Company Wants Nintendo To Stop Making Switch Units Over Patent Infringement Lawsuit

At this point, there’s no denying that the Nintendo Switch is one of the hottest video game products around and with that popularity comes opportunists trying to make a quick buck. One example just came out of the woodworks in the form of a company called Gamevice, which is suing Nintendo for supposed patent infringements involving the technology used by the Switch.

Formerly known as Wikipad, Gamevice is a maker of gaming peripherals for smart devices, which allowed users to attach joy-cons to their devices, The Verge reports. Doing so made playing certain types of games on their smartphones or tablets considerably easier. Based on images and patent details, the peripherals also work remarkably similar to that of the Switch.

This is the basis for the lawsuit that the company is now filing against Nintendo. According to the details of the suit, Gamevice wants the Japanese video game giant to stop production of the Switch right away. The company is also demanding payment for damages from Nintendo.

Mashable posted images of the Wikipad to demonstrate the similarities that the peripherals have with the Switch’s own joy-con setup. The publication also put up images of the Gamevice peripheral, which looks the same as that of the Switch, but is connected at the back by a thin, flexible band.

In comparison, the Switch joy-cons are completely wireless and don’t employ any kind of physical bridge connecting the two without counting the main body. This could be the biggest issue with this lawsuit.

Patent infringement cases rely largely on the details being exactly right. If the patent wording covers exactly the kind of violation that a company or individual is accused of, the plaintiff has a huge chance of winning. On the other hand, the patent of the Gamevice has the title "Game Controller with Flexible Bridge Section,” which emphatically does not apply to the wireless Switch joy-con.