Nintendo sued over alleged copyright infringement, Wiimote and nunchuk named
by David Hinkle 
{ Jan 11th 2008 at 7:00PM }
Copper Innovations Group is looking to be awarded damages, plus interest and legal fees. They're also seeking an injunction which would permanently prohibit Nintendo, Sony and their agents (third-party manufacturers) from infringing upon the patent in the future. That means, no more Wiimotes and nunchuks. It's a sad future we're hoping we never have to live through.
Head past the break for a picture of the device Copper Innovations Group is saying that Nintendo copied.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Evangelist Pinto @ Jan 11th 2008 7:08PM
nooooooooo! Screw those guys!! I hate this!!!!!!
Ray @ Jan 11th 2008 7:18PM
There is no way the company has an actual chance. The devices are completely different, they have different functions, the design is different [not to mention Nunchuk-less], and I doubt it even uses bluetooth technology. This, my friends, is just unjust. A little company didn't try marketing their "wireless technology" and got screwed over as Nintendo released an amazing gaming system. They are just ticked off that Nintendo is intelligent to market their Wii so effectively.
lilguy @ Jan 11th 2008 7:17PM
Just another company trying to leech off of Nintendo because of their success...
Andreas @ Jan 11th 2008 7:31PM
They don't look much alike at all. Money grubbin' bastards.
http://gameculture101.blogspot.com
Metal_Link @ Jan 11th 2008 7:26PM
Wow, I can see why they're suing. Those hands look really similar.
Lasher702 @ Jan 11th 2008 7:33PM
Nothing to worry about, the device they are saying Nintendo "infringed" upon looks like a mouse of sorts. If you notice the device is flat upon a surface as indicated by the table and the way the diagram is holding the device. Also to note about how it is being held is that the Wii-remote is grasped whereas their invention is again held flat like a mouse.
troy @ Jan 11th 2008 7:33PM
Don't worry, nothing came of any of the lawsuits against Nintendo over the Wii infringing on other things. Nintendo wouldn't let that happen and ruin their success. With all the people infringing on Nintendo with D-Pads and Motion Sensing, their Karma is strong against these frivolous attacks.
Tom @ Jan 11th 2008 8:01PM
Nintendo's gonna KILL those bastards!!! Seriously, some tiny little company facing Ninty on an unjust case?? Seriously, their device is a wireless mouse that's ort of rectangular!!! Plus if they managed to pull it off, they'd get killed by all us Nintendo fans that would boycott their shit, and they'd go out of business. Same old same old for the Big N.
Jeff @ Jan 11th 2008 8:05PM
freakin' patent trolls are disgusting.
Who wants to bet this is being filed in Texas?
I wonder if we'll ever have some sort of a "you sat on the patent with absolutely no effort towards bringing it to market for X years, too bad for you, your patent is forfeit" clause that we apparently desperately need.
M @ Jan 11th 2008 8:39PM
Seriously, so freakin' tired of all these useless patent-holding companies trying to capitalize on another company's ingenious device. Nintendo should countersue. If you aren't going to use a patent (and their device looks NOTHING like a Wiimote), then you lose it. Period. There should be a 2 year expiry on these things and if no product is developed, then bye-bye patent. Enough is enough.
Big N will prevail. Always has, always will.
Spekkio @ Jan 12th 2008 4:22AM
Er, no. They haven't always prevailed in court. Just saying.
SoshiKitai @ Jan 11th 2008 9:55PM
Booo Copper Innovations Group!!!
Everyone hates you booo!!
... yeah, immaturity is annoying, but it always feels good to let it get off your chest at something as stupid as this.
kpat @ Jan 11th 2008 10:06PM
yea...no, nintendo and sony have some serious high profile lawyers, who will essentially make this lackluster case look like something from harvey birdman...p.s. i love harvey birdman, the show's genius.
NeoGunKuruma @ Jan 11th 2008 10:46PM
Or Phoenix Wright may have to pwn them in court.
TriptychR @ Jan 11th 2008 11:03PM
I think they're holding their original Wii remote wrong.
HPFFE @ Jan 11th 2008 11:05PM
WHAT!?!
They are NOTHING alike, stupid company.
HellsHammer @ Jan 12th 2008 3:13AM
If THAT is all it takes to sue, my garage door opener manufacturer has a great case too. Also, the company that makes my mouse, and my TV remotes too.
Nintendo should sue themselves for stealing a sideways NES controller design. Thieving Bastards.
Cyberxion @ Jan 12th 2008 4:34AM
Yeah, gotta love how not alike those two things look. That's grounds to sue if I've ever seen grounds from which someone would stand on when they sue!
Grendel Pr1me @ Jan 12th 2008 3:33AM
Does that mean that Douglas Engelbart can sue Copper Innovations Group because their device looks suspiciously like a mouse?
Just wondering.
raindog @ Jan 12th 2008 2:38PM
Title's incorrect.... it's a patent infringement case, not a copyright infringement case.
Also, #9, while patent trolls do usually file in East Texas, the article says the suit was filed in Western Pennsylvania.
Sure looks baseless, to the point where if the company is publicly traded I would suspect a pump and dump strategy. But I haven't seen the patent and I'm not going to look.
nintendo1889 @ Jan 12th 2008 10:44PM
Ppph! Huh! Funny that some stupid company is trying to sue a multibillion dollar a year interesting. This lawsuit is more stupid than those people who tried to sue McDonald's for getting fat.
nintendo1889 @ Jan 12th 2008 10:46PM
I meant "industry".
Jeremy @ Jan 13th 2008 11:53AM
This suit is not because of the looks or designs but how the controllers connect to the devices using a unique number to identify them. Also note that Microsoft was not included in this case even though they use the same wireless technology. Honestly any device that uses some form of wireless technology uses a unique identifier and the idea is so general that I doubt Copper Innovations Group even has a leg to stand on. This is no different than someone getting a patent 15 years ago on an idea of a storage device that was round and flat that uses lasers to read and write data and then now suing anyone that makes a CD or DVD. It is such a general idea that anyone could make a device work that way.