Conference rusure::nintendo

    There's a new Nintendo controller on the way, for about $70.  It's a
    hands-off controller:  You make motions in the air near the controller,
    which has a base and a standing portion, each apparently one foot
    square.  It detects the motions, such as a punch for the Punch-Out
    game.  There are some different settings for different games.
    
    
    				-- edp 

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Article 1513 of clari.news.interest.quirks:
From: [email protected]
Subject: Lawsuit claims Nintendo game triggered epileptic seizure
Date: 24 Jan 91 15:07:18 GMT

	MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (UPI) -- A lawsuit claims a 15-year-old girl's
epileptic seizure was triggered by a Nintendo video game.
	According to the suit, Laura Moceri was playing a popular Nintendo
game called Kid Icarus when her eyes rolled back and she blacked out,
suffering an epilpetic seizure.
	Attorney Douglas Webster filed the product liability lawsuit
Wednesday in Macomb County Circuit Court on behalf of Laura and her
father, Joseph. He said the suit may be the first of its kind in
Michigan.
	Laura suffered what is known as a photosensitive epileptic seizure,
which some experts say can be triggered -- although not actually caused --
by video games, flashing lights and television sets.
	In the lawsuit, Webster said that Nintendo, as well as local
distributors who rent the video games, are negligent for not warning
customers about Nintendo's potential dangers.
	``Her doctor said it was a video game-induced epilepsy,'' Webster
told the Detroit News. ``The first impression of some people may be: Is
this for real? But the medical documentation is there and you're going
to see a lot more of this.''
	Webster said Laura was a reasonably healthy girl who suffered a loss
of comprehension and concentration, affecting her ability to go to
school or work, as a result of the seizure.
	She will probably take medicine for the rest of her life to help
control the epilepsy. The suit seeks damages in excess of $10,000.
	A spokesman for Nintendo of America, located near Seattle, said he
could not comment on the lawsuit because company officials had not seen
it yet.

Re .3

Pathetic....  anything for a quick buck

          What if the siezure had been triggered while she was in a car 
    looking at a flashing yellow light at an intersection? Would that town's
    DPW then be liable for not posting warning signs on each and every light?
          
          If your child has a medical problem it's not easy, and I sympathize.
    But to blame it on the most convenient, not to mention wealthy, target
    is shameless.  


          This type of action seems to be more and more the prevailing
    attitude lately.  Got a problem???  Sue somebody.......anybody, just
    so long as you don't have to pay for it...............

              .............. and of course the lawyers laugh and laugh
    as they rake in the bucks.


                                         --- BMG  

	Reminds me of a local item I recently read where a kid in school
	was helping taking a volley ball net and stand out, when the stand
	slipped and broke his baby toe..  Now he is suing for $100,000.

	This country has gone completely overboard with law suits.

	It is interesting to note that the Nintendo case, the suit is
	only for 10K..  In this day and age of multi million dollar suits,
	this one seems minor in comparision.

	Csw

    Well, gee, I'm diabetic, so I want to see a warning on everything that
    contains sugar that says it is harmful to me.  How much sense does THAT
    make??  I'm sorry the girl has problems, but I'm more sorry that her
    parents are trying to blame their negligence on Nintendo.  
    
    

    Some Judges are starting to agree with us that there are too many
    "frivilous" or unwarranted liability suits.  These judges are starting
    to stand up to the buck chasing lawyers and throw the cases out of
    court.  This is according to a law review article by Henderson
    (Professor James Henderson of Cornell Law School) and Eisenberg
    entitled "The Quiet Revolution in Products Liability:  An Empirical
    Study of Legal Change" published in 35 UCLA Law Review 479 (1990) 
    
    This issue is to be one of the topics during the American Bar
    Association meeting in Palm Springs (2/28-3/2). 
    
    Although manufacturers and vendors of products have responsibility the
    consumers also have (or should) own responsibility also.  I applaud the
    Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that decided a mother may be
    liable for lead poisoning of her child, thereby allowing the landlord
    to place claim against the mother for contribution.  (I am not saying
    that parents should be charged in all cases, but rather determine
    whether reasonable precautions taken by all parties involved)
    
    Rich (Product Safety Engineer and concerned citizen)

Article 2172 of clari.news.law.crime.trial:
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!rust.zso.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!wuarchive!uunet!lll-winken!looking!clarinews
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.news.law.crime.trial,clari.tw.computers
Subject: Seven arrested in Nintendo counterfeiting
Keywords: criminal proceedings, legal, computers, manufacturing,
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 11 Jun 91 00:29:22 GMT
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Approved: [email protected]
Xref: nntpd.lkg.dec.com clari.news.law.crime.trial:2172 clari.tw.computers:1298
ACategory: financial
Slugword: nintendo
Priority: regular
Format: regular
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Codes: ynlarxx., ybfcrxx., ybsirxx.


	REDMOND, Wash. (UPI) -- Nintendo of America Inc. said Monday that
seven people connected with major Taiwanese companies had been arrested
for allegedly manufacturing and exporting counterfeit Nintendo video
games.
	The arrests, made by U.S. Customs Service agents, took place in
Chicago, San Jose, Calif., Los Angeles and Miami over the past week.
	Nintendo said those arrested include Patrick P. Yu and George Yeh of
United Microelectronics Corp.; Uen Fu Wong and Jimmy Yao of NTDEC; King
K. Huan and Alice Chang of King Hwa Industrial Corp.; and Joseph
Benmeleh of Galaxia Overseas.
	Nintendo said the arrests were related to criminal actions against
Danny Chu of Aeropower Co. Ltd. of Taiwan, and Tina Huang of Rainco Man
International Co. Ltd. of Taiwan.