Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!ihlpe!kimes
From: kimes@ihlpe.ATT.COM (Kit Kimes)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Atari suing Nintendo?
Keywords: law suit, Nintendo
Message-ID: <4154@ihlpe.ATT.COM>
Date: 9 Jan 89 20:43:05 GMT
References: <1244@fredonia.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 30

From article <1244@fredonia.UUCP>, by sale5312@fredonia.UUCP (Marty Saletta):
> 
> 
>    On the PBS (?) show Computer Chronicals,they reported that Atari is suing
> Nintendo.  Is this correct?  The reporter said that since Nintendo is
> dominating the video game market,Atari was suing them,saying that it was
> a monopoly.  I also remember something about the cartridge port of the
> Nintendo being involved.
> 
>   
There is a law suit and it involves the use of the Nintendo encryption
copy protection system.  It seems that there is a master/slave chip set that
is involved with all Nintendo cartridges.  This forces all third party
companies to come to Nintendo if they want to release a game for their system.
The cartridges must be manufactured by Nintendo.  Nintendo sets the selling
price and realizes a profit from all others work.

The law suit is not because Nintendo is a monopoly but charges that Nintendo
is violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and is involved in unfair 
competition.  Atari claims that they have suffered between 30 and 35
million dollars in damages (lose of sales of Nintendo cartridges that Atari
could release) and is asking for a Jury trial and a tripling of any
damages found.  A status hearing is set for March 20.

This information comes from an article in EE Times (a couple of issues 
ago).

					Kit Kimes  
					AT&T--Bell Laboratories
					...att!ihlpe!kimes