Nintendo Settles Patent Suit with Hillcrest

Nintendo has reached an agreement with Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc, signing a license agreement under three patents that are currently the subject matter of an ITC investigation. (For more, see my previous post here) On Friday, the companies filed a joint motion with the ITC, requesting dismissal in view of a settlement that resolved the ongoing dispute between them.

According to Hillcrest's allegations in the case, Nintendo's popular Wii gaming console infringed U.S. Patent Numbers 7,158,118; 7,262,760; and 7,414,611, three patents covering a technology used on TVs that allows users to access several forms of digital content, such as digital photographs, Web sites and games. The software typically uses a main menu that prompts users to choose which program they wish to use. Maryland-based Hillcrest launched the two-pronged attack against Nintendo in August 2008, claiming Wii's remote controllers stole technology enabling players to interact with digital media, inclduing media on television sets. Both suits have reportedly been settled. All other terms remain confidential.