Technology firm sues over Wii Fit

By Ellie Gibson Published 15 April, 2010

Plus: "Nintendo Wii Made Me Nympho."

US tech firm IA Labs has filed a lawsuit against Nintendo, claiming one of its patents has been infringed by Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus and the Wii Balance Board. Not to mention the Wii Remote, Wii Nunchuk, Wii MotionPlus, Wii Wheel and Wii Zapper, by the way.

The patent, as spotted by Gamespot, alleges Nintendo has violated a 2006 patent for "Computer Interactive Isometric Exercise System and Method for Operatively Interconnecting the Exercise System to a Computer System for use as a Peripheral". IA Labs also cites a 2008 patent it owns for "Force Measurement System for an Isometric Exercise Device".

The company manufactured two products - the Kilowatt Sport and Exer-Station - under the terms of the patents. According to IA Labs, they add a workout feature to "any off-the-shelf video game on the PlayStation, Xbox, GameCube, or PC".

In the filing, the firm claims that IA Labs chief technology officer Greg Merril began having meetings and exchanging emails with Nintendo in 2007. The two parties failed to reach a licensing agreement and Nintendo ended contact late the following year.

IA Labs wants the court to ban the sale of products which infringe its patents, and is asking for damages, legal fees and court costs to be paid.

HERE'S THE BIT YOU WANT TO SKIP TO: In much less important but tenuously related and infinitely more interesting news, the Daily Star is reporting that Wii Fit can turn you on.

"NINTENDO WII MADE ME NYMPHO!" screams the headline.

"A woman has gone from Nintendo to nympho after a fall from her Wii Fit board turned her into a sex addict," reads the article.

Amanda Flowers, 24 and from Manchester, damaged a nerve in the fall. A doctor said this has led to persistent sexual arousal syndrome. Now Flowers claims she must have sex 10 times a day and is turned on by even minimal vibrations, such as those caused by a mobile or food processor.

"It began as a twinge down below before surging through my body. Sometimes it built up into a trembling orgasm," she said.

"With no cure I just have to try to control my passion by breathing deeply." Perhaps she should try the Vitality Sensor? "Hopefully one day I'll find a superstud who can satisfy me."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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