US District Court Judge Rules in Favor of Sony in Patent Infringement Case

In a significant legal victory for Sony Corporation, a US District Court judge has ruled that the company did not infringe on patented technology belonging to Genuine Enabling Technology (GET) with its PlayStation systems and controllers.

The dispute stemmed from a complaint filed by GET against Sony in 2017, seeking a staggering $500 million in damages. GET alleged that Sony violated its '730 Patent, 'Method and Apparatus for Producing a Combined Data Stream and Recovering the Respective User Input Stream and at least One Input Signal.'

Central to GET's claim was the contention that PlayStation consoles and controllers interact in a manner that infringes upon their patented technology. Specifically, GET argued that Sony's devices transmitted separate signals for button and motion control inputs, a method it claimed to have pioneered with its '730 Patent.

However, Sony countered by asserting that GET failed to provide sufficient evidence demonstrating that any component within their controllers was "structurally equivalent" to the technology outlined in GET's Patent.

In a Memorandum Opinion issued on Tuesday, March 25, 2024, and obtained by GamesIndustry.biz, the presiding judge sided with Sony, stating that GET had "failed to raise a dispute of fact" regarding the alleged infringement. Consequently, the judge granted Sony's request for a summary ruling of non-infringement, effectively closing the case.

This ruling marks a significant legal victory for Sony, safeguarding its PlayStation products from the hefty damages sought by GET.

Notably, Genuine Enabling Technology also initiated legal action against Nintendo for alleged infringement of the same Patent. While a District Court judge initially ruled in favour of Nintendo in 2020, the US Court of Appeals overturned the verdict in 2022, signalling an ongoing legal battle between GET and Nintendo over similar patent infringement claims.