Someone has a bad case of the old ants down the pants

An article from the Bloomberg news service reveals that Sega of America are being sued by rival Media Optik Inc. for infringing a patent for the technology contained within Dreamcast.

In a suit filed last week, Florida-based Media Optik said Sega of America are using an invention patented by Media Optik in 1991 that "protects a computer system with extended memory capacity and quick-response capability". Media Optik believe Sega are wrongly using the patented technology in Dreamcast, and committed a similar crime back in the days of the Sega Saturn.

Media Optik state that Sega continued with the manufacture, distribution and sale of Dreamcast despite knowledge of the patents, and are asking a judge to stop Sega's use of the technology and to award damages and legal fees after a jury trial.

Sega have yet to issue a comment regarding the case, and before you ask, we're somewhat in the dark as to the exact nature of the allegations too. "Protects a computer system with extended memory capacity and quick response capacity"? What?

Courtesy of IGN.com