Nintendo fends off 3DS tech lawsuit following retrial

Nintendo has won its lengthy legal battle against Tomita Technologies, which claimed the hardware manufacturer made use of its patented 3D display technology without proper licensing.

Retired Sony engineer and Tomita founder, Seijiro Tomita, originally filed the lawsuit against Nintendo on June 22, 2011, claiming the company had unlawfully used his glasses-free 3D technology in the 3DS.

Nintendo fought the lawsuit, explaining the handheld's 3D tech didn't infringe on any aspects of Tomita's patent, but was ultimately deemed to be at fault in March 2013, when a U.S. jury awarded the inventor $30.2 million in compensation.

After appealing the decision Nintendo was granted a retrial, and on Sunday, April 24, a New York judge ruled in the company's favor, deciding that the 3DS "performs in a significantly different way and does more than was contemplated by the Tomita patent." 

"We are very pleased with the court’s finding that Nintendo does not infringe,” commented Ajay Singh, Nintendo of America’s director of litigation and compliance. 

“Nintendo has a long history of developing innovative products, and we aggressively defend patent lawsuits when our products do not infringe, even when we must do it over many years and through multiple trials.”