Nintendo taken to court for patent infridging for the Switch detachable controller

[GoodBytes]

Gamevice is taken to court Nintendo for their claim that Nintendo has violated on their patent for the concept of a detachable controller patent they have. Gamevice is a company that makes (or used to)  an Android tablets with detachable controller called Wikipad (see the last 2 pictures of the post). As a result, they are asking Nintendo for damages (money) and full outright ban of selling the system. Gamevice declined to comment on the lawsuit.

 

 

 

Quote

The Nintendo Switch certainly isn't the first gaming tablet, but is it directly riffing on others' ideas? Gamevice thinks so. The accessory maker is suing Nintendo for allegedly violating a patent for concepts used in the Wikipad, its gaming-oriented Android slate, as well as its namesake add-on controllers for phones and tablets. According to the suit, the Switch and its removable Joy-Con controllers are too close to Gamevice's vision of a combination of detachable game controller and a device with a "flexible bridge section." Not surprisingly, the lawsuit calls for both damages and a ban on Switch sales.

 

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/11/nintendo-faces-lawsuit-over-switch-controllers/

 

 

To help the discussion on this news, and to clarify:

 

Sadly,

Detachable controller is nothing new for Nintendo. They have made some back in the 80's with one of their Game & Watch devices. A quick Google shows this device:

 

Although this is more putting them inside for storage, instead of playing directly.

But regardless, we have the Razer Edge Pro which is A LOT closer to Gamevice patent infringing:

 

And not to mention many other device that I am sure you can list that has this idea and concept, that probably is so common that it is public domain at this point (I am not a lawyer)

 

So, anyway, the company is claiming that their patent infringing is on the "bridge" part of the detachable controller, and not the detachable controller itself.

 

(Patent source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US9126119B2/en)

 

As you know the Switch doesn't have this, and the controller, including their charging connector is on the rails of the device, and features lock/release button system, and so doesn't need this bridge pictured above in the patent. Gamevice claim is that the bridge is built-in into the system, and hence not visible. (I guess they never saw a teardown picture of the device to notice that indeed there is none, and completely holds and interacts with its metal rail system)

 

Nevertheless, the company is convinced otherwise.

 

Who is Gamevice? And what is the Wikipad?

 

The WIkipad does NOT use the patent pictured above. The WIkipad is a tablet computer running Android + detachable controller. It comes with its own Android interface, and built-in mobile games, as well as, like any Android device, use the Google Play Store to get more games (or apps).

 

It does NOT connect to the TV like the Switch. It does NOT have a dock. Just a normal boxy tablet with detachable controller:

 

 

As you can see the Wikipad is the controller which is 1 peace system with speakers. It connects with Micro-USB port of the tablet.

 

 

The tablet specs are:

 - Nvidia Tegra 3

 - Wireless N

 - Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)

 - 1GB DDR3 RAM

 - 7inch 1280x800 IPS display

 - 16GB of storage

 

So yes, a cheap-man Switch specs wise.

 

It sold so popular that it sold out everywhere based on their website. "Out of stock" claims (probably not making it anymore)

 

Based on Amazon.com and CamelCamelCamel.com the system used to cost $250 US (currently discounted 201.50$ (probably the seller is selling it at cost to get rid of it)). The Switch cost $299.99 US

https://www.amazon.com/Wikipad-WIKIPAD-7-7-Inch-Tablet/dp/B00DE2EKSE/

 

 

 

UPDATE

The company does sale detachable controller for some Android and iOS devices

Pictured above is an example. This is the GV167 for Samsung phones. It cost ~$60 US.

https://gamevice.com/collections/mobile-console-gaming-android

 

 

[Gamerguy207]

Screw gamevice 

 

 

hope nintendo wins probably will considering there a multi billion dollor company 

 

#screwgamevice

[Shimejii]

Patent Trolls such as this should be thrown in prison for fraud. Should be unable to sell another product nor allowed to sue again. Getting tired of these  shitty companies being allowed to do this.

[The Sloth]

this is really dumb, i am interested to see the results. 

[TacoSenpai]

Screw gamevice.  I still need to get me a Switch

[PCGuy_5960]

This controller looks nothing like the Switch controller

[SansVarnic]

Wow, good luck with that ... Bit of stretch dontcha think there Gamevice?

 

 

*edit

Breath of the Wild for PC Dammit !

Edited August 11, 2017 by SansVarnic
edited to and then edited again for the bad word. ;P

[Mooshi]

I predict a flawless victory for Ninty over some opportunistic 3rd party troll.

[Zando_]

5 minutes ago, LordTaco42 said:

Screw gamevice.  I still need to get me a Switch

Yeah. Don't ban the Switch! If they call themselves Gamevice, why are they trying to get an awesome little console banned?(Hyped BTW, I'm overnighting at a friends house tomorrow and he has a Switch. )

[EunSoo]

First sentence of the original post needs help:

 

Gamevise, the maker of the Wikipad [I would've mentioned the product that has the patent instead as the wikipad is irrelevant to this patent], is taking Nintendo to court for violating their patent of a detachable controller [I don't think you need to mention that it is for Android, but you could add 'which they make for Android devices' if you want]. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by SCGazelle

[GoodBytes]

1 minute ago, SCGazelle said:

First sentence of the original post needs help:

 

Gamevise, the maker of the Wikipad [I would've mentioned the product that has the patent instead as the wikipad is irrelevant to this patent], is taking Nintendo to court for violating their patent of a detachable controller [I don't think you need to mention that it is for Android]. 

Thanks!

Well I mentioned the Wikipad, because it is the only product that they have listed on their website. from what I can see. I guess I need to rephrase it.

[Imbellis]

personally, I think it's hilarious. Stupid, yes, but l think it's interesting when a company has nothing better to do besides attempting to sue people (such as the Alex Mauer).

[SpaceGhostC2C]

44 minutes ago, Imbellis said:

personally, I think it's hilarious. Stupid, yes, but l think it's interesting when a company has nothing better to do besides attempting to sue people (such as the Alex Mauer).

It's an ambiguous situation. In one hand, you don't want patent trolls pretending to be companies and suing everyone that actually tries to make something. On the other hand, you also don't want small companies with an innovative idea, however small, to be ripped off by bigger players in the market, only to be assisted at PR by their brand name and fan base. It requires a balance: too much bias towards "patent all the things" and trolls will halt all innovation; too much bias towards "you are a tiny nobody, get out of the way and let the big boys play" and the market will become more and more oligopolic. 

[vanished]

2 minutes ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

It's an ambiguous situation. In one hand, you don't want patent trolls pretending to be companies and suing everyone that actually tries to make something. On the other hand, you also don't want small companies with an innovative idea, however small, to be ripped off by bigger players in the market, only to be assisted at PR by their brand name and fan base. It requires a balance: too much bias towards "patent all the things" and trolls will halt all innovation; too much bias towards "you are a tiny nobody, get out of the way and let the big boys play" and the market will become more and more oligopolic. 

It's been brought up before that in many cases it can be hard to tell or decide what is really a "patent troll"

[Lurick]

It would greatly help the matter if the Patent Office actually contained people who can think critically about the patents they are about to grant. Just recently I saw one granted to HP that was a patent on reminder messages, not a new way to do them, just reminder messages.

[vanished]

On the topic of any one company dominating a platform and potentially putting everything on it at risk (perhaps from patent trolls?), again, this is why diversification and choice are essential.  We don't want one or two companies controlling all the hardware, games, game distribution, OS, etc.

Get a variety of hardware running Linux where people purchase straight from devs and run whatever however they want.

[vanished]

Just now, Lurick said:

It would greatly help the matter if the Patent Office actually contained people who can think critically about the patents they are about to grant. Just recently I saw one granted to HP that was a patent on reminder messages, not a new way to do them, just reminder messages.

I heard about one once that was a patent on putting wires through a hole in clothing.

[Lurick]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

I heard about one once that was a patent on putting wires through a hole in clothing.

Wouldn't surprise me =( 

[Lurick]

1 minute ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I heard about one once that was a patent on putting wires through a hole in clothing.

Here's a good one:

https://www.google.com/patents/US8473532

 

Quote

A method and apparatus to automatically organize computer files or web pages into meaning categories, to acquire new computer files or web pages, and to maintain the resulting organization in hierarchical directory tree structure.

 

[vanished]

Just now, Lurick said:

Here's a good one:

https://www.google.com/patents/US8473532

 

 

I feel like whoever owns that could sue anyone who's made a computer or anything based on a computer ever  

[Lurick]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

I feel like whoever owns that could sue anyone who's made a computer or anything based on a computer ever  

It's my life mission to patent, trademark, and copyright "it".

If you do "it" you owe me money.

If you say "it" you owe me money.

If you sell "it" give me the money!

[RagnarokDel]

why would slide & lock on anything be patentable? It's self evident as shit.

[Jito463]

2 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

It's been brought up before that in many cases it can be hard to tell or decide what is really a "patent troll"

In my opinion, patents should only be allowed for specific implementations of an idea, and the patent holder should be required to either create something from the patent or sell the idea within.....say, 5 years (plenty enough time, in my opinion), or they lose their patent.

 

Anyone who files a patent for the sole purpose of charging a fee/suing would fall under the category of "patent troll", so far as I'm concerned.

[Kamina]

Someone is uber jelly that their shitty product didn't make the headlines.

[thatguyjerry]

one thing to ask for damages like compensation, but to ask for them to completely halt sales is ludicrous and will bury them in the trial. Nintendo will prolong it long enough to bankrupt them or counter sue, silly gamevice haha lawsuits are for corporations.