Nintendo has been found guilty of infringing on an inventor’s patent with its 3DS handheld console, and ordered to pay US$30.2 million in damages.
Inventor Seijiro Tomita launched a legal suit against Nintendo in 2011, claiming the company infringed upon his patented glasses-free 3D viewing technology in its Nintendo 3DS portable gaming device.
Tomita claimed he met with Nintendo in 2003, whereafter they went on to use his technology without permission – Tomita having been granted a patent in 2008.
Nintendo tried to put forward the defence that Tomita was but one of numerous 3D technology inventors who the company held talks with at the time, but the jury found in Tomita’s favour.
Tomita originally asked for US$9.80 for every Nintendo 3DS unit sold, which would have amounted to in excess of US$300 million, but the court awarded only US$30.2 million in compensation.
