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>Paltalk Turns its Attention to Sony
>After settling with Microsoft for an undisclosed amount, Paltalk has set it sights on Sony, alleging Sony is also infringing its patents related to online gameplay.Back in 2006, Paltalk sued Microsoft on nearly identical grounds, alleging that certain communications between game systems over the internet infringe two of its patents, 5,822,523 and 6,226,686. These two patents describe a method of increasing bandwidth efficiency between a group of computers communicating on a network. The method involves a central messaging server programmed to receive messages from each computer on the network and to maintain a list of the computers on the network. The patents also describe a method for sending “join” messages to other computers to invite them into a game. Lastly, the patents describe a method for aggregating messages received by the central messaging server in a block and then pushing the aggregated message block back to the other computers. Paltalk… Continue Reading
>Killer Hardware Can Trigger Killer Lawsuits
>All three leading console makers previewed new motion-sensing controller technology this week at E3. With the success of the Wiimote, the industry may have realized that killer controller hardware can sell consoles just as well as killer game titles. Whenever a large company launches a significant new product like a game controller, there are numerous intellectual property “clearance” issues that play out behind the scenes. Not only does the company have to worry about protecting its new hardware design from infringers, but it simultaneously has to worry about infringing everyone else’s intellectual property.Today at E3, Sony unveiled a motion-sensing system with a controller that can translate player movement as a sword, a bat, a gun, etc., while Nintendo announced a few technological tweaks to the Wiimote. Sony’s and Nintendo’s unveilings came just a day after Microsoft announced that it developed a system that allows game control through tracking of players’… Continue Reading
>To DRM or not to DRM
>The FTC recently held a “Town Hall” meeting to address the use of Digital Right Management (DRM) technologies on March 25, in Seattle. Several consumers groups, including the Entertainment Consumer’s Association (ECA), were there to push for better disclosure of DRM on game packaging and better communication between gamers and game publishers on the issue of DRM. You can check out the ECA’s website, where you will see an attempt to outline a set of standard DRM rights for consumers and for copyright owners. My two favorite PC games of 2008 were World of Goo and Sins of a Solar Empire. What is unusual about these two games is that neither of them are packaged with conventional DRM restrictions. 2D Boy, the publisher of World of Goo, reasoned that “people who pirate our game aren’t people who would have purchased it had they not been able to get it without… Continue Reading
>ADC v. Microsoft Update
>ADC Technology, based in Nagoya, Japan, launched a patent infringement suit in October, 2008, against Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, accusing them of infringing five ADC patents relating to interactive communication in video games. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on Monday granted ADC’s voluntary motion to dismiss Sony, leaving only Microsoft and Nintendo as the remaining defendants. ADC alleges that the Xbox 360 video game console (with Xbox Live) violates five, and the Wii, three, of the patents at issue.ADC is asserting Patent Numbers 6,193,520, 6,488,508, 6,702,585 and 6,875,021, all titled “Interactive communication system for communicating video game and karaoke software”; and Patent Number 5,775,995 titled, “Interactive communication system for communicating video.” The patents describe a remote distribution system that allows customers to download software for use on devices and charges those players a fee for using the downloaded software. The case is still in its… Continue Reading
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