Microsoft, Immersion Settle 'Force Feedback' Lawsuit

Microsoft and Immersion Corporation have settled their long dispute over force feedback technology, with Immersion making a one-time payment of $20.75 million to the console manufacturer. The settlement regarding conflict over rumble in Xbox and PC game controllers, which also sees Immersion become a part of Microsoft's Certified Partner Program, concludes a corporate conflict that began in 2002 -- and actually returns much of the money that Microsoft paid to Immersion in the first place. At that time, Immersion claimed copyright infringement on the part of both Microsoft and Sony for technology used in the manufacturers' console controllers. Microsoft agreed to a $26 million settlement in 2003, and Sony eventually settled for $121 million in 2007. Since June of that year, Microsoft and Immersion have been locked in a lawsuit, after Microsoft took issue with the terms of the Sony settlement, believing it was entitled to a share of that sum. Today's resolution, the remaining terms of which remain confidential, appears to close the books on the matter. Said Immersion president and CEO Clent Richardson in a statement today, "We are pleased to resolve our outstanding dispute with Microsoft and to put this litigation behind us." In a separate statement, an Immersion representative indicated that the comnany looks forward to working with Microsoft "on adoption of its haptic technologies."