XBOX doesn't violate Alcatel-Lucent Patent

Microsoft is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief after a jury ruled that the XBOX 360 didn't violate an Alcatel-Lucent patent for coding video frames. On the other hand, the jury also ruled that Alcatel-Lucent didn't violate a number of Microsoft patents.

Patent infringement cases are becoming increasingly common in the video game industry. Many developers resent the trend, but the reality is that many developers and publishers are turning to patents to protect their inventions. This is requiring all developers and publishers to consider patent searches for many aspects of their games--especially in light of the fact that patents now cover many elements of gameplay or game development which are widely used in the industry.

More on the Microsoft/Alcatel-Lucent case (Seattle PI).