Activision's 'Guitar Hero' violates patent-Gibson

**nekrosoft13** · 03-13-08, 04:35 PM

SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES, March 12 (Reuters) - Gibson Guitar Inc has told Activision Inc (ATVI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) that its wildly popular "Guitar Hero" video games infringe one of Gibson's patents, and Activision has asked a U.S. court to find the claim invalid.

Gibson said the games, in which players press buttons on a guitar-shaped controller in time with notes on a TV screen, violates a 1999 patent for technology to simulate a musical performance.

On Tuesday, Activision filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for Central California to declare Gibson's patent invalid and to bar it from seeking damages.

Gibson made its claims in a letter sent to Activision in January, a copy of which was included in Activision's lawsuit.

Activision shares closed down 1.14 percent at $26.82 on Nasdaq on Wednesday.

The "Guitar Hero" series has sold more than 14 million units in North America and raked in more than $1 billion since its 2005 debut.

Gibson, whose electric guitars are used by legendary blues and rock artists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Slash, has been a high-profile partner in the "Guitar Hero" games, with Activision licensing the rights to model its controllers on Gibson guitar models and to use their likenesses in the game.

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssT...BrandChannel=0

**crainger** · 03-13-08, 05:19 PM

So they licence their designs to the game, then turn around 3 years later and claim the game was actually their idea??

GTFO!

MustangSVT · 03-13-08, 05:56 PM

What about guitarfreaks and guitarmania that came before Guitar Hero?

**crainger** · 03-13-08, 07:33 PM

They doesn't have enough cash to try and steal?

ViN86 · 03-13-08, 08:09 PM

sounds like a desperate patent claim imo

**crainger** · 03-14-08, 05:47 AM

crainger fail grammah!

Tygerwoody · 03-14-08, 08:00 AM

This news is rediculous. Gibson has more money than God. They don't need to be pulling stunts like this. The only thing I can see coming out of this lawsuit is Gibson losing popularity and reputation. I love a Gibson guitar, but I will not support a company that pulls acts like this. Its just dirty.

03-13-08, 04:35 PM	#1
nekrosoft13 I'm Geralt Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Chicagoland, once a year in Poland Posts: 24,364	Activision's 'Guitar Hero' violates patent-Gibson SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES, March 12 (Reuters) - Gibson Guitar Inc has told Activision Inc (ATVI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) that its wildly popular "Guitar Hero" video games infringe one of Gibson's patents, and Activision has asked a U.S. court to find the claim invalid. Gibson said the games, in which players press buttons on a guitar-shaped controller in time with notes on a TV screen, violates a 1999 patent for technology to simulate a musical performance. On Tuesday, Activision filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for Central California to declare Gibson's patent invalid and to bar it from seeking damages. Gibson made its claims in a letter sent to Activision in January, a copy of which was included in Activision's lawsuit. Activision shares closed down 1.14 percent at $26.82 on Nasdaq on Wednesday. The "Guitar Hero" series has sold more than 14 million units in North America and raked in more than $1 billion since its 2005 debut. Gibson, whose electric guitars are used by legendary blues and rock artists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Slash, has been a high-profile partner in the "Guitar Hero" games, with Activision licensing the rights to model its controllers on Gibson guitar models and to use their likenesses in the game. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssT...BrandChannel=0 __________________ Windows 8 the next big failure, right after Windows ME

03-13-08, 05:19 PM	#2
crainger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Posts: 29,535	Re: Activision's 'Guitar Hero' violates patent-Gibson So they licence their designs to the game, then turn around 3 years later and claim the game was actually their idea?? GTFO!

03-13-08, 05:56 PM	#3
MustangSVT Stop looking at me Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 1,602	Re: Activision's 'Guitar Hero' violates patent-Gibson What about guitarfreaks and guitarmania that came before Guitar Hero? __________________ 1. Q6600 @ 3.2, ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo, Powercolor HD 4890 CrossFire, 4GB Mushkin DDR2-1066, 3x 24" LCD, Matrox TripleHead2Go, Audigy 2 ZS 2. Q9550 @ 3.7, ASUS P5K, Galaxy 8800GT G92, 2GB Mushkin DDR2-1066, Samsung 710N + Samsung 205BW, Audigy 2 + SB Live! 5.1 (hooked up together, really), dad's comp 3. XP-M 2500+ @ 205x11.5, Gigabyte nForce2-400, GeForce4 Ti4200, 2x512MB OCZ DDR-400 "Premier", oldie

03-13-08, 07:33 PM	#4
crainger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Posts: 29,535	Re: Activision's 'Guitar Hero' violates patent-Gibson They doesn't have enough cash to try and steal?

03-13-08, 08:09 PM	#5
ViN86 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 15,486	Re: Activision's 'Guitar Hero' violates patent-Gibson sounds like a desperate patent claim imo

03-14-08, 05:47 AM	#6
crainger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Posts: 29,535	Re: Activision's 'Guitar Hero' violates patent-Gibson crainger fail grammah!