Sony hit with a judgement for $90 million @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on March 29, 2005

News: Sony ordered to pay force feedback pioneers Immersion $90 million

A judge has ordered Sony to pay $90.7 million to Immersion Corp. as part of a patent infringement lawsuit Immersion brought against them. The lawsuit stems from Immersion's patent on a particular brand of force feedback technology in controllers. Last year, Microsoft settled their patent infringement case for $20 million and purchased $6 million in Immersion stock. Nintendo developed their Rumble Pak (and later rumble controllers) independantly of Immersion.

The court also ordered that until Sony made Immersion for a license that they would not be allowed to sell any PlayStation 2 consoles, Dual Shock controllers and 47 (unnamed) games that violate the patent. Sony immediately appealed this ruling and has been allowed to continue selling all of the offensive merchandise

"The Court's entry of judgment implements last September's jury verdict and the damages award," said Immersion CEO Victor Viegas. "The Court-ordered permanent injunction to stop the shipment and sale of infringing products in the U.S. is an important indicator of the strength of our case and the potential risks involved in this litigation. The compulsory license during the stay of the injunction creates a binding obligation for Sony to compensate us for the continued use of our technology in their PlayStation products. We have always believed, and continue to believe, in the strength of our intellectual property. We remain confident of our position in the appeals process."

"Immersion is built on a strong foundation of innovative technology and intellectual property. We now hold more than 270 patents in our worldwide intellectual property portfolio and have more than 280 patent applications pending. Immersion has a long list of licensees in the automotive, gaming, medical, mobility, and other markets, and we will continue to license our technology under appropriate circumstances. We will also continue to vigorously defend our intellectual property for the benefit of our licensees and shareholders," concluded Viegas.