An inventor with a patent for viewing 3D images without glasses says Nintendo needs to properly license his work.
It doesn’t seem like anybody can release a new product without being sued for patent infringement nowadays, and Nintendo is no different when it comes to the 3DS. The no-glasses 3D handheld maker is under a lawsuit assault from an inventor and Sony veteran for the technology used in the product.
Seijiro Tomita spent nearly 30 years at Sony before retiring in 2002. During his “retirement,” he got all up in some patent action, now holding around 70 patents and 100 patent applications.
Tomita has sued Nintendo over a patent that he holds for “Stereoscopic image picking up and display system based upon optical axes cross-point information.” In other words, glasses-free 3D. He claims that Nintendo has infringed on this patent with the 3DS, which has a glasses-free 3D screen.
Because Nintendo hasn’t licensed Tomita’s tech, he’s taking the company to court to determine whether or not it needs to. Tomita holds the patent in both Japan and North America. He’s seeking damages to the tune of an amount that is likely megabucks, while he also intends to prove that Nintendo was knowledgeable and deliberate with its infringement.
Source: Gamasutra
Published: Jul 8, 2011 06:47 pm