Firm hit with injunction

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 | 9:51 a.m.

A federal judge issued an injunction ordering Las Vegas gaming equipment supplier Shuffle Master Inc. to stop using WMS Gaming Inc.'s patents for Shuffle Master's Hollywood, Spiderman, Budweiser and Hulk video slot machines.

WMS had added the patent infringement claim to a 2002 lawsuit against Shuffle Master in U.S. District Court over its alleged sales of software that allowed casino operators, including WMS customers, to put a Shuffle Master game in a WMS slot machine.

U.S. District Judge James Mahan, in a March 7 ruling on the patent infringement claim, said WMS has "demonstrated that it will suffer irreparable harm because such harm is presumed by the showing of infringement and because monetary damages are an inadequate remedy."

Meanwhile, Shuffle Master, which had sued WMS to stop the company from interfering with its efforts to promote software for a WMS slot machine at a September 2002 trade show in Las Vegas, said this ruling won't affect its slot business.

"None of Shuffle Master's existing games or games currently in development (use) the subject bonus method enjoined by the court," said Mark Yoseloff, Shuffle Master's chairman and chief executive. "All of the other claims in the Shuffle Master and WMS suits are still pending."