Big Three sued over controllers

Just as the Sony-Immersion lawsuit began to fade from memory, another irate firm has put the legal smackdown on the PlayStation maker. This time, though, Sony's not alone. Last week, another small company filed a suit against Sony Computer Entertainment America, Nintendo of America, and Microsoft for infringement on its patent.

Specifically, Richardson, Texas-based Fenner Investments is suing the so-called "Big Three" for violating its patent for a "Low-Voltage Joystick Port Interface." No specific consoles were mentioned in the suit, making it unclear exactly which consoles contain the contested technology.

The description of the patent, #6,297,751, says it was originally developed by Lucent Technologies in 1998, the same year the original DualShock was released in the US for use with the original PlayStation. It was unclear how Fenner acquired patent #6,297,751 from Lucent, now called Alcatel-Lucent following its merger with French telecommunications firm Alcatel last year.

The lawsuit alleges that Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are "now engaging, and will in the future continue to engage, in unauthorized conduct and activities that violate" the patent. Fenner is demanding compensation for actual damages it believes it incurred as a result of the violation, as well as "enhanced" (punitive) damages, attorney's fees, and court costs.

No specific amount was named in the suit, and attempts to contact Fenner's New Orleans office for clarification were hampered by its lack of a voicemail system. Nintendo and Microsoft reps had not responded to inquiries as of press time, while Sony PR chief Dave Karraker declined comment. "We never comment on pending litigation," he said.