PS3 import ban

[Steve]

LG are being brave or stupid.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12607370

[Technical Ben]

Not really. The same happened with the rumble controller in the PS2. Every other games console either paid royalties for the existing tech, or designed their own (there is more than one way to make something shake). Sony however never did. So about 2-3 years after the release they had to pay massive royalties back dated, after a court battle. Sony themselves have patents on hardware and software, and would not want someone to copy\steal it from them. So they should not act that way towards their competitors.

No idea if the patents are solid, or based of diagrams of faeries though.
[edit]
Also, why on earth is the BBC using a "concept" image of the PS3 when that is not even the version they ever realised? Bad reporting me thinks.
The rest of the story is true though. Mainly "tit for tat" when it comes to patents. 

[esh]

Patents are just ammo for when you have some grudge you want to itch at, or when profit margins didn't quite work out. If all the patent violations collected in the mobile and CPU markets were unleashed, it would be mutually assured destruction.

[Technical Ben]

They already are in the Mobile industry.