Connectix scores partial legal victory against Sony

A federal judge in San Francisco threw out seven of nine counts in a suit brought by Sony that alleged Connectix violated the entertainment giant's copyrights. Judge Charles Legge also said he would decide in the next 90 days whether to review the remaining trade secret and unfair competition claims in the suit.

Sony has also filed a separate suit alleging patent infringement, and a Sony representative said the company intends to pursue the remaining complaints.

"We're obviously moving forward with those," said Sony spokeswoman Molly Smith.

An appeals court in February threw out a temporary injunction Sony had received on the copyright claim that would have prevented Connectix from distributing its software. Connectix said it is also moving to dismiss the patent infringement claims.

"We are confident that we will prevail on the remaining issues," Connectix chief executive Roy McDonald said in a statement. "We hope that this decisive outcome will allow both parties to quickly close this matter and find ways to mutually benefit from our innovative cross-platform technology."

The San Mateo, Calif.-based firm released its Virtual Game Player in January 1999 but was soon hit with legal action from Sony. The program allows games for the original PlayStation console to be played on a Macintosh or Windows-based computer.

A hearing in Sony's patent case is set for May 19, Connectix said.