Microsoft Sues UK's Datel Over Controllers

nathanielinbrazil writes "Microsoft has sued a British manufacturer over the infringement of four of its patents for Xbox game controllers. The suit was filed in Seattle, Washington, and Datel has yet to respond. Datel is a United Kingdom company with a US unit and has produced two specific controllers — the TurboFire and WildFire — that Microsoft wants stopped." The infringing patents are over "portions of a gaming controller" and "portion of a gaming input device having an illuminated region."

Re:4 + 2 = 4?

[Anonymous Coward]

Specifically, four of the patents - 521,015, D522,011, D547,763 and D581,422 - relate to "portions of a gaming controller", another two, D563,480 and D565,668 cover a "portion of a gaming input device having an illuminated region"

the infringement of four of its patents for Xbox game controllers.

Interrogator: I'll ask you one more time. How many patents do you see? Make it easy on yourself.

Patent Lawyer: THERE. ARE. FOUR. PATENTS!

Re:Hey, at least it's actually hardware

[Anne Thwacks]

What you can patent via design patent, though, is having a light in a particular spot. And handgrips in a particular shape. Analog sticks in a particular spot.

You sure as hell cant patent any such thing in the UK. However, it is possible your "design patent" is our "registered design" in which case, to infringe, the lights would have to be the same shape, colour and position, and a bunch of other sameness. So this could lead to a culture clash. I suggest fill the controllers with tea and throw them into Boston Harbour.

"No controllers without desperation" shall be your battle cry!

Or perhaps you should be throwing congress-critters in the harbour?