LG sues Sony over PlayStation 3 Blu-ray drive

By Geoff Duncan February 8, 2011

Image used with permission by copyright holder

South Korea’s LG Electronics has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission to bar all imports of Sony’s PlayStation 3 console into the United States. According to the complaint, LG alleges the Blu-ray drives in Sony’s top-flight gaming console infringe on three LG patents—two related to how the drive pulls data off the disc, and another related to production of “multiple data streams” to handle several camera angles. LG is calling for an “immediate” investigation into the Blu-ray players.

The suit was first reported by Bloomberg; a copy of the complaint is available (PDF) from the ITC 337 Law Blog.

Industry watchers are largely viewing the suit as a tit-for-tat in an escalating patent battle between Sony and LG; late last year, Sony filed suit against LG, alleging that LG mobile phones infringe on several Sony patents. LG’s move raises the stakes for Sony by threatening a core market for its PlayStation 3 business—which, after years of struggling, is finally starting to gain ground over its console rivals, the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

PlayStation 6: release date speculation, price, specs, and more

A PS5 DualSense controller.

It sounds like we're going to learn more about a next-generation PlayStation sooner rather than later.

In early 2024, Sony Senior Vice President Naomi Matsuoka told Bloomberg that, "Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle." While he didn't outright say that a PlayStation 6 is in the works, we can assume that the company is already looking ahead at its next console.

Gaming

I was a PlayStation Portal hater. Now it’s one of my go-to gaming devices

A PlayStation Portal plays Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

In November, I reviewed the PlayStation Portal. I was mixed on Sony’s streaming handheld at the time, frustrated with a corner-cutting execution of a good idea. It seemed like a poor value compared to simply slapping a cheaper Backbone controller on a phone. As is often the case with tech reviews, though, I only had a short window to test it out where I was more focused on the more objective side of what the Portal does and doesn’t do. Would my feelings change when I was using it naturally?

I’ve gotten the answer to that question over the past few months. While I barely touched my Portal after reviewing it in 2023, it’s quickly become a go-to device in my home as of January. I’m now breaking it out at least once a week, finding some practical use cases for it. Though my overall assessment of it hasn’t changed, I have a more tangible understanding of where it can be a useful -- if superfluous -- PS5 companion. It’s a needless luxury, but one that I’m finding that I'm happy to indulge in.
Second screen
The PlayStation Portal’s launch just so happened to come right before a major life change that would shift my perspective. After living alone for three years, my girlfriend moved into my apartment last December. It’s been a natural change that’s working great so far. That shift does come with some lifestyle changes, though. We’re both crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, which means we’re sharing a tight space. We remotely do our jobs feet apart in the same room, and most evenings are spent lounging on the couch.

Gaming

PlayStation VR2 production reportedly paused by Sony

PlayStation VR2 headset on blue background.

Sony is reportedly pausing production of the PlayStation VR2 headsets because it has a backlog of unsold headsets.

This report comes from Bloomberg, which claims that PSVR2 sales have slowed every quarter since its February 2023 release, causing stocks of the device to build up. It says Sony has produced 2 million headsets but reportedly hasn't sold through them yet. As a result, it's apparently pausing the production on new units until it works through some of that backlog, according to Bloomberg's anonymous sources.