Apparently Hillcrest Labs is suing Nintendo claiming that Nintendo has infringed upon several of their patents with the release of the Wii in the US. They claim that the Wiimote and On-screen Menus are the main focus of their infringement. Hillcrest Labs is pushing for an all out import ban in the US on the Nintendo Wii.
PRESS RELEASE: Hillcrest Labs Issues Statement About Legal Action Against Nintendo and the Wii
August 20, 2008 – Rockville, MD – Hillcrest Labs issued an official statement about legal action that the company has taken today against Nintendo(R) for patent infringement. The statement is as follows:
Hillcrest Labs has filed a complaint for patent infringement with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington, D.C., and a separate patent infringement suit in the U.S. District Court in Maryland against Nintendo(R) related to the Wii(TM) video game system.
Hillcrest’s patents at issue are U.S. Patent Nos. 7,158,118, 7,262,760, and 7,414,611, which relate to a handheld three-dimensional pointing device, and U.S. Patent No. 7,139,983, which relates to a navigation interface display system that graphically organizes content for display on a television. Since 2001, Hillcrest Labs has pioneered technology that allows consumers to interact with digital media on television using motion-control and pointing techniques. The company holds 29 patents in this area worldwide, and has filled for more than 100 related patents.Leading consumer electronics companies, not all of whom have been disclosed publicly, have already licensed Hillcrest’s technology for use in their products. While Hillcrest Labs has a great deal of respect for Nintendo and the Wii, Hillcrest Labs believes that Nintendo is in clear violation of its patents and has taken this action to protect its intellectual property rights. Given the current status of the filings, the company will not disclose any additional details about the matter at this time.
Information about Hillcrest Labs and its products are available at www.hillcrestlabs.com
