22 Feb 2016
Disney accused of IP infringement over MyMagic+ system
BY Tom Anstey
Disney is the recipient of a second IP infringement suit as a result of the technology used in its very successful MyMagic+ magic band system, with the entertainment giant being taken to federal court over tracking functions used within the device.
US company Positiontech alleges that the MyMagic+ system uses two infringing patents secured by the company in 2005 and 2006. These patents cover positional information used by Disney to track the movement of visitors in the park, which Positiontech says infringes on their positional information management system that records transactions of users, such as time and location.
The suit, being taken to federal court in Texas, specifically points towards Disney’s FastPass feature, which lets customers reserve a time to go on a specific ride without spending a long time waiting in line. The suit says that Disney’s tracking system, which uses radio frequency identification technology (RFID) chips is the same as the positional information the patent Positiontech secured covers.
Disney was also hit with another suit surrounding MyMagic+ last year, when InCom Corp accused the operator of infringing on three patents surrounding attendance monitoring and purchase history within the system. Disney has attempted to dismiss the suit, but InCom argues that the company was aware it was infringing on the copyrights.
Both Disney and Postiontech have declined to comment on the suit. The case is ongoing, with a complaint, case filing and corporate disclosure statement filed on 19 February.
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