Slot manufacturer International Game Technology is filing an amicus brief in a patent lawsuit involving Konami Holdings Corporation that could have far-reaching consequences on slot-machine patents.
The case involves patents for key features of games including Black Widow, Cherry Mischief, Cirque Chinois and Haunted Hearts.
An appeals court is considering whether Konami is entitled to patent protection for what gamblers see when they spin the reels on a computerized slot machine. A federal judge invalidated the company’s patents, saying nothing was inventive about the idea, but International Game Technology Plc, the largest manufacturer of slot machines, has inserted itself in the dispute, saying a loss for Konami could bring all patents on slot machine games into question.
“The industry is paying attention to this case and is worried about it,” Jeremy Elman of the Dorsey & Whitney firm in Palo Alto, who has represented gaming companies in the past, told Bloomberg. “If you’re one of the big slot machines companies and you’re paying a premium for these great designers but you can’t protect their work, it devalues it.”
