US court to Sony: STOP Playstation sales....

[Dr Mordrid]

Ouch!!

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=619259

Dr. Mordrid

[Jammrock]

Sony is appealing the ruling before stoppage is required to take place.

THese patent lawsuits are getting out of hand.

[Wombat]

I think this lawsuit is totally legit. It's not some fantasy patent. Immersion has some really good technology that they patented a long time ago, before Force Feedback ever came out. It's licensed by MS, Logitech, Boeing, Lockheed.....

[Kurt]

Sony doesn't have to stop selling PS now. They might have to if they can't settle or win in appeal.

[Wombat]

Sony doesn't have to stop selling PS now. They might have to if they can't settle or win in appeal.

Because of the appeal, they don't have to stop selling. But they ARE required to pay compulsory licensing fees.

[MultimediaMan]

And they will have to pay fees retroactively from when the first PS2 came off the assembly line. Immersion Technology just got a HUGE revenue boost both for past and present sales.

Punitive damages in a case like this are likely to be high: there will be no doubt as to how much harm Immersion was subjected to as far as missed revenue is concerned. In this case, Sony's violation was flagrant and will be adjucated accordingly.

[Wombat]

Yup, $90M is a nice chunk of change, considering Immersion is currently worth $135M, about 1/2 of what it was last year. The PlayStation would easily have been their most popular derivative product, so it makes sense that the judgement should be very high.

[Kurt]

Because of the appeal, they don't have to stop selling. But they ARE required to pay compulsory licensing fees.

They should really have settled. MS did for 30M (if I'm correct). Sony will make the fortune of Immersion... (maybe they should just buy them out...)

[Gurm]

Everyone ELSE licensed (well except MS who settled, of course).

Sony might TRY to buy Immersion, but odds are if MS was forced to settle instead of buying them, Immersion probably isn't for sale.

[Wombat]

Buy them out? Why?

Sony is going to pay them $90 million. Immersion is worth at least $135 million, and has been worth double that. Since it would be a stock buyout, Immersion's value would go up a good bit if Sony even thought of buying them out. What would Sony gain with their extra money spent?

[az]

I don't know if it's sony's style to buy external IP, but they are certainly stubborn in insisting they have invented something (the walkman, for instance; this lawsuit is another indication of them not accepting not having invented something).

AZ