Nintendo, Nyko Settle Nunchuk Lawsuit

Nintendo of America has settled an infringement lawsuit against third-party accessory company Nyko, which alleged patent and trademark infringement relating to Nintendo's Nunchuk controller. Filed in June 2008, the complaint alleged that Nyko's Kama Nunchuk, a wireless and more expensive alternative to the first-party wired Nunchuk, "wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller." Under the settlement terms, Nyko will continue to sell a redesigned version of the Kama Nunchuk, though it will remain wireless. Founded in 1995 and based in Los Angeles, Nyko sells video game accessories for all home and handheld platforms. Its feature products include guitar controllers, a gun shell for the Wii Remote, and an Xbox 360 Intercooler, the last of which brought in a class action lawsuit due to defective products. That lawsuit was also settled earlier this year. "We are pleased to have resolved this dispute," says Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. "The Nunchuk and Wii brands are familiar to consumers worldwide, and Nintendo is dedicated to vigorous defense of those brands."