Sony facing another PS3 suit

Sony has already been slapped with patent suits over the construction of its PlayStation 3 Blu-ray discs and the system's digital security technology. Now the electronics giant is being taken to court over the parallel processing Cell chip that powers its latest console.

In its suit, Parallel Processing Corporation of Newport Beach, California, cites a patent for "synchronized parallel processing with shared memory" that was approved on October 8, 1991. The patent was originally assigned to International Parallel Machines of New Bedford, Massachusetts, while Parallel Processing Corporation describes itself as its "exclusive licensee."

The terse five-page complaint--filed in the Eastern District of Texas (Tyler Division)on July 26--claims that Sony products including the PS3 infringe upon its patent. The suit doesn't specify which of the patent's claims Sony is infringing upon, but it states that the company's actions "are causing irreparable harm and monetary damage" to the company. Parallel Processing Corporation is seeking damages and attorney's fees with interest, as well as the impounding and destruction of all Sony products that infringe on the patent.

When asked about the suit, a Sony representative told GameSpot, "We don't comment on pending litigation."