Professor Layton developer sued by Sega over soccer game mechanic

Sega is suing developer Level-5, best known for the Professor Layton puzzle games, for reported patent infringement of an in-game mechanic used in the studio's Inazuma Eleven Nintendo DS games, according to Yomiuri Online.

While details of Sega's exact complaint remain scant, the mechanic in question allows users to move characters in the game using their finger or stylus pen. The publisher is asking for sales of all eight Inazuma Eleven games to be stopped, in addition to demanding 900 million yen (roughly $11 million) in damages. Opening arguments began on Dec. 7.

Inazuma Eleven is an RPG soccer game and anime first launched to Japan in 2008. The series' popularity produced an anime tie-in as well as collectible card game.

We have contacted Sega for comment and will update when more information becomes available.