Philips has filed a lawsuit in the US against Nintendo over motion control technology used in Nintendo Wii and Wii U game consoles.
The patent infringement case covers the remote motion control and detection technology in the Wii systems, specifically motion control and wireless remote control by a second device. The lawsuit states that Nintendo violated the Dutch electronics firm’s patents in the Wii, Wii Remote and Wii Remote Plus controllers, Nunchuk, Balance Board, Wii U console, Wii U GamePad, Wii Mini and Wii MotionPlus products, as well as the Wii U and GamePad console platform.
“We expanded our lawsuit against Nintendo for infringement of two patents in the field of motion control to the US, after earlier filings in 2012 and 2013 in Germany, UK and France,” said Philips in a statement. “Philips owns several patents in the field of motion gesture and pointing control and makes these patents available to manufacturers of remote controls, TV sets, game consoles and set-top boxes through our licensing programs.”
Philips claims that Nintendo was alerted regarding the technology infringements in 2011 but continued to violate the patents. Philips is demanding a ban on the manufacture and sale of the Wii U and other Nintendo hardware including the disputed technology.
Nintendo has yet to issue a statement regarding the lawsuit.
In February the US International Trade Commission cleared Nintendo in patent suit regarding microprocessor features and architecture in the company’s 3DS and DSi consoles. A patent lawsuit was also filed by IA Labs in 2010 regarding technology in Nintendo’s Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus. Nintendo also won that case and acquired the entire patent portfolio of IA Labs in January.
