The ongoing dispute between SHFL entertainment and LT Games owner Jay Chun over the intellectual property rights to electronic table games in Macau got even more heated last month. A SHFL appeal was denied by a Macau court, and the company’s future course in Macau is uncertain.
At last year’s G2E Asia, LT Games complained to Macau customs officers, who forced SHFL to cover the games with sheets while the conflict was being resolved. With the decision of the Court of Second Instance, striking down SHFL’s appeal on the matter, it appears the dispute will continue.
The court ruled that the Asian subsidiary of SHFL entertainment was registered in Macau as a retailer and distributor but not as a manufacturer, and therefore the company’s claim that it was “directly and effectively harmed” by the government’s recognition of Chun’s patents was dismissed.
LT Games’ patent for the device was filed before SHFL’s, but SHFL was clearly selling and manufacturing the device prior to LT Games’ patent application. The conflict will continue.
