Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Nintendo Squashes ‘Patent Troll’ Triton In Wii Remote Case
Nintendo has announced the dismissal of a 2010 lawsuit filed by Triton over the Wii Remote. Triton alleged that the technology powering the Wii Remote infringed against its patent for a “computer apparatus input device for three-dimensional information.”
The Seattle district court found Triton’s patent invalid, as it doesn’t fully describe a complete invention. Nintendo has fought off a number of patent suits over the past few years, and has come out ahead of most of them.
The exception is a recent suit against Nintendo filed by Tomita Technologies. The result of that suit was a judge awarding a percentage of all 3DS sales to Tomita as compensation for the infringement of the company’s glasses-less 3D technology.
Our Take
Nintendo became a target after the enormous success of the Wii, and the company continues to ward off those hoping to capitalize on vague patents. Our patent system invites this type of litigious behavior, but Nintendo’s innovation continues to win out in most cases.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
