Court Agrees that Sony PlayStation Infringes Immersion Patent

Immersion Picture

Brandon Rash at the EEJD blog provides info on the most recent win for Immersion technology.  Sony has been ordered by the Court to pay $90 million and halt to PlayStation sales in the United States for violating Immersion’s patents on “tactiley responsive” technology. Today’s ruling comes in the wake of last September’s jury verdict of infringement.  Microsoft was a named defendant, but settled prior to trial.

The permanent injunction is stayed pending appeal to the Federal Circuit. In her decision to issue the stay, Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California determined that four factors weighed in Sony’s favor: (i) the strength of Sony’s showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits of its appeal, (ii) whether Sony will be irreparably injured absent a stay, (iii) whether the stay will substantially injure Immersion, and (iv) where the public interest lies. Following Standard Havens Products, 897 F.2d 511, 512 (Fed. Cir. 1990).  “The Court finds that on balance, these factors weigh in favor of granting a stay.”

Here are the case documents: