Nintendo Secures Major Win in Long Wii Controller Patent Case

After more than a decade in court, Nintendo has finally scored a major legal victory over BigBen Interactive, now known as Nacon. The dispute centered on the Wii controller design and has dragged on for around 15 years, making it one of the company’s longest running legal battles.

A German court recently ruled in Nintendo’s favor, ordering Nacon to pay nearly 7 million euros, or about $8.2 million, in damages. The case dates back to 2011, when the court first found that BigBen’s third party Wii controllers infringed on Nintendo’s patent. Despite that early ruling, the case took years to fully resolve.

One reason for the delay was Nacon’s repeated attempts to challenge the process, including objecting to court appointed experts. While the company still has the option to appeal, the latest judgment marks a significant step forward for Nintendo.

What makes this case especially interesting is how damages were calculated. The court accepted Nintendo’s argument that it lost all potential sales made by BigBen, rather than sharing them with other third party controller makers. The reasoning was that many of those alternative controllers likely violated the same patent, so they could not be used as a defense.

Because the case stretched on for so long, the final amount also grew due to interest. According to Nintendo’s legal team, the added interest alone increased the damages by around 3 million euros, turning delay tactics into an expensive mistake.

Although Nacon is appealing the ruling, the decision currently stands as a strong legal win for Nintendo and a reminder of how seriously the company protects its hardware designs.

(via GamesIndustry.biz)

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