Nintendo hit with $30.2M in damages over 3D patent suit

A federal jury finds the game maker liable for patent infringement for 3D technology used in its 3DS gaming device.

March 13, 2013 8:52 PM PDT Follow @darakerr

Nintendo's 3DS gaming device.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

Nintendo was found liable of infringing on glasses-free 3D technology in a lawsuit that wrapped up today.

A New York federal jury concluded that the game maker used features of a patent developed by Seijiro Tomita in its handheld 3DS gaming device, according to Reuters. The jury awarded Tomita $30.2 million in compensatory damages.

Tomita, who is a former Sony employee, said that he developed the patent to make 3D images that can be seen without 3D glasses. Nintendo uses this type of technology in its 3DS device. The 3D effect in this video game system can be adjusted with a slider making game characters come more or less to life.

Tomita filed the lawsuit against Nintendo in 2011. According to Reuters, Nintendo's attorney Scott Lindvall claimed that the 3DS device doesn't use the central features of Tomita's patent.

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