sony unsuccessfully objected to. The tiff involves Immersion's technology that creates the "rumble" feature that causes controllers to vibrate in sync with events in games. The court found in favor of Immersion's claims that Sony's Dual Shock controllers, the standard sticks for Sony's PlayStation and PlayStation 2, and several of its games infringe on two of its patents. The Oakland, California, court also ordered an injunction stating that Sony is to immediately stop selling the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, both versions of the Dual Shock controllers, and 47 games found to use the vibration technology, including Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Gran Turismo 3. The injunction only effects sales in the United States. Sony immediately appealed the decision and has been granted a stay of permanent injunction, allowing Sony to sell its products as normal during the appeals process. However, Sony will have to pay a licensing fee to Immersion for the duration of the stay. __________________ Dyin' ain't much of a living, boy Last edited by Agent Plissken : 03-28-2005 at 06:18 PM.

03-28-2005, 08:31 PM	#2
Bires Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 5,064	Did anyone buy stock in Immersion? __________________ Five years...

03-28-2005, 09:30 PM	#4
yippiekiyeh A Friend of a Friend Join Date: May 2001 Location: WESTSIDE! Posts: 1,673	I wouldn't say sucks for them, more like, pay for what you stole... __________________ Distributed.Net I'm Trying this blogger thang...

03-29-2005, 12:20 AM	#6
civicdidex Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: south san fran Posts: 537	i can see it now... "gran turismo 5 - drive it like you stole it" __________________ fate grasps me and blurs my vision

03-29-2005, 12:25 AM	#7
Showtime Lakers fanatic Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: L.A. ->SoCal<- O.C. Posts: 7,338	ha ha! -j __________________ NBA REPORT 10-11/ The 3-Peat! 1948 1949 1950 1952 1953 1954 1972 1980 1982 1985 1987 1988 2000 2001 2002 2009 2010 Reigning NBA CHAMPS!

03-28-2005, 08:38 PM	#3
Agent Plissken Commander Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Montgomery Posts: 1,264	Seriously! I bet Sony planned on using that technology in PS3 also... Sucks for them!

03-28-2005, 10:02 PM	#5
CornMonkey Rear Admiral Lower Half Join Date: May 2000 Location: in front of my computer Posts: 2,503	whoa..this is huge! sony can't sell PS, PS2, and any games with rumble feature in the US? that's a huge setback for them... i hope this doesn't affect my friend's new job at sony...which would shatter my hopes of getting a PSP at an employee discount.

03-29-2005, 04:11 PM	#9
Bires Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 5,064	I thought (in business) costing them money and hurting them were the same thing.

03-29-2005, 09:46 PM	#12
Agent Plissken Commander Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Montgomery Posts: 1,264	But when MS settled it also got them 10% ownership of the company that they settled with. Therefore it is almost like Sony is paying MS $9.07 million right now...

03-30-2005, 01:16 AM	#14
Grubbie Captain Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Redmond Posts: 1,596	MS did the same thing, but they settled for 25million instead of fighting and losing almost 100milllion.

04-13-2005, 01:37 PM	#15
DarkSamus Lieutenant Junior Grade Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 72	I guess the true winner is Nintendo. Unlike like MS and Sony, Nintendo got licensed for there rumble feature.

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