I poked a little fun at this controller back in April, when I insinuated that it looked a bit like a portable vibrator (hot pink FTW). Nintendo were significantly less amused by the offering, apparently, as they have filed a lawsuit against Nyko for the product, marking the first time Nintendo has sued over a Wii accessory.
As to the bone Nintendo has to pick, they state that the Kama completely rips off the original nunchuk, down to color, material, shape and design, infringing on their intellectual property rights. Nyko disagrees, and spokesman CC Swiney stated to the press:
We have not knowingly violated anyone’s intellectual property and we’re still examining this.
Nintendo has asked Nyko to stop selling the controller and is requesting cash compensation. Because, you know, they’re really hurting for money these days. Or, maybe they are, actually — they were just ordered to pay $21 million to East Texas gaming company Anascape for copyright infringement charges.
Nintendo’s been in their share of lawsuits, dating all the way back to 1983 (the best involving a spoon-bending psychic — you really should go read that). What are your thoughts on this one — solid accusation, or much ado about nothing?
[Via Trev’s c-blog and GamesIndustry.Biz — Thanks, Justin]
Published: Jun 13, 2008 02:24 pm