Sony fined and asked to pull units off shelves...

[ImpTaimer]

According to a report on Abcnews.com, Sony was ordered to cease sales on its PlayStation 2 consoles in the U.S. and was fined $90.7 million for patent infringement by a U.S. court in Oakland, CA.


Immersion, the company who developed the rumble technology such as used in the controllers for the PlayStation and Xbox, filed the law suit and was awarded $82 million by a jury's decision in September, 2004, plus an additional $8.7 million of interest.

Sony appealed the decision and was granted a stay of permanent injunction, which allows the corporation to sell its products during the appeals process. The sales halt that would be affecting the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and 47 games that utilize the technology, "will not go into effect before the appeal,' an SCE spokeswoman said. "Sony will be paying compulsory license fees to Immersion," she added.

http://ps2.gamespy.com/articles/599/599417p1.html - Short
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=619259 - Full Coverage

:S This really blows. Anyone have an opinion on this?

 

[Jesus]

read it the other day.. not too fussed in honesty...

 

[Ravendust]

So is it no longer possible to buy PS2's in the US? Or just the Dual Shock controllers?

Thank god I live in the UK...and have four controllers.

 

[Synth]

I don't see how a company that had to have basically offered it's product to Sony and Microsoft...

...turns around and sues them for using it. Sounds like another frivelous lawsuit, that should have never happened.

 

[frsrblch]

Die Sony! Die!

I live in Canada, so I doubt I have cause to rejoice.

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

Worst case scenario they repackage with non-rumbling controllers.

This is ****ing ridiculous anyway...almost all third party controllers rumble, they have been since N64, even before it. They sue Sony, and they sue NOW--FIVE YEARS into the frigging console? I doubt this will go anywhere. The bastards are just trying to score reparations.

 

[Enix]

"errmm...wait a second....I have had this ps2 for over 4 years now..and OMG! WHATS THIS!?! MY CONTROLLER IS RUMBLING!?!! [looks through copyrights] OMG! I copyrighted the rumbling controller idea [crys] SONY SHALL PAY!!!!"

Thats all i hear out of this....its BS....