Sony To Pay $18.5 Million in Patent Lawsuit

Posted by Sinden Lee - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 4:48 PM

A judgment for damages to Agere Systems will cost Sony $18.5 million for a patent violation on a "wireless local area network apparatus" which is found in Sony's handheld devices including the PSP.

A jury ruled in favor of Agere, stating that the patent infringement was willful.

Agere, a subsidiary of a company called LSI, is a "a leading provider of innovative silicon, systems and software technologies that enable products which seamlessly bring people, information and digital content together."

Sony was recently smacked with a patent claim for the PS3 Blu-Ray capability, but won a dismissal in a Blu-Ray related suit and settled with Immersion over controller vibration in 2007.

Source

Permalink

Tags: Other People's Misfortune, Sony PSP, Tech

Comment(s)

Posted by x_nation - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 4:56 PM

Wow... This doesn't sound good...

Flag this comment for review

Posted by DatNasty1216 - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 5:06 PM

wow i hope this doesn't affect me or my PS3

Flag this comment for review

Posted by GameTech - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 5:10 PM

Wow this sucks for Sony. Like they really need this.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by bleahy - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 5:10 PM

@DatNasty1216,

Shouldn't affect consumers, but it'll certainly sting Sony.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by MrOtter88 - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 5:10 PM

See what happens when a company gets so big they just do or take whatever they want. Like coming out with a LBP player for a starting price of 600 dollars.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by vaheegn - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 6:30 PM

I wonder if Microsoft has something to do with this. They might might be funding the lawyers who represent LSI. They'll do anything to take down the PS3.

I'm not trying to start anything, because I already own all current gen. consoles. I hate to see any corporation facing legal issues, especially one that involves $18.5 million!

Flag this comment for review

Posted by kangy3 - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 6:45 PM

redringofdeath "doesn't" comment on anti-sony articles

Flag this comment for review

Posted by Redd75 - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 7:37 PM

@otter- You go buddy! You cling to that past! You cling to that past like there's no tomorrow! Why are you bringing up the launch price? Have you been attending the 'Stayfizzle school of lets-make-fun-of-something-we- don't-own-nor-ever-intend-to -for-no-apparent-reason'?

Flag this comment for review

Posted by ThataUFO - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 8:45 PM

It's 18.5 million. I'm pretty sure they can pay that.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by galvan - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:15 PM

i guess.....i really dont care this is no flame war its just simple things companys do....
doesnt apple take people stuff...lol

idk this is really nothing

atleats it isnt billions....rofl

Flag this comment for review

Posted by Kussanagy - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:15 PM

Danm this dont look good for SONY they dont need this right now i own a PSP and is pretty good no problems so far i hope this doesnt affect any of Sony's fans like me fingers crossed good luck SONY.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by DPsx7 - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:33 PM

I think these no-name companies just come out of the woodwork to get money they don't deserve. Same with Immersion. Greed, that's all.

And they might as well choose Sony, we all know M$ isn't making anything off their mistake. If it wasn't for PC software they'd be broke.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by MrOtter88 - Thursday, November 20, 2008 4:27 AM

@Redd I bought a Ps3 3 months ago and paid 400 dollars for it. I took it back 2 months ago and got my money back, but I will own it again sometime because im a completionist. I like having choice. So when companies decide that they can charge whatever, and know your gonna pay for it because you want a new playstation, it shows their love of the loyal consumer. So yeah, to this day it still disgusts me that they do that. Ecspecially considering that the lack of anything on a PS3 doesnt even come close to meriting the cost.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by DamienHell - Thursday, November 20, 2008 4:32 AM

People are always saying "OH THE PS3 STOLE ACHIEVEMENTS!" or "XBOX 360 STOLE MIIS" or all that stuff, but what we didn't know was that sony was ACTUALLY stealing stuff!

Flag this comment for review

Posted by notinjuschillin - Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:09 AM

18 million is nothing to Sony...that's a slap on the wrist for any big compnay.

Sony can get that back from the DVD release of Hancock.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by piglet102970 - Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:21 AM

Thats a dumb reason to sue them for. So what if their the leader in networks, that doesn't give them a right to say who can and can't make one. I think Sony should counter-sue for something

Flag this comment for review

Posted by deleted_9F661924-24C1-482C-B150-6F4735B73C0F - Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:58 AM

dam is is there anything sony doesn't steal? first rumble now this. what a joke

Flag this comment for review

Posted by Crash_Fistfight - Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:13 AM

@carlos If you think M$ hasn't infringed on other companies patents your crazy. They have been sued plenty of times. If i remember correctly to avoid being sued for rumble controlers they bought the company. Do a little research into how they stole the windos operating system.

Large companies do this all the time if you think its exclusive to Sony you would be mistaken. 18 mil is nothing on this settlement, a simple slap on the wrist. They will do it again im sure, its almost part of doing business.

Flag this comment for review

Posted by BONERJAM - Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:22 AM

Sony could easily pay this off but what really bothers me is that lawsuits like this can happen so many years after something hits stores.

Flag this comment for review

You must Login or Register to post.

G4TV

Multiplex

TV Shows

Web Shows

Hot Topics

News From The Feed