The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has overturned the 2008 verdict of an East Texas jury that would have resulted in a ban on sales of the Nintendo Gamecube controller, Wavebird, and Classic Controller due to patent infringement.
In 2006, Anascape Ltd. took Nintendo and Microsoft to court over the technology used to implement analog sticks in each company's controllers. Anascape claimed both companies infringed on its existing patent. While Microsoft settled with the company out of court, Nintendo took the fight to the Eastern Texas District Court...
..and lost.
The court found in favor of Anascape, finding that the Gamecube controller, its wireless cousin the Wavebird, and the Wii Classic Controller did infringe on the patent, while the Wii remote and nunchuck controllers did not. Nintendo was ordered to pay $21 million is damages, and a ban was ordered on the sale of the offending peripherals.
The ban was put on hold while Nintendo appealed on a federal level, and now Nintendo has won that appeal.
"In 2008, the jury determined that the Wii Remote and Nunchuck did not infringe," said Nintendo of America General Counsel Rick Flamm. "Today the Federal Circuit's ruling confirmed that none of Nintendo's controllers infringe. We appreciate that our position has been vindicated."
So you can all take your Wavebirds, Gamecube controllers, and Wii Classic Controllers out of your wall safes. Our nightmare is finally over, or something.