The Blu-ray technology that Sony has been trying for so long to make a standard in the industry finally won over HD DVD. But the victory is bittersweet as firms continually file patent infringement lawsuits against Sony over Blu-ray.
The latest of these is from Orinda Intellectual Properties USA. They say Sony infringed on their patent (number 5,438,560), which basically has to do with the way information is recorded and read from an optical disc.
Orinda is asking the court to stop Sony from selling Blu-ray devices, among them, the PS3, and wants "a reasonable royalty" from all of the sales related to Blu-ray products.
According to court documents, the firm stated, "Orinda has been and will continue to be damaged as a result of Defendants’ infringing conduct. [Sony’s] infringing conduct will continue unless permanently enjoined by this court."
As far as infringement lawsuits, Sony lost a major one to Immersion Corp for using its rumble feature without paying royalties. The court ordered Sony to pay up 90 million in back royalties, court costs, and penalties.
How likely is Orinda in winning their case? That is hard to say, but it is asking for a trial by jury in the case. If they should win, it could mean another big monetary loss for Sony, and that may mean higher prices on Sony products.
[via edgeonline]
