ITC to look into Hillcrest Labs' Wiimote patent infringement claims

Ruh roh. Those wildly flung patent infringement claims tossed out by Hillcrest Laboratories could have some merit, but even if not, it'll be the ITC making the call. The US International Trade Commission has given itself the green light to investigate the allegations made by the aforesaid company, which state that Nintendo infringed on four of its patents in order to make obscenely large quantities of cash with the hot-selling Wii. There's no telling how high (or low) this is in the agency's priority list, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for some sort of resolution, regardless.

[Barri @ Sep 18th 2008 8:25AM]

Down with the Wii

[Serial 8-Ball Mouse @ Sep 18th 2008 8:29AM]

Perhaps you missed Nintendo's soccer mom presentation at E3, but the Wii is PUTTING SMILES ON LOTS OF FACES.

[pozzitron_fanboi @ Sep 18th 2008 9:54AM]

Maybe Barri is just angry at the world and hates smiles because of his/her engadget name. A name change to something like "pozzitron" would probably cheer him/her/it up.

pozzitron makes me smile. So does the Wii. But it's mainly pozzitron that makes me smile. All his comments are like rays of sunshine.

[xtole @ Sep 18th 2008 10:05AM]

Ha-do-KEN!

[Bill @ Sep 18th 2008 8:37AM]

....FIGHT!!!!

[karagh @ Sep 18th 2008 8:41AM]

I'm gonna put a PIL (Patent Infringement Lawsuit) to Nintendo, because their wiimote copies my... I don't know right now, but I'll figure out what they are copying me.

[stitifier @ Sep 18th 2008 8:45AM]

This is ridiculous. I don't know patent law, but it seems completely contrary to the whole spirit of innovation for a person or company to be able to patent whole ideas and claim intellectual property over anything that even remotely resembles those ideas. Like, say, a "handheld three-dimensional pointing device" with a "navigation interface display system that graphically organizes content for display on a television." Christ, with that, they could sue me for using a laser pointer and a TiVo at the same time.

Unless their wireless controller used Bluetooth, infrared orientation, and accelerometers coupled with force-feedback to aid navigation, I don't see how this company has a leg to stand on, even if their product actually did make it to market. And, presumably, fail, since there don't appear to be bunches of people lining outside Best Buy in droves to buy this Loop thingamajig.

Not that this is the most pressing issue of our time, but holy crap, I just might lose my faith in humanity if this company even gets a whiff of Nintendo's profits.

[Scott Greczkowski @ Sep 18th 2008 9:10AM]

"Unless their wireless controller used Bluetooth, infrared orientation, and accelerometers coupled with force-feedback to aid navigation, I don't see how this company has a leg to stand on, even if their product actually did make it to market."

Actually it appears it does... (I don't know about the Bluetooth part though)

I did this interview with Hillcrest Labs back in November. (Although the WII was already out then) where they showed off their device.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqzNgZuhIuw

The question is my mind is which one came up with the idea first and more importantly who patented the idea first.

This one is going to be one to watch.

[shanoboy @ Sep 18th 2008 8:46AM]

Sadly enough, after seeing this image I realized I still know how to perform all of Ryu's special moves in street fighter 2.

I forgot 3/4ths of what I learned in college, but I still remember all the moves to Street Fighter 2 some 15 or more years later.

[y3k.nik @ Sep 18th 2008 8:53AM]

Street Fighter 2 skills are more important anyways!

Had my final exams 3 weeks ago, and we were playing street fighter instead of studying, so yeah.... that isn't sad at all!

[luisengard @ Sep 18th 2008 9:06AM]

Perhaps you paid more attention and played more hours to SF than studying maths... ;)

Seriously, SF special moves are not that complicated...

[Cow Bell @ Sep 18th 2008 8:57AM]

C-C-C-C-COMBO B-B-B-BREAKER...

[Ben M. @ Sep 18th 2008 9:12AM]

no this suit should be legit i heard about this company and the remote that is displayed fighting the wiimote when they released it
i cant remember if it use 2axis motion sensing or the i-r bar either way it would be the same technology that the wii uses and these guys have the patents on the idea

[spiderman @ Sep 18th 2008 9:33AM]

It is hard for me to call Hillcrest a patent troll seeing as how they have an actual product they are promoting.

[Azayzel @ Sep 18th 2008 9:51AM]

THe ITC shouldn't even let companies patent items that are too easily *accidentally* used by other companies. Patenting this idea is akin to patenting the steering wheel or ball. I would think that all of those companies who made gyro-mice need to start suing the new gadgets, as they has this idea down a while back; or better yet, any company who put a gryo or accelerometer in some device to control/record it's movement.

[GGF @ Sep 18th 2008 6:48PM]

"This is ridiculous. I don't know patent law"

Yes, you don't. And no, it is not ridiculous. Without patents, everyone would copy and no one would bother coming up with new ideas. The fact the patents block you, makes you come up with different technology to do the same thing or pay the original inventor to use his/her idea.

"THe ITC shouldn't even let companies patent items that are too easily *accidentally* used by other companies."

1. the ITC doesn't let companies patent anything, the USPTO does. The ITC just enforces. 2. Patents are a negative right (ie to exclude others). It doesn't matter if the technology is 'accidentally' used, it matter that they used it and they used it after the company that developed it.

Finally, you have to read the claims of the patent. These define the legal parameters that define infringement. If you just read the abstract, that isn't enough.

[belial 20xx @ Sep 18th 2008 4:38PM]

I have seen the interview and several other videos demoing this so called freespace and I see a generic gettofied version of the wiimote but in a circle. First I doubt that there is the exact same tech envolved since hillcrests loop deal is only a 2 buttoned remote and circle while the wiimote is rectangle and has 7 buttons a trigger and a crosspad not to mention the 4 lights and a speaker.

I can remember back to late 2004 early 2005 and recall seeing nintendo touting the revoloution as the next big thing with a 3d motion capture interface. They had several mockups and even a V.R> type helmet which I thought was cool and would like to see it released. So I feel that The Big N is not worried and that is why they are letting this company try their play but know that Hillcreast is the one whom will lose ultimatlet due to the fact that it is a generic patent and nintendo was first plain and simple.

The wii was out already before hillcrest revealed their tech so it seems like a get rich for someone elses Idead scam. Nintendo is the leading inovator in the market of videogames and none whom are in the know can argue this. If it were not for nintendo and mario 64 who would know where we would be as far as 3D gaming goes.Ant to think a comany even tried to sue nintendo over analog controllers when the 64 was the first to implement true analog. The the saturn came with nights and the analog device and sony the after.

Nintendo even came up with the first funtional D pad as well on the original game n watch series. See a trend?? Nintendo is the innovative minds behind most of gamings fore fronts in controle innovation. Some may even recall that sony tech for the playstation was basiclly a add on for the super nintendo at first. Sony then evolve it offof the super nintendo and used nintendo tech for the playstation. Check and you will see it as fact.

Hillcrest has no ground here and this is a faild attempt to collect on a generic patent that was bought after the wii was designed. The patent nonsense is out of control here in the u.s. to the point where I am ashamed to live in it.I bet the lawsuit was filed in texas the worlds leader in patent suits. I find it sad that hillcrest cant make a cent of their product which was desinged as a circular device with 2 buttons which was designed for the Dish industry for TV brocats viewing clearly not gaming,so they gonna try to get rich of of someone elses innovation and hard work.

[alvin777 @ Sep 18th 2008 11:50PM]

Hi. It seems lawsuits and patents are out of control in the USA (I hope McCain and Palin become elected also solves this chaos of lawsuits and generic patents). A lot could be put to good use with the time, money and effort that goes into this kind of court cases like working together and just share patent, instead of wasting it on greed. Whoever creates a better commercial successful product like the Wiimote wins, second placers shouldn't complain coz' it was an equal playing field in some ways when it shared patents.

Nintendo willl just win this buy just pointing Hillcrest and the courts to their Power Glove which was available decades ago. The Power Glove was essential an inaccurate WiiMote/Nunchukmote.