UltimatePointer has patents for hand-held pointing devices, with which it said it planned to market laser pointers for business use. Apparently the court didn't see the connection to the Wii.
In 2011, a company called UltimatePointer brought suit against Nintendo and a host of retailers including GameStop, Best Buy, and Target, alleging that the Wii Remote infringed its patents on pointing devices -- and that retailers were infringing them by selling Nintendo's products.
Today, Nintendo announced that the case against it has been dismissed -- it won't even go to trial. UltimatePointer argued that Nintendo infringed two of its patents, which related to -- what else -- pointing device technology.
Of some interest is the fact that UltimatePointer also went after retailers; however, in September, the stores were dropped from the case and it was transferred from Texas to Seattle, with Nintendo the only remaining defendant. You can read more about that specific aspect at the Retail Litigation Center, which filed a brief to help protect retailers from such claims.
Since the successful release of the Wii, Nintendo has frequently been embroiled in patent lawsuits, and (with one notable exception) has generally prevailed.
Read more about:
2014You May Also Like
