Corporate Blasphemy!

Could PlayStation consoles be banned from U.S. stores?

There was a close call last week. A federal court in Oakland, Calif., ordered Sony Computer Entertainment to stop selling the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 and 47 Sony games because they violate a patent for touch feedback -- that is, the technology that makes game controllers vibrate so players feel the action on screen.

But U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken granted Sony an immediate stay of the order pending the company's expected appeal.

Wilken also ordered Sony to pay $90.7 million to Immersion Corp., holder of the patent for force-feedback technology. Immersion sued Sony and Microsoft a few years back for patent violation, eventually leading to Microsoft licensing its technology in 2003.

Sony opted to continue fighting the battle in court. So far, it's losing.

Source:

Detroit Post
BY HEATHER NEWMAN
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST