• Sega Becomes Apple for a day: Sega suing Level-5 over "Patent infringement"
    28 replies, posted
[quote]Level-5, perhaps best known in the western world as the publisher of the Professor Layton games, has a popular soccer series in Japan called Inazuma Eleven, and Sega doesn't like it. Sega is suing Level-5, alleging patent infringement on a mechanic in Nintendo DS versions of Inazuma Eleven that allows players to move characters with their fingers or a stylus, Kotaku reports. Sega's endgame is to halt the sale of all eight Inazuma Eleven games and to get ¥900 million ($11 million) in damages from Level-5. The case heard opening statements on December 7, and Level-5 plans to fight the charges. "We are preparing our rebuttal and do not have any comments to make at this time," Level-5 says Source: [url]http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/sega-sues-level-5-charges-patent-infringement-in-inazuma-eleven/[/url][/quote] and their response: [quote]"Inazuma Eleven does not violate Sega's patents," a new statement by Level-5 reads. Level-5's argument is based around the fact that the first Inazuma Eleven game was released in August 2008, which, according to Level-5, is before Sega received its first patent in 2009. The second patent was granted in 2011. Level-5 noted that there were games that used touch pen controls before Sega filed for these patents. "As a result of examining these discrepancies," Level-5 stated, "we've concluded that there is no patent violation." Moreover, Level-5 pointed out that controlling characters via touch pen has spread throughout gaming and has become a fundamental mechanic. "While Inazuma Eleven does not violate Sega's patent, we do recognize that Sega's lawsuit could restrict choices in gaming from here on out as well as hindering the growth of the game industry." Level-5 said the lawsuit makes the company "uncomfortable", and it plans to fight it in court. SOURCE: [url]http://kotaku.com/5967779/level+5-smacks-sega-down-over-lawsuit[/url] [/quote] sega....what the fuck are you doing? How does someone fucking patent this?! This is used in nearly every fucking game.
Sega has some balls to pull this shit, and they obviously think that their lawyer-fu is stronger than Level-5's. That and they're desperate as hell, but I think they're going after the wrong people if they want free money.
[QUOTE=Reds;38813617]Sega has some balls to pull this shit, and they obviously think that their lawyer-fu is stronger than Level-5's. That and they're desperate as hell, but I think they're going after the wrong people if they want free money.[/QUOTE] You could say that their lawyers are at... [I]Level-6[/I]
They've taken vexatious lawsuits to a whole new level..
[QUOTE]Sega is suing Level-5, alleging patent infringement on a mechanic in Nintendo DS versions of Inazuma Eleven [B]that allows players to move characters with their fingers or a stylus[/B], Kotaku reports.[/QUOTE] Lost all respect.
[i]level-5[/i] made Dark Cloud, the game that shaped my childhood. so was sega, really. So to [b]me[/b], this is like seeing two friends argue with each other. i hope both come out okay
[url=http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?70217-Sega-vs-YTMND-Thread!]Sega isn't really new to bullshit lawsuits.[/url]
[QUOTE=codl;38813972][url=http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?70217-Sega-vs-YTMND-Thread!]Sega isn't really new to bullshit lawsuits.[/url][/QUOTE] Oh man, I remember those.
This is very brave of Sega, considering Level-5 just released an Ace Attorney* game in Japan. If there's a court case then Sega will look like they're about to walk it when suddenly everything will fall apart in front of them. *and professor layton
uh but animal crossing WW has controls like that in fact most DS games do
I miss dreamcast era sega
If they even remotely win something out of this, it sets a really bad precedent for the game industry. Let's hope they fuck off.
You stay the hell away from the people that made GOTYAY Sega. Don't make me come over there.
How did they even get a patent on a gesture for a device they didn't make How does Nintendo not own this patent
here we go again. now sega wants money
Sega I want to like you but it's difficult Why don't you make the Dreamcast 2 and re-release some classics, you'd make quite a bit of money from that
So, they basically have a patent on almost every DS game? That's pretty awful.
