Published Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | 9:08 p.m.
Updated Thursday, April 30, 2009 | 7:38 a.m.
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A federal judge has upheld the validity of two slot machine patents held by International Game Technology of Reno, rejecting claims by competitor Bally Technologies of Las Vegas that they are invalid.
In a lengthy, technical opinion, U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson in Delaware also denied in part and granted in part IGT's claims of infringement; while granting in part and denying in part Bally's claims of noninfringement.
The patents, acquired by IGT when it bought Acres Gaming in 2003, relate to networked slot machines and networked slot bonusing systems.
IGT said that in the ruling, Bally was found to have infringed on patents known as the 885 and the related 812 patents. Both patents were found to be valid.
The judge rejected Bally's claim that another patent, No. 983, is invalid.
The lawsuit filed in 2006 seeks monetary damages and an injunction. IGT says it expects there will be a trial to assess damages following a period of related discovery.
"We are pleased that the court has affirmed the validity of our patents and their infringement. We believe strongly in the United States patent system and the need to protect our intellectual property and respect the valid intellectual property rights of others," IGT Chief Executive Patti Hart said in a statement.
Bally on Thursday confirmed the judge found that Bally’s ACSC Power Winners and ACSC Power Rewards products infringe some asserted patent claims but do not infringe others.
“For the two products partially in question, the company has undertaken technical changes to ensure non-infringement,” said Ramesh Srinivasan, executive vice president of Bally Systems. “The revenues derived from these products to date are immaterial to Bally’s financial position.”
In the litigation, IGT originally claimed Bally’s products infringed some 200 patent claims, but following patent re-examination proceedings and case-related actions, all but eight of the claims were withdrawn, Bally said.
Two other lawsuits pitting the companies against each other, one over wheel-based games and the other over bonus-wheel games, are pending.
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