Ubisoft has received summary judgment from a U.S. District Court judge that allows it to separate itself from a long-running legal fight over patents related to digital rights management, including its own Uplay service. The lawsuit began in 2011 when Digital Reg of Texas, LLC, filed a lawsuit against Adobe Systems, Valve, Ubisoft and other companies over various aspects of their digital content delivery and authentication services. Some of the defendants (like Valve) settled with the company. Ubisoft did not settle and has been found not guilty of infringement.
The state of Rhode Island has settled with one of the law firms it sued as part of the lawsuit against 38 Studios and other principles for a failed $75 million loan deal. The law firm, Moses Afonso Ryan, has admitted no wrong-doing, but has agreed to pay $4.4 million to the state because it wants to put the matter behind them. The settlement agreement was filed with Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein on Friday. A hearing on the matter will take place July 7.
The class action lawsuit against the NCAA continues, and this week the college sports association brought in an economics expert who carefully inserted the phrases "name, image and likeness" in his definition of pay-for-play during his testimony. On Thursday U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken asked questions about it during the trial. During his testimony she asked economist David Rubinfeld why he kept using the phrase "pay for play" when referring to student athlete payments.
Ironclad Games and publisher Stardock Entertainment are free to use the word "rebellion" in the name of its latest real-time strategy game (Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion) because it is protected by the First Amendment, a U.S. judge ruled last month. The news of the ruling was revealed by Ironclad co-owner Blair Fraser in a forum post celebrating the victory - as reported on by Polygon.
Nintendo UK says that it will appeal a decision by a UK High Court judge who ruled last week that the Wii and Wii U violate several patents held by Philips. High Court judge Colin Birss said Nintendo infringed two Philips patents in a ruling last week related to the sensor and camera used in the Wii and Wii U. The judge said that Nintendo did not violate a third patent related to modeling a body in a virtual environment.
Nintendo issued the following statement on the matter:
The High Court of the United Kingdom has ruled that Nintendo's Wii console system infringes on two of Philips' patents, Bloomberg reports. Judge Colin Birss said Nintendo infringed two Philips patents in a ruling today related to the sensor and camera used in the Wii. The judge said that Nintendo did not violate a third patent related to modeling a body in a virtual environment.
A federal appeals court has dismissed a patent infringement claim against Nintendo's Wii Remote controller filed by Triton Tech in 2010. The lawsuit was first filed by Triton Tech in 2010, but was dismissed by a Seattle district court judge because the patent "did not adequately describe a complete invention." The judge rendered the patent invalid. But Triton decided to appeal the decision in the federal appeals court. The Appeals court upheld the lower court ruling on June 13.
Attorneys representing student-athletes who claimed that the NCAA illegally used their names, images and likenesses in Electronic Arts’ series of NCAA-branded sports games have reached a preliminary settlement with the NCAA that would add $20 million to the $40 million settlement reached recently with Electronic Arts.
A federal judge has ruled that the United States government must immediately halt the destruction of classified documents and file a brief explaining its actions today. The federal government must not destroy any more documents and file a brief by noon today on its spying activities, a federal judge ruled, responding to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's request for an emergency hearing.
Attorneys representing student-athletes who claim Electronic Arts illegally used their likenesses in the company’s popular NCAA Football, Basketball, and March Madness videogames filed a motion on Friday to approve a settlement. The settlement, if approved could award thousands of dollars in settlement payments to affected players, according to law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro.
According to this GoLocal Providence report, the legal battle against 38 Studios has already cost the state $840,000 in legal fees and related costs, and could cost taxpayers "millions" by the time it comes to a close. Only a fraction of the total amount ($156,000) has gone to the firm representing the state, Wistow & Barylick, Inc.
Hector Xavier Monsegur, known online as LulzSec leader "Sabu," managed to avoid up to 26 years in Federal prison for his part in several major cyberattacks in 2013. With the help of prosecutors, who lobbied the court heavily on his behalf, Monsegur managed to get a sentence equivalent to the seven months he spent in jail for the crime already.
