2023-05-20 18:30:00
Legal wars can be very expensive, even in gaming. This time it’s Steam getting into a fight that could very well be lost in advance. In effect, Valve faces a company called Immersion, well known for enjoying making money in this kind of lawyer battle. Having already faced Nintendo, Microsoft et Sony, Immersion has already made a few million this way.
Filing patents and making millions against Steam and other big companies?
Immersion does not actually produce no games at allon the contrary, the company is in fact specialized in patent filings. These patents are then used in legal battles with developers who are not really direct competitors of the company. If one of the technologies is too close to the patent set by Immersion, these sue, and produce their turnover like that.
This practice has been accused many, many times by multiple companies, but that hasn’t stopped Immersion from earning millions on the backs of other developers. Sony et Microsoft have, for example, chosen to settle the case outside the courts in return for a few million. On the Nintendo side, and as you might expect, it’s a legal war who started, not wanting to give in.
For Valve, and Steam, the attacks are on the Steam Deck or even the Steam Index, virtual reality headset created by Valve.
According to Immersion, these technologies are too close to their patents, and therefore Steam owes them money.
The company of Patent Trolling goes even further than that and announces that Valve’s game “Half Life : Alyxeven goes against US law. The same accusations had been leveled at games like Apex Legends or modern warfare 2.
Immersion seems to want to take advantage of all opportunities to fill the coffers, even if the companies are not really at fault.
The confrontation with Nintendo should already give a good idea of the possible resolution of the conflict with Immersion. One thing is certain, we may hear about this case for a while!
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