Guitar Hero in 2 court cases
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Guitar Hero in 2 court cases
p2pnet news | Games:- Guitar Hero and Activision are seeing a lot of action in US courts.
In one case, developer Harmonix Music System, owned by Viacom, filed and, in less than 24 hours, withdrew a $14.5 million breach-of-contract claim against rival Activision Publishing.
The two, “had been in talks to settle their issues and thus avoid litigation in the days before the suit was filed in a Los Angeles County Superior Court,” continues Dow Jones.
“By withdrawing the suit, we can continue discussions with Viacom about claims each party may have,” it has Activision saying.
In the second, “Activision Inc. has sued Gibson Guitar Corp., saying its popular video game ‘Guitar Hero’ doesn’t infringe on a Gibson patent,” the Wall Street Journal.
The lawsuit, filed yesterday in Los Angeles, “asks the court to declare the video game doesn’t infringe on the Nashville, Tenn., musical instrument maker’s patent for a “system and method for generating and controlling a simulated musical concert experience” and that Gibson’s patent is invalid, says the story, going on:
” ‘Despite being aware of the Guitar Hero game for many years, Gibson has encouraged Activision to manufacture and sell devices it now alleges infringe’ the patent, the lawsuit said.”
The claim says Gibson told Activision in January it believed Guitar Hero software and its guitar-shaped controller, “were covered by Gibson’s patent”.
Gibson wanted Activision to obtain a license under the patent, “or stop sales of the game, according to the lawsuit,” says the WSJ, adding:
“Activision already licenses Gibson’s trademark rights in association with the Guitar Hero Les Paul controller, according to the letter.
“The Santa Monica, Calif., video game maker ultimately decided it didn’t want or need a license under Gibson’s patent and informed Gibson in a letter Monday that it did not infringe on the patent, according to the lawsuit.”
Bo DiddleyIn December last year a Canadian father sold his copy of Guitar Hero online for close to $10,000.
He’d bought the game for his 15-year-old son but after catching him smoking marijuana, “decided to punish his son by selling the popular and hard-to-find Guitar Hero III videogame he had bought him for Christmas for $90 on the auction site where an Australian buyer bid $9,100″.
In another incident, Rock band the Romantics sued Activision Publishing over its Guitar Hero.
The game’s version of What I Like About You sounded too much like them, said the Romantics.
“If the Romantics win on this one, then George Thorogood owes Bo Diddley every cent he ever made,” said entertainment lawyer and p2pnet contributor Fred Wilhelms.
“And I don’t say that as a bad thing.”
[NOTE - p2pnet is running a special reader’s survey. It only takes 20-30 seconds and it’d be a huge help if you’d fill it in. Please click here. Cheers! And thanks … Jon]
Also See:
Dow Jones - Viacom Files Then Withdraws Suit Against Rival Activision, March 12, 2008
Wall Street Journal - Activision Sues Gibson Guitar Over ‘Hero’, March 12, 2008
smoking marijuana - Guitar Hero vs Mary Jane, December 18, 2007
too much like them - The Romantics vs Guitar Hero, November 22, 2007
every cent he ever made - Romantics vs Guitar Hero: II, November 27, 2007
Los Angeles Times - , September , 2008
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October 20th, 2004 at 5:29 pm
yooo