A firm which alleges that Nintendo and Microsoft infringed on its nearly two decade-old parental control technology has sued the video game console makers, along with 36 other corporations, in federal court.
While, oddly enough, PlayStation manufacturer Sony is not a defendant in the case brought by Guardian Media Technologies, LTD., a number of other high profile firms are, including Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Dell, Target, Tivo, Wal-Mart and Overstock.com. The companies were sued on December 23rd in the Central District of California.
Of the suit, Courthouse News writes:
Guardian Media Technologies claims 38 major electronics firms and retailers... violated its patented "parental control" video censoring programs. Guardian says the patents in suit are expired, but the defendants made, imported, distributed or induced patent violations before they did expire.
GamePolitics has obtained Guardian Media's 78-page complaint which, although not specific as to the alleged offenses, contains the following:
Each defendant has substantial contacts... including, but not limited to the manufacture, sale and/or distribution of DVD players, televisions and/or computers capable of playing DVDs and/or receiving television and/or video programs.
At issue are a pair of 1990 patents for Guardian Media's "Selective Playing System" and "Automatic Censorship of Video Programs."
