Nintendo has filed suit against Nyko Technologies over the Wireless Wii Nunchuk that won Cnet's CES Best in Show for 2008. The peripheral, which allows for the remote and Nunchuk to be used separately without the clutter of a wire, comes with a replacement Nunchuk and an attachment for the remote, and retails for $34.99. Nintendo doesn’t usually sue you unless they know for sure they're going to win (except for that time where they randomly sued suicide girls), so if you plan on getting your hands on this interesting battery-sucker I suggest you do so now.

I never really ran into a situation that would justify my hands being that far apart while playing a Wii game, but if the rumored “I Love You Thiiiiiiiis Much” title ever hits the Wii, we will all regret not picking this up when we had the chance. The full story, written in Bloomsburgian English, is below.

Nintendo Co., maker of the Wii video-game system, sued accessory seller Nyko Technologies Inc. over what it says is a knock-off of the Nunchuk remote controller used with the popular system.

Nyko sells a wireless Kama Nunchuk designed to work with the Wii system. Nintendo contends the Nyko product copies its patented designs and infringes its trademarks for the Nunchuk name and packaging. The word ``nunchuk'' refers to a martial-arts weapon made from two sticks connected with a chain.

The Nyko product ``wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller,'' Nintendo said in the federal court complaint, filed June 10 in Seattle.

In the Wii system, a player moves the remote and a character on the television screen mimics that motion, such as an underhand throw for bowling or a swing for tennis. Nunchuks are used when the game calls for motion by both hands, for instance when punching in the boxing game in Wii Sports. It's connected to the main remote by a plug and wire.

"We have not knowingly violated anyone's intellectual property and we're still examining this,'' Nyko spokesman C.C. Swiney said yesterday in a telephone interview.

The Wii is the most-popular video-game console in the U.S., with 714,000 machines sold in April, Nintendo has said, citing results from researcher NPD Group Inc. The console is often sold out at stores, as is the new exercise game ``Wii Fit'' that first went on sale in the U.S. last month.

Closely held Nyko, based in Los Angeles, makes other accessories for use with the Wii, including a charging station for the remotes, carrying case for the console, and adapters. The accessories for the Wii and other game consoles are sold online and at retailers such as GameStop Corp. stores.

The Kama Nunchuk, which is advertised as avoiding the ``restrictive wires'' of the Nintendo Nunchuk, sells for $33.99 on Amazon.com Inc.'s Web site. Nintendo's Wii Nunchuk sells for $19.99.

Nintendo, based in Kyoto with U.S. offices in Redmond, Washington, accuses Nyko of infringing two design patents and its trademarks. The company asked the court to order Nyko to stop selling the wireless controller, and seeks cash compensation.

Nintendo's lawyers are Harry H. Schneider Jr., Susan D. Fahringer and William C. Rava of Seattle's Perkins Coie.

 

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