U.S. trade body launches probe of Nintendo over patent row

The U.S. International Trade Commission said Wednesday it has decided to start a probe into Nintendo Co’s top-selling Wii video game over the company and its U.S. affiliate’s alleged patent infringement. The decision is based on a complaint filed Aug 20 by U.S. technology firm Hillcrest Laboratories that seeks to prevent imports, sale, offer for sale, advertising, or the soliciting of the sale of the product.

Hillcrest, based in Rockville, Maryland, made the request in a filing to the ITC, a semi-judicial agency that enforces U.S. trade laws and has the power to bar products from the United States if they are produced with infringed technology. It said Nintendo has violated its patents concerning a handheld three-dimensional pointing device and a navigation interface display system that graphically organizes content for display on a television.