Sony sues Multilaser for “Copy DualShock”

according to TechblogSony sued Brazilian company Multilaser for trademark infringement Dual fork, the name given to controls from previous generations of Play Station. Apparently, the features are related to products based on the same joystick design as the Japanese giant.

According to the documentation obtained by the site, Sony does not directly identify controls that violate the Commercial Appearance Guidelines (Product Visual Appearance Characteristics). In short, the Multilaser wouldn’t have completely plagiarized the control, but would have been based on the original design and implemented some minor changes – which can easily be confused with the brand’s product.

The Japanese demanded that the DualShock-inspired controls be taken out of circulation, as well as a demand for R$60,000 in moral damages and “infringement of industrial property rights.”

The case was delegated to Judge Renata Maciel, of the São Paulo State Court of Justice (TJ-SP), who initially accepted the charges and entailed a penalty of two fines to the Multilaser for failure to comply with the requests: one for R$100,000 and the other, per day, for R$20,000. .

Multilaser accepted the decision, but made her point on the DualShock

Multilaser accepted the judge’s decision on the condition that the remaining stocks be sold first within six months. The company also noted that there was no “cloning and counterfeiting of products or trademarks or infringement of commercial appearance,” 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 unresolved.