For many companies, their name plays an important role in their success. Consumers can easily recognize the name, connect it to the company’s products and know that they are getting the product they desire. However, businesses may face intellectual property infringement from individuals looking to make money from their hard work.
Texas readers may be interested in an out-of-state lawsuit that recently came to a settlement. The case involves gaming company Nintendo and a couple who ran two websites that offered the company’s games as downloadable files that could be played without the intended gaming systems. Nintendo claimed that the couple and their websites directly infringed on its intellectual property. The company claimed that there were 140 infringing files and 40 trademark violations on the couple’s websites.
At the beginning of the suit, Nintendo was seeking $100 million in damages. However, the recent settlement resulted in a much lower but still significant amount of $12.23 million. The owners of the websites acknowledged their copyright and trademark infringement. The settlement also involved an injunction that prevents them from using or distributing Nintendo files, and both of the websites have been shut down.
Intellectual property infringement can cause significant problems for companies. As this case shows, businesses may need to take legal action in order to ensure the protection of their property, make up for damages and stop the infringement. Texas business owners in this type of predicament may want to make sure that they understand their legal options and find the best courses of action for their particular situations.