This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.

All the way back in 2018 when it was clear the Switch was a roaring success, peripherals manufacturer Gamevice launched a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nintendo, claiming that the Switch’s detachable Joy-Con were akin to their accessories featuring gaming controls that can be attached to a phone or tablet.

Well, as it turns out, that was nonsense. According to 360 Law, Nintendo have won the battle, with the big N emerging victorious in all 19 instances. Here’s the lowdown:

“Nintendo Co. Ltd. walked away victorious from consolidated inter parties reviews of a Gamevice Inc. mobile gaming patent, with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidating all 19 claims Nintendo had challenged. In a pair of decisions issued Tuesday, the board determined that all claims were obvious in light of earlier patents.”

The ruling means that Gamevice’s patents have been deemed invalid, meaning there’s nothing for Nintendo to be in breach of. Some better news for Nintendo on the legal front then, after a judge ruled against dismissing a class action lawsuit against the company over the Joy-Con drift issue. That case is now going to arbitration.

Source: GoNintendo, via Nintendo Life