[QUOTE=Chaohord;38815227]How did they even get a patent on a gesture for a device they didn't make How does Nintendo not own this patent[/QUOTE] Who made your computer? Who made the components in your computer? Who made the OS? Do those companies own all the interface software running on it? Let your brain percolate for all of five seconds instead of seeing "patent" and "sue" and going red-eyed. [QUOTE=Neo Kabuto;38815807]So, they basically have a patent on almost every DS game? That's pretty awful.[/QUOTE] No, you're all just clueless. [QUOTE]According to Yomiuri Online, Sega is suing Level-5 for patent infringement in the Inazuma Eleven Nintendo DS games—namely the in-game mechanic that allows players to move characters via their finger or touch pen. [B]The Yomiuri piece does not go into further detail about Sega's patents or how they differ in the touch controls Nintendo has used in DS games.[/B][/QUOTE] Here's a hint: you can patent code, you can patent things which don't run on hardware made by you, and you can patent parts of a thing instead of the whole thing. It should follow, then, that companies may patent pieces of code that run on whatever hardware. That happens all the time. It isn't something as vague as "controlling a DS game" or [I]it couldn't have been patented.[/I] [QUOTE=Clavus;38815074]If they even remotely win something out of this, it sets a really bad precedent for the game industry. Let's hope they fuck off.[/QUOTE] It's sorta the exact opposite of that. Sega has a tendency to make specific, articulate, well thought out patents pertaining to things they're actually making or considering making. Look one up and [URL="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8251812.pdf"]it's full of diagrams and pictures and algorithms[/URL] and is not in any way the vague piece of nonsense you're all assuming it is. If they lose something like this, unless the patent in question is unusually ridiculous for them, it's a blow to the ability to actually own the game you programmed.
So they realized that they can only make money on Sonic fanboys and resorted to suing people? Gotta give them credit for trying alternative means.
They've also recently DMCA'd pretty much all popular videos that has anything to do with the Shining series(Shining Force etc), even videos that don't even show content and is just people talking about the game, and people who has gotten permission from them before like people partnered with TGS/machinima etc, which is illegal. Presumably to get higher search rankings on the new shining game coming out.
[QUOTE=Xenocidebot;38818422]It isn't something as vague as "controlling a DS game" or [I]it couldn't have been patented.[/I] [/QUOTE] Do we know the exact patent it was? The article implies (at least, the game being sued over does) that what they have a patent on is drawing a line from your character with a stylus/finger and the character following that line. That's still really vague and shouldn't be patentable, since it had been done before again and again.
[QUOTE=codl;38813972][url=http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?70217-Sega-vs-YTMND-Thread!]Sega isn't really new to bullshit lawsuits.[/url][/QUOTE] wow, they really tried to sue YTMND and demanded ownership of their entire website? Are you kidding me? Fuck off and collapse, sega.
[QUOTE=Crimor;38820751]They've also recently DMCA'd pretty much all popular videos that has anything to do with the Shining series(Shining Force etc), even videos that don't even show content and is just people talking about the game, and people who has gotten permission from them before like people partnered with TGS/machinima etc, which is illegal. Presumably to get higher search rankings on the new shining game coming out.[/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1232172"]Here's a Link if people want to check this out further.[/URL]
Pretty sure you could move your character around with either your fingers or stylus in a lot of RPGs on the DS, Like FF3 and 4. I guess Sega doesn't want to attack the big scary companies and rather step on the smaller ones.
[QUOTE=Neo Kabuto;38821181]Do we know the exact patent it was? The article implies (at least, the game being sued over does) that what they have a patent on is drawing a line from your character with a stylus/finger and the character following that line. That's still really vague and shouldn't be patentable, since it had been done before again and again.[/QUOTE] It's also by Kotaku, which ranks on accuracy somewhere between an overcaffeinated five year old and that steetcorner hobo who rambles about the illuminati. I'm not assuming Sega somehow got an unpatentable patent because a junk outlet can't write.
[QUOTE=Jacknife;38813955][I]level-5[/I] made Dark Cloud, the game that shaped my childhood. so was sega, really. So to [B]me[/B], this is like seeing two friends argue with each other. i hope both come out okay[/QUOTE] Wow I totally forgot about Dark Cloud. Dark Cloud 2 was one of my favourite games ever, although I vaguely remember the final boss being several levels of bullshit or something :v: EDIT: Okay what the hell, after a quick wikipedia I have determined that the emperor was Mark Hamill ( Luke Skywalker, Joker in many things IE arkham asylum, etc ), and that the female main character was Anndi McAfee ( Samurai Jack, Recess, Hey Arnold, etc. [url=http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/227/362029-anndimcafee2_large.jpg]This is apparently what she looks like now[/url]) Voice acting always messes with my head, like Marcus Fenix from GOW being Bender from Futurama and Jake from Adventure Time Level 5 apparently has their shit together :v:
Even if this weren't bullshit patent trolling, being able to patent game mechanics would kill the game industry faster than a global EMP.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.