Questions on Third Party Controllers

[Smash Kirby]

My question deals with the clone controllers for Nintendo systems. I was at a flea market retro game shop, and I was told by the person that Nintendo doesn't own the patent on the original controllers or consoles anymore and Hyperkin/Cirka bought the patents. I would like to know if this is actually true or BS? I could easily see buying the design from a Chinese fact, but Nintendo is still releasing actual GameCube controllers. When I brought up the Xbox duke controller, I was told by the person that MS didn't own the design on it anymore, but it beioryng officially licensed was just a formality. The clerk says it is easily accessible info, granted I haven't done much digging, but I thought I would've seen something about that here or at the old place before the migration away from there. I see these controllers on Amazon, and they look almost identical to the actual controller, but do not have the same weight and feel of the Original Nintendo or even the later Nintendo re-releases.

 

[Symphony]

Patents expire after 20 years, so companies can start cloning the designs (as long as they aren't using anything protected, like the Nintendo logo etc.) after that much time has passed. It's why we're on the cusp of seeing the N64 in the various FPGA and emulation based retro systems (I remember reading they filed the patent in 2001?). The Duke controller should still be legally off limits, along with the GC controller.