Following Activision's filing of a pre-emptive lawsuit last week – asking a judge to
dismiss guitar-maker Gibson's Guitar Hero patent claim and later
saying it had "no merit" – and then Gibson's
lawsuit against major retailers selling the game, Gibson has now filed a patent infringement lawsuit against ... well, not Activision. No, Gibson has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against former
Guitar Hero developer Harmonix; Harmonix's parent company's parent company, Viacom; and Rock Band publisher and all around
Guitar Hero-less innocent bystander Electronic Arts.
Gibson is claiming the aforementioned companies violate their
1999 patent covering "a system for electronically simulating participation by a user in a pre-recorded musical performance." For their money – even though they're not the ones being sued – Activision claims that "by waiting three years to raise its claim, Gibson had granted an implied license for any technology." Regardless of the outcome or the number of Gibson-branded plastic guitars out there, we suspect it won't be getting a fruit basket from the video game industry this holiday.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hlbNfU4n3g
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Guess I'll stop playing it when I get my new guitar.
The only reasoning I can see here is that Gibson's keeping their partnership with the Guitar Hero franchise safe, while still looking to cash in on a patent that they neglected to bring up when