Sony held up for patents infringement
San Jose, USA: The Sony Corp. has been ordered to pay $90.7 million and halt US sales of its PlayStation consoles, after being held guilty of infringing on the patents of a company that develops and licenses touch-feedback technology to enhance video game realism.

The trial judge granted a stay on the sales ban, however, pending Sony's expected appeal.

San Jose-based Immersion Corp. sued Sony in 2002, claiming it violated two of its patents. A federal jury in Oakland decided in favour of Immersion in September and ordered Sony to pay $82 million in damages. On Thursday, a US District Judge affirmed the decision - tacking on $8.7 million in interest and also granted a permanent injunction that would bar the manufacture, sale or import into the United States of any PlayStations, controllers and games that infringe on the two Immersion patents.

Sony has already paid Immersion $7 million in compulsory license payments ordered by the court and will continue to do so each quarter, based on sales of infringing products, until there is a reversal or settlement.
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Crude prices continue downward trend
Singapore: Oil prices dropped below $54 today, maintaining a downward trend over the past week. Light, sweet crude for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 24 cents to $53.81 a barrel, mid-morning in Asia. An intraday high of $57.60 was set on March 17.

Heating oil prices fell marginally on Tuesday to $1.5385 a gallon.

The latest U.S. government data showed US inventories of crude oil at 309.3 million barrels, or 8 per cent above year ago levels, while gasoline supplies are at 217.3 million barrels, also 8 percent above year ago levels.

While the higher inventories could help ease prices, some analysts caution that the onset of the US summer driving season, as well as strong demand from China and other growing economies would probably keep prices high over the medium term.
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