Valve Loses Controller Lawsuit And Must Pay $4 Million In Damages

Valve has been tied up in a legal suit over patent infringement for its Steam Controller hardware. While the Steam Controller has been discontinued, a manufacturer called Ironburg Inventions acting on behalf of subsidiary SCUF Gaming has alleged that the discontinued controller infringed on patents it held.

In court yesterday, the jury hearing the case voted unanimously in favor of Ironburg, and Valve has been ordered to pay $4 million in damages. Ironburg’s design has been sub-licensed brands like Xbox. The company says Valve had no license and was infringing on its patent with the Steam Controller design.

The jury sided with Ironburg on all seven patent infringement claims, with the court ordering $4 million in damages. While $4 million is a lot of money, it’s less than the $11 million Ironburg had initially pushed for.

The jury also found that Valves infringement was “willful,” opening the door for a District Judge to potentially raise damages. Presumably, Valve will appeal the decision.