A former leader of hacking group LulzSec has helped the FBI thwart an estimated 300 cyber attacks since his arrest on hacking charges in 2011, court documents reveal. Hector Xavier Monsegur has helped to prevent losses of millions of dollars, according to court documents filed by prosecutors. Monsegur will be sentenced on Tuesday for his role in major online hacking attacks, but his aid will likely go a long way in getting him a reduced sentence.
Another day, another dozen stories coming out of Rhode Island about 38 Studios and how it is affecting several political races this year. The most prominent story today (from the Providence Journal) highlights the revelation that Michael Corso, the Rhode Island lawyer, tax-credit broker, and long-time friend of former House Speaker Gordon D.
Blizzard Entertainment is suing the makers of the Starcraft II "ValiantChaos MapHack" cheat, according to this TorrentFreak report. Blizzard is suing the makers of the cheat program for copyright infringement, and for ruining the Starcraft II gaming experience for legitimate online players. In the complaint filed at a federal court in California, Blizzard said in its complaint that the cheat ruins the fun for other players.
Four former top executives at 38 Studios are fighting in federal court to keep more than a half-million documents tied to the bankrupt video-game company 38 Studios. The former executives are being sued in state court by the EDC and the state of Rhode Island. Company founder Curt Schilling, former CEO Jennifer MacLean, former CFO Richard Wester, and 38 Studios board director Thomas Zaccagnino claim that "privileged communications between 38 Studios and its attorneys had been released to the [R.I.
Former Rhode Island State Treasurer Frank Caprio (D) is calling on the Gov. Chafee's administration to cancel the state’s new financial advisor contract with a company the state is apparently suing in connection with the $75 million 38 Studios loan deal.
A new two-year contract had been awarded to First Southwest this week, but this deal has not been formally signed according to a spokeswoman for current State Treasurer Gina Raimondo - who is also running for governor. Caprio is running for his old job this year.
Former Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox said on Tuesday in court (through his attorney) that he was resisting a court order to comply with a subpoena in the state’s 38 Studios lawsuit. His attorney argued on Tuesday that providing the information requested from the state could put him in legal jeopardy.
A top board member of 38 Studios urged company executives in 2010 not to highlight its shaky financial condition when it was negotiating with Rhode Island leaders for a $75 million loan guarantee, according to newly released court documents in the ongoing lawsuit between the state of Rhode Island and various individuals related to the deal.
Former San Francisco gang figure Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow's lawyers want details of the case - which includes anti-game crusader Senator Leland Yee and a cast of characters from San Francisco, California, and the Philippines. Chow's layers are fighting for the right to reveal the federal government's evidence in its criminal case against him, state Sen. Leland Yee and dozens of others. Lawyers for Chow say that the fed's criminal complaint is a "press release" that deserves a response.
Dungeons and Dragons and Magic The Gathering owner Wizards of the Coast has filed a lawsuit against Cryptozoic Entertainment and Hex Entertainment related to their digital card game Hex: Shards of Fate. According to the lawsuit the digital collectible card game is a clone of the popular card game Magic: The Gathering.
Electronics manufacturer Philips claims that the Wii U infringes several of the company's patents and is seeking to have the system banned from being sold in the United States. Philips claims that Nintendo copied technologies that replicate a "user's real-life actions in-game" and that it uses a patent related to "user interfaces designed to be navigated by a pointing device" (such as a Wii Remote).
Defendants in the EDC's lawsuit against 38 Studios say that Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee's office has continually delayed the production of documents needed to mount a proper defense and have asked a judge to order them turned over.
Lawyers for the defendants call these documents critical to their cases and say they are needed to go forward with the depositions. They want Judge Michael Silverstein to order them produced by May 23. Governor Chafee's office has not yet filed a response.
The 9th Circuit Appeals Court declined to review a case that involved claims that Zynga and Facebook violated users' privacy by disclosing their confidential information to advertisers and other third parties. A three-judge panel in San Francisco upheld U.S. District Judge James Ware's dismissal of class actions against Facebook and Zynga.