Sony ordered to stop selling the PlayStation and PlayStation 2

So it's true: last week a federal court did order Sony to stop selling the PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, Dual Shock controllers, and a bunch of different games, as well as pay $90.7 million in damages after a losing a patent infringement suit brought against them by Immersion Corp. (Immersion alleges that Sony violated several of their patents related to haptics technology). Don't worry, you'll still be able to pick up the PS2 and all the rest of that stuff in stores—Sony managed to get the injunction stayed while they mount an appeal—but they're almost certainly going to have to pay up sooner or later (sounds like they think that, too, with a Sony spokesperson confirming that they're making arrangements to license Immersion's patents). Probably one of those times they should have followed Microsoft's lead, they settled with Immersion back in 2003 and "only" had to cough up $23 million.

[Eric Rice @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

What do the kids call this? Oh yeah.... 0wnd!

[B @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Now it should be noted that when MS aggreeed to pay the 23 Million, they bought a 10% stake in Immersion. Think maybe Microsoft is fighting to keep Sony from using the patent which they own a part of?

[Fabulo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Looks like they are hitting the jackpot.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=IMMR

Immersion does not look like they are that profitable (except for suing left and right)

I don't feel bad for Sony though.

[temp @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Considering the company lost 20 million bucks last year, this means it'll stick around for 5 more years.

[SHOTT3R @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

more like PWN3D!!!

But seriously, as an Intellectual Property law student, I read this last night and was blown away. I guess it really does pay to register your patents, and enforce them. It's not just for the big guys to squash fly-by-night knockoffs. This was a bet-the-business suit for Immersion, and it paid off. My only issue is "computer controlled vibrating motors" is a bit broad and does tread into the murky cell-phone/pager waters. Stay tuned. There's always more litigation.

[word. @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Good thing Sony didn't try to put it in the psp. Where do nintendo's controlers fit in to all this?

[semi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

its not like sony is gonna suffer
they'll just charge a little more for each and every thing that uses immersion product and recover the 90mil faster than immersion could spend it.

[General @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

HAHA

[quanta @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Sony will settle and arrange a licensing agreement; this will all blow over.

[kerry @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Yeah, I'm confused. Don't the xbox controllers vibrate? Why didn't microsoft get sued?

[Bastard_Kid_Kris @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

L0lZ SDOt > j00ALL!!

[B @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Microsoft did get sued. They settled the suit for $23 million, and purchased a 10% stake in Immersion. Think maybe MS is pushing Immersion to not settle this case and do everything they can to screw Sony? Yea, probabally.

[Jules @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

#9 - Microsoft did get sued but settled for $23 million.

[Starluck @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Microsoft did get sued, as well as Nintendo. The difference is both M$ AND Nintendo settled out of court.

-Also This headline/Story is erroneous! Sony is not ordered to stop selling the PS1/PS2. They are ordered to stop packaging the "Dual Shock" Controllers with the consoles.

-So no there will not be a mass shortage os PS's , and no there will not be a deluge of overpriced Sony systems on ebay.

Link to site that got the story right:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050327-4739.html

Link to Discussion about said article:
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/174096756/m/165002252731

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Yay another worthless company gets big money for doing nothing but creating another BS lawsuit. Who is this a victory for.

They need to change the patent laws so you actually have to do something with the patent other than just register stuff hoping someone else will make something close enough so you can sue them.

[Peter Rojas @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

This is directly from Reuters:

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sony Corp. (6758.T) on Monday said it was ordered by a U.S. federal court to halt U.S. sales of its PlayStation game consoles and pay nearly $91 million in patent infringement damages to a California company, although the judge immediately put her ruling on hold.

The stay in the case means Sony will not actually have to stop importing or selling the PlayStation 2 console in the United States, and will not have to remove PS2s from store shelves, while the appeal is pending."

[amiga_tone @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Hmmmm, Nintendo's bongo controllers won't be affected thats for sure unless someone has a patent for shock-input?

#15, Although I agree with you it seems companies need to be more aware of working out the design process of their technologies. I agree sifting through all the patents until you get to 6,424,333 isn't exactly fun but all 3 organisations should have done their homework.

I agree this whole US Patent law is BS when companies just register ideas and let them brew for years on end and I think something should be done to prevent people making money out of ideas alone and not by hoping they can cheat some cash out of someone else when they don't do their homework!

If a patent is marketed and sold then and only then should fines be applied to a company.

[looker @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/28/news_6121137.html

Here's the news link from Gamespot, they have a better coverage about the case. This case has been going on for some years, and Sony was able to keep pushing PS2 without any difficulties- I don't see why that would stop now. Also, keep in mind that Microsoft is getting ready to unveil their XBOX replacement, and Sony shouldn't be too behind- I mean, when was the last time you saw a PSOne in a store? PS2 maybe has a year or two left in its cycle, and they were outdated the moment Gamecube/XBox came out.

An advice for Sony would be buying Immersion and liquify the company if it costs less than $90 million :D

[Anthony @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

What about all the 3rd party controller manufacturers...why not sue them too? That patent is way too broad.

[Sean @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Good point #6, if a PS1 and PS2 can be declared 'computers' by some female judge then these cellphones with vibrating motors should also be included in a suit by this company.

[jcbl @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

"Probably one of those times they should have followed Microsoft�s lead, they settled with Immersion back in 2003 and �only� had to cough up $23 million."

That's a shame. True story is that Nintendo was the only one who paid for a license to Immersion at their time. Sony and Microsoft were sued, but Microsoft solved the problem buying Immersion. So now Sony must pay to Microsoft. No jokes, Immersion = Microsoft. They started to make the same as in software development and this is very sad. We're entering a very dark age of video-gaming. Microsoft already got two well-known japaneese developers to enter hard into the japaneese market. Everytime Microsoft gets sued (and this happens a lot of times), they solve the problem buying the enterprise who opened the process against them. This is the most agressive enterprise ever...