Sony slapped with another patent suit

[cablekiller]

Semiconductor company Agere Systems claims electronics giant's gaming systems, other tech products infringe on a number of its patents.
By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:17 pm PT
Sony has been having some trouble with patent disputes of late. In March 2005, Immersion Corporation won its lawsuit claiming that Sony's DualShock PlayStation and PlayStation 2 controllers infringed on its force-feedback patents. A judge ordered Sony to pay more than $90 million in damages, and earlier this year denied an attempt from the electronics giant to have the decision overturned.

Now Sony's in the middle of another patent fight, this one brought against the company by Pennsylvania-based Agere Systems. According to court documents, Agere (which has a pair of offices in Texas) has filed suit against Sony and a number of its divisions for willful infringement of eight patents in a number of its products, including the PSP, PlayStation 2, and based on announced specifications, the PlayStation 3. Sony VAIO computers, Handycams, Walkman players, Memory Stick Duos, and Location Free TV are also named as infringing offerings on some of the patents. The patents in question run from a "wireless local area network apparatus" to "barrier layer treatments for tungsten plug."

Agere is asking that each branch of Sony be made to provide an accounting of all gains made through their alleged infringements, and that the company be awarded damages to adequately compensate it based on those figures. Agere also claims that Sony knew about the patents and willfully infringed on them, so it is asking the courts to boost the damages awarded as much as three times what it would have been otherwise.

In its defense, Sony has denied all claims of infringement. It is arguing that it actually has the rights to use seven of the eight patents through a 1989 cross-licensing deal with AT&T and Lucent (whose microelectronics group eventually became Agere Systems). Sony also contends that some of the patents (including the one it doesn't claim a right to use) were not properly obtained because Agere omitted important information when it filed for them. Finally, Sony believes the patents in question are invalid anyway, and has asked the judge to declare them as such.

Agere denied Sony's counterclaims last month and has issued a demand for a jury trial.

Sony slapped with another patent suit - News at GameSpot

[BossCheese]

Awesome.....just plain awesome

[gps]

Wow man between the Tokyo Tax agency deal and this.... Sony's really getting screwed.

[Enola Bomber]

tiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmmmbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrr!!!! !!!! *crash*

[xxrpggamemanxx]

wow! Yet another hude dent in sony! there gonna owe a hell of a lot if there found to have infringed the patents! There PS3 better be there savior or there screwed!

[BRUTAL1TY]

seriously... if PS3 doesnt do even remotely well, as far as sales go... then Sony maybe just a distant memory. The tables have turned oh Sony

[WILLdaBEAST321]

So far they don't even have rumble in their controllers and now this. If Sony keeps going like this, in 5 years, they will just be a memory.

[John1170]

Sony is going to have to borrow money to pay back the money that they have already borrowed. That sucks for Sony.

[Grindstone]

Not good. I mean, for those that have disdain and animosity towards Sony, then yes, this is good news. But for gamers as a whole, it is better that Sony stick around and keep the competition on it's toes.

Still, how many lawsuits are waiting in the weeds at this point? Seems to be a new one every other month.

[Enola Bomber]

Sony has become the Michael Jackson of videogames. Everytime they finish in court, they get hit with another lawsuit... and they touch boys.

[Quiz]

with all the crap going on in the middle east gas prices will go higher. Sony will have to pay more to ship all there products. so much money to spend for sony.

[Shotty]

Looks like I finally buyout Sony. LOL. I plan on changing the name to Fony what do you all think.

[camwilson04]

dam, i dont want sony to go under, yeah fonys good

[Eazy_D]

if Microsoft could just find it it thier hearts to donate $10 from every xbox360 sale to the Sony fundraiser appeal the world would be a better place.