E-mail:
Password:
GameSpot Video Games, PC, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP, DS, GBA, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Sony sued over Blu-ray

California company alleges patent infringements in PS3 maker's latest optical disc technology.
By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Posted May 24, 2007 11:52 pm GMT

Given its global position as an electronics giant, Sony is quite familiar with patent law. The company is also quite familiar with the potential penalties for running afoul of patent law, as evidenced by the $97 million in damages and interest it had to pay Immersion Corporation in a dispute over the rumble functions in Dual Shock controllers.

While the two companies have since patched things up, Sony opted to leave rumble by the wayside when it was designing the PlayStation 3's motion-sensing Sixaxis controller. The electronics giant couldn't avoid patent headaches entirely, however, as Irvine, California-based Target Technology Company filed suit earlier this month, seeking damages for alleged patent violations relating to the Blu-ray technology used in the system.

The suit, which names Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sony Pictures, and Sony DADC, claims that products marketed under the Blu-ray name infringe on a patent it owns for reflective layer materials in optical discs. The patent addresses what Target called a need for specific types of silver-based alloys with the advantages (but not the price) of gold. According to the patent, the alloys are also more resistant to corrosion than pure silver.

Target does not specify in its suit whether it believes all of Sony's Blu-ray discs infringe on its patent, or the suit applies to just a portion of the discs manufactured. The patent was filed in April of 2004 and granted in March of 2006.

Target is seeking a permanent injunction preventing Sony from violating its patent rights in the future, as well as damages with interest, multiplied due to what it characterizes as deliberate and willful infringement.

Sony representatives declined to comment, while Target's attorneys had not returned GameSpot's requests for comment as of press time.

Sign up now to post a comment on this story!

847 Comments

First to Last Latest
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...17
« prevnext »
White0lion

Dont forget little companies try to sue big companies to becone rich. Its the way of life and reason why most lawsuits like this even happpen.

Posted Sep 20, 2007 7:22 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
imayellowfellow

god

some people keep giving props to this Target Company like they're some underdog trying to rise against the malicious evil Sony. And that they deserve a big payoff because they're hardworking people who just wanted to make their product known

blah balh blah

what about all the people who invested their money into blu ray? wheres the sympathy for them? wat about the people who have already started adopting blu ray as their primary HD format? whats gonna happen to their collection if this case really does make sony go to hell?

hmm?

wat about all the people who are probably going to get laid off thanks to this since if sony does lose a lot of money they're going to have to cut their losses somehow. god

small business + lawsuit = trouble

in fact

human being + lawsuit = trouble

Posted Jun 30, 2007 10:45 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Symphonycometh

TTDog:

So its a matter of preference for you then and not just....

Okay. Enough said. Apologies for any possible offense caused by my previous post.

Posted May 31, 2007 11:10 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
TTDog

Simply put the 360 had enough quality titles available after 6 months to make one worth buying, at a much more reasonable price than the PS3.

Why buy a PS3 and wait for big titles that keep getting delayed when I can play stuff like Lost Planet, Dead Rising and Crackdown on the 360 and pick up Mass Effect and Bioshock in 3 months time, and all with a controller that rumbles. To me as soon as Oblivion came out I was sold on the console, I haven't seen anything on Sony's new machine to make me want to get one.

Most of the PS3 titles look too much like PS2 games but with shinier graphics, theres nothing new in any of them (I don't count waving the controller as new, I call that sad), its way over priced and isn't offering anything new... when/if the innovative titles come out I'll think again but until then... meh.

Posted May 31, 2007 1:18 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-4)
Symphonycometh

TTDog:

So with your logic:

You didn't buy *If you did*, a 360 for a full year and a half, did you?

With the lack of quality, innovative titles for their first year and all...

Posted May 30, 2007 11:07 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
TTDog

"Andron666: "game over man LOL"

The Sony bashing wont stop until every 360 owner can afford one themselves"

With the lack of quality, innovative titles around at the minute the day I pick up a PS3 will officially be the day I have more money than sense.

Posted May 30, 2007 7:36 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
Andron666

"game over man LOL"

The Sony bashing wont stop until every 360 owner can afford one themselves

But seriously: Its the patent laws that are ridiculous. The way it works now, it seems, it mostly benefits people out to abuse them...

Posted May 30, 2007 7:23 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
Maverick82102

My PS2 just burned my house down.......Dammit!

Posted May 29, 2007 3:31 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-5)
phaserde

Hey so you all know, Rumble is set to return to the PS3 controller in July (if not by the end of the year). And I dont see this happeneing....this reminds me alot of when Microsoft was tryng to sue Linux (which they later backed off saying they werent going to go through with it--probably because you cant sue Linux since there is no company to sue)

Posted May 29, 2007 2:54 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
Itsdewdewbabiee

Its funny how people are quick to bash Sony... I don't see Sony going anywhere anytime soon... Lets face it eventually you'll get one yourself...

