Microsoft has emerged victorious from a multiplayer gaming-related patent lawsuit dating back to 2004.
Harold Milton Jr. filed legal action against Microsoft and Sony for allegedly infringing on a patent, ‘Apparatus and method for electrically connecting remotely located video games’, referring to an invention enabling “two or more players playing the same video game to compete with each other without using the same physical video game which alleviates the necessity of proximity of the players”.
The plaintiff argued that Xbox Live and PlayStation Network infringed on the patent, and sought royalties and an injunction against the continued use of the technology, Gamasutra reports.
Taking issue with the term "electrical connection", US District Court Judge Paul Borman dismissed the allegations, ruling that the plaintiff would recover nothing and should pay Microsoft’s legal fees.
Sony settled with the plaintiff out of court in April 2009.