TableMax Gaming sues Shuffle Master for patent infringement

By Sun Staff (contact)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 | 7:56 a.m.

TableMAX Gaming Inc. today said it filed a patent infringement lawsuit against fellow Las Vegas-based casino supplier Shuffle Master Inc.

TableMAX, a developer of electronic table games, alleges infringement of three patents under which it is an exclusive licensee.

Shuffle Master has not yet responded to the allegations and officials there could not immediately be reached for comment.

The lawsuit alleges infringement of patents protecting proprietary electronic devices and system architecture used in TableMAX multiplayer games. The suit alleges that Shuffle Master's Table Master multiplayer gaming device and system infringes on the patents. The suit seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions along with unspecified damages.

"We have to aggressively protect TableMAX intellectual property to ensure there is no infringing competition in the marketplace," TableMAX Chief Executive Stephen Crystal said in a statement. "We previously raised our infringement concerns with Shuffle Master and had to file this suit to have them properly addressed."