Posted May 29, 2007 1:37 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
Slayer420

If they are talking about all the discs that have been made that are Blu-Ray, that would include movies and games.. Sony could be looking at a HUGE payout to this company. Just remember, nobody had ever heard of the company that patented the rumble feature yet Sony paid up almost $100mil to them. And to Bloodloss.. there is nothing wrong with a company trying to preserve their intellectual rights. If Sony, a mega corporation, is cheating the system to thier advantage, I hope they pay for it.

Posted May 29, 2007 1:35 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-5)
Symphonycometh

SnuffDaddyNZ:

So since you hate Sony for that reason...

Using that logic, would it not be fair to say you hate the X-box as well?

Since they had no more than 10 must own games last gen?

Even if this Gen, the 360 seems to be doing a lot better?...

Posted May 29, 2007 12:09 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
NND1

No Rumble / No Custom soundtracks -- That alone is too much to deal with....

Posted May 29, 2007 12:07 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-4)
bloodyrooster

This is so unbelievably hilarious, just when things get bad for the PS3 they get worse and worse! hahahaha

Posted May 29, 2007 11:54 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-5)
BloodLoss

Law suits must be the third most popular sport in america, right after football and stalking. I mean, seriously, get a new hobby... or better yet, get a new legal system!

Posted May 29, 2007 10:18 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+8)
MarcusMaximus04

@xxlinkxx: wow... so because they are suing sony about the use of silver alloys in their blu-ray disks, that makes them xbox fanboys? They're suing over the disks moron, not the ps3. Try reading the article.

Posted May 29, 2007 9:52 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
cardiac_cat

Give me a break, no company or person will ever be able to bring down Sony. And PS3 will prevail on top of the current gen of gaming (which by the way does not include the Wii). There is no doubt about this.

Posted May 29, 2007 9:41 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Pedro7_2000

Good Lord!!! If Sony loses this, it will be game over. Although, Sony's such a huge company, odds are they won't lose. But still, there's risk they might....

Posted May 29, 2007 9:23 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-3)
Xrm150

Well thats buisness for ya!

Posted May 29, 2007 8:37 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
KrazyKhallos

Yawn... What next...? I bet some uptight company will soon sue PS3 for having a Hard Drive and motion sensitive conrollers...

Posted May 29, 2007 8:19 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
faceman420

bummer, I hope this doesnt stop Sony from supporting blue-ray

Posted May 29, 2007 8:01 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
PS3Compass

This kind of stuff happens all the time to large companies. It's not a reason to hate Sony.

Posted May 29, 2007 6:59 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+4)
SnuffDaddyNZ Posted May 29, 2007 5:09 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)
Deluka

umm duh rottenjoe....sony is being sued not the other way around. I think it's all stupid to be honest

Posted May 29, 2007 3:54 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+5)
rottenjoe Posted May 29, 2007 3:42 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)
infestedcyborg1

damn that sucks, but it wont stop them from using blu - ray.

Posted May 29, 2007 12:25 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
jogunther

I doubt a vague discription of disc technology will be enought to stop the true owners of Blue Ray. Sony, Toshiba, and co. Seriously, can't everyone try to keep an open mind. So quick to trash the other side. My recent comment on Halo 3 profits will prove that unbiased comments are POSSIBLE.

Posted May 28, 2007 10:52 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
xxlinkxx

Looks like Target has Xbox Fan boys running crap around there.

Posted May 28, 2007 9:52 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
Symphonycometh

smoothn00dle:

lol. If that's so...then its more noise than we ever did. lol.

Posted May 28, 2007 9:39 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
smoothn00dle

@Symphonycometh
it is not many ppl, just a forum minority group making a lot of noise...

Posted May 28, 2007 8:58 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Symphonycometh

...Why is there so much Sony hate?

I hope Target gets sued for similar stupidtiy!

Posted May 28, 2007 7:40 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
LittleYoshi

***READ***ONLY***
What now people are going to sued Sony's PS3 for being a good looking system!!!
(Conpare to the other system the PS3 is a sexy system.)

Why don't people pick on the 360 and wii (a bit more if they don't already)

Sony got the same right to make a system so don't hate people.

The more you hate it the more dumb your going to look in the end.

Posted May 28, 2007 6:26 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+6)
wateverboy

man, why are some of you hate sony so much. they didnt do anything to you. all they did was make a system call ps3 and try to sell it. if you dont want one just leave cause $ony wont go away.

