In the Nintendo playground, California company Interlink Electronics isn't playing nice. They claim that the Wiimote design belongs to them and that they patented it first. According to the patent, Interlink Electronic describes an electronic device with the button/trigger layout similar to the Wiimote, but not the actual use of the device. Amidst all the lawyer-speak, we see no traces of their remote using movement in a 3D environment to operate their "electronic pointing device" like the Wiimote. Their pointing device talks of using the buttons and trigger on the remote to cause movement on screen, acting more like an infra-red mouse than a gaming controller.
Interlink filed the patent in 1997 having it granted eight years later in February of 2005. They want a restraining order against the selling of such devices, a trial by jury, three times the assessed damages to their company plus interest and reimbursement of legal fees.
Sure the layout is similar, right down the the batteries in back, but we don't see this reaching a jury seeing as how Interlink's device calls for no actual physical movement of it. We can see Nintendo having to pay these guys a lot of money just to make them go away and drop all accusations. No doubt, Nintendo fans stand tall behind their favorite company.
[Via Game Life]
