Why is the amount of $10 million so important to technology mogul, Nintendo, these days? It just so happens to be the amount of restitution Nintendo was ordered by the court to pay iLife Technologies following patent law litigation that is now working its way through the appeals process. It seems iLife continues to retain a stronghold, however, as Nintendo recently lost another round in the U.S. Court of Appeals. Those facing patent issues in Missouri may want to follow this case.
At issue is body movement sensor techonology that Nintendo apparently uses in its Wii consoles. Nintendo was sued by iLife Technologies, who claimed it infringed at least six patents by using the body movement sensors in Wii products. Litigation lasted approximately four years, ending in victory for iLife Technologies.
Upon appeal, however, Nintendo claims iLife Techologies accelerometer patents were not valid due to descriptions that were improperly written. The U.S. Court of Appeals disagreed, however, made evident when it upheld the Texas court’s decision in iLife Technologies’ favor. iLife Technologies reportedly settled out of court in a similar lawsuit it previously filed against FitBit.
When accused of patent trolling, iLife Technologies came out swinging in its own defense, stating it never tries to legally enforce any patent it did not develop. Patent law is often complex, which means litigation can be quite lengthy and stressful. This is why most Missouri patent owners retain experienced and aggressive legal representation before heading to court, whether to defend use of a particular patent or seek legal enforcement against another party or parties for patent infringement.
Source: worldipreview.com, “Nintendo Loses Appeal Against $10 Million Motion Control Patent Case“, Nathaniel Artosilla, Dec. 30, 2017