In a legal battle for intellectual property, video game company Valve is defending itself from Ironburg Inventions. The lawsuit filed against Valve sued the company for copyright infringement, particularly for infringing on the patent designs that went into its Steam Controller.
Valve’s Steam Controller was a revolutionary idea that aimed to bridge the gap between gaming consoles and gaming PCs, but if Ironburg Inventions it to be believed, the design and patent never belonged to Valve in the first place.
Valve is now facing charges for allegedly stealing Ironburg Inventions’ designs and putting them into the Steam Controller. As the company that owns the intellectual property that went into the Steam Controller’s design - from the arms to the buttons, and more - Ironburg Inventions filed a lawsuit against Valve back in 2019. With a total of four (4) copyright infringement violations stacked against the company, the case between Valve and Ironburg Inventions went to trial yesterday in the United States Supreme Court. The initial trial took place on Zoom due to restrictions brought about by the pandemic, according to Law 360.
Despite the troubles Valve is currently facing over the now discontinued Steam Controller, the product itself never gained enough popularity to be considered a worthwhile effort from the company. However, in its short tenure as a gaming controller designed for and by PC gamers, the Steam Controller did make around 1.6 million units sold, and now, Ironburg Inventions wants a fair share considering they developed the technologies that Valve allegedly stole for their controller design.
With hefty accusations on Valve, the company denies all accusations of copyright infringement, insisting that the design was inherently different. In its defense, Valve’s legal team aims to highlight the differences in design and functionality to bolster its case against the accusations.
What do you think will happen in this battle between Valve and Ironburg Inventions? Let us know in the comments section below and don't forget to check back with us soon for the latest gaming news.
