Back in 2013, we reported that Nintendo was being sued over technology found in its Nintendo 3DS handheld console, specifically that of its glasses-free 3D technology that allowed gamers to play 3D games on it without requiring any additional accessories. The courts ultimately found Nintendo guilty and awarded Seijiro Tomita USD30.2 million in damages. Now according to reports, it seems that not only did Nintendo have to fork out that whopping amount of money in damages, but it seems that if the company wishes to continue selling and producing its Nintendo 3DS system, they will have to pay Tomita royalties.
This was ruled by a court in the US who decided that Nintendo had to pay Tomita 1.82% of the wholesale price of the Nintendo 3DS for every unit sold, from now until the end of the console’s life. 1.82% admittedly does not sound like a lot of money, but when you’ve sold millions upon millions of units, it really does start to add up. However we guess it is better than the judge ruling that a flat amount had to be paid out, especially since the console’s price is expected to dip in the future as demand wanes and as technology becomes cheaper, which the judge in question, Jed Rakoff, thought would be an “unearned windfall” to Tomita if that were to happen. It is unclear if Nintendo plans to fight this but for now, it looks like Nintendo will have to start reaching into their pockets.
Filed in . Read more about 3DS (Nintendo), Legal and Nintendo.