According to techblogSony sues Brazilian Multilaser for trademark infringement dualshock, the name given to controls from previous generations Play Station, Apparently, the specifications belong to products based on a similar design to the Japanese giant’s joystick.
According to documents obtained by the site, Sony does not directly specify which controls would violate these trade dress guidelines (features of the visual appearance of the product). In short, the Multiledger would not have stolen the controls outright, but would have based on the original design and implemented some subtle changes – which could easily be confused with the brand’s product.
The Japanese demand that the DualShock-inspired controls be taken out of circulation, as well as demanding an amount of $60 thousand for moral damages and “violation of industrial property rights”.
The case was assigned to Judge Renata Maciel of the Court of Justice of the State of So Paulo (TJ-SP), who, at first, admitted the charges and imposed two fines for the multilager in the case of non-compliance. With orders: one in the amount of BRL 100,000 and the other, daily, in the amount of BRL 20,000.
Multiledger accepts the verdict, but defends its stand on DualShock
Multiledger accepted the judge’s decision on the condition that it would sell the remaining shares within the first six months. The company also noted that “the products were not reproduced and forgery, trademark or trade dress infringement”, with lawyers justifying that their marketing would not harm Sony.
According to Tecnoblog, the lawsuit over DualShock began in February 2020 and continues to this day without any resolution.