Posted May 28, 2007 5:28 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+5)
Symphonycometh

readyss:

Congrats. You would be one of the ones that come at me...with decent skills in the English writing. Now that that's out the way:

Sony is losing a lot of fanbase...

But when that price drops...

Man how people return!

Posted May 28, 2007 4:23 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
PhilElsen

I wonder when we will get some good news from Sonys cos at the moment their just loseing money.

I have to say that the PS2 was very popular and not that bad

but the PS3 is all down hill it seems.

Posted May 28, 2007 3:10 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
rodimus_prime85

"Do you know who we are? We are SONY. Like we give a s---" - Probably the official press release

Posted May 28, 2007 2:57 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
MadGamer132

why Sony get into legal trouble. i just don't know.

Posted May 28, 2007 2:30 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-6)
readyss

Symphonycometh I could easily burn you...but we have 2 users that explained what I was going to tell you. You need to relax and stop attempting to trip me up on my every word...especially since you didn't explore my statement to the fullest...

Your PS3...if you ever had one, broke...good for you...

You are surely a minority and don't speak for the majority.

Here...Your mentailty would be more fitted here:

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/index.html?navclk=x360

Leading one lost lamb at a time.

*Note, I know there are several X-box owners who are smart and honest...but he's still more fitted here.****************************************************************************** lol to shay ^_^, but if you haven't noticed the minority are becoming the majority without even having the Numbers...doesn't make sense right? or is that one group speaks more often then the other to make it look that way. (BTW send emails to ur congress and say "no to Amnesty or well vote you Out!")

Posted May 28, 2007 2:05 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-4)
LessThanMike

Way to go sony, can't do anything for yourself...gotta steal it from other people, lol!

Posted May 28, 2007 1:41 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
metc123

TTDog: Its not as if Sony haven't done this before... cough... rumble... cough.

LoLLL @ TTDog.......

Posted May 28, 2007 12:35 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
mac24 Posted May 28, 2007 12:14 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)
Symphonycometh

@StSk8ter29:

Shhhh!

The 360 fanboys don't want a memory recap, or they wouldn't be talking trash about the PS3!

I hope this doesn't force Sony to stop using Blu-Ray...

Posted May 28, 2007 12:04 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
mrfrieze

Target just want in on some the crop to come from blu-ray. It just stupid. I dont see the law suit going anywhere. It went into effect in o6 i remember hearing about the playstation 3 in 05 and blu-ray has always been apart of the system so target might have a losing case on their hands. Just stupid.

Posted May 28, 2007 10:06 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
StSk8ter29

What's odd is that even though ps3 has a shortage of games, I'm still having much more fun with them than I did with the games I own on 360, that's just me. Ps3 isn't going to die, in fact by having it I feel like I'm a true gamer. The media likes to say that the ps3 is in last, which it is right now, but to say that it has no hope is calling out failure a little too soon. Especially since it takes most systems around a year to start getting some really impressive games (a la gears of war).

Posted May 28, 2007 9:46 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
metc123

Poor old sony..........
i wonder how much money they lose anyway on every PS3 unit sold...

Metriod 20 / 8 / 07 lol

Posted May 28, 2007 9:08 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-3)
TTDog

Its not as if Sony haven't done this before... cough... rumble... cough.

Posted May 28, 2007 8:59 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
mbarnard

@MasterChief-CFE and the comment that they don't need to check US patents:

Sorry, that is wrong. They absolutely have to check U.S. patents (and other countries as well). Especially if they want to sell the product there.

Posted May 28, 2007 8:42 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
zskrabs24

this lawsuit is very dumb, sounds to me like they're suing over a name and wtf are the odds of 2 things having the name blu-ray anyway?

Posted May 28, 2007 8:09 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...17
« prevnext »
advertisement

Latest Entertainment Headlines

Latest TV headlines from
Dollhouse creator Whedon filming series prequel
Whedon shakes up the order of his midseason Fox series Dollhouse by shooting a new "prequel" episode to serve as the show's pilot.

Story Tags

News Features

Featured Stories

E3 2008: SCEA unveils $399 80GB PS3, God of War III

Sony's press conference sees SCEA president Jack Tretton reveal Resistance for PSP and MAG, an all-new massive action game from Zipper Interactive; PS3 video store launching tonight; full video inside.
Posted Jul 15, 2008 7:31 pm GMT

Newsmakers

E3 2008: Video Q&A: Carmack on 'one-game' id-EA deal

Legendary Doom founder, id lead designer Tim Willits, and EA Partners GM David DeMartini talk to GameSpot about how Electronic Arts became Rage's publisher.
Posted Jul 15, 2008 6:47 am GMT

Related Companies