Intellectual property scholars, peripherals makers, and geeks everywhere are closely watching Datel’s case against Microsoft. The suit alleges that when Microsoft issued an Xbox 360 firmware update, it effective blocked Datel’s memory cards from working. Datel’s card sales had far outpaced Microsoft’s for the devices, says wired.com’s David Kravets.
However, Microsoft, using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 in its counter-suit, says Datel has basically ripped off its authentication firmware to make the chips work, violating a section of the DMCA that protects works against the circumvention of technology. Microsoft is by now a seasoned pro in these kinds of courtroom dramas. Still, all eyes are on the “nuanced” case as a potential precedent-setter for the peripherals market.
Read more at ars technica.
