Slot giants in patent litigation

Thursday, Dec. 27, 2001 | 11:06 a.m.

IGT, which said it agreed in 1996 to provide confidential gaming technology information to a predecessor of Casino Data, said the predecessor, without IGT's consent, allegedly transferred its rights to the information to Casino Data after the company was acquired in June by Australia-based Aristocrat Leisure for $181 million.

"Despite the fact that Casino Data has no license to the confidential information, and despite the fact that (its predecessor) was precluded from transferring any rights it had in IGT's confidential information to Casino Data, Casino Data is presently operating as if such a transfer occurred," the suit said.

IGT seeks an order to stop the defendants from using six gaming patents to market "the Oasis casino management system, the Payout (slot machine) device and a variety slant-top gaming machines that use coin ejectors."

IGT also wants to stop the defendants from marketing the cashless system for gaming machines known as Quickets, a gaming machine platform that uses data authentication known as Bandit and a progressive system called Hyperlink.

IGT also wants the defendants to recall all gaming machines and systems that were sold or leased and to send copies of any legal decisions that are in IGT's favor to their customers and to notify them the sales are wrongful.

The defendants could not be reached for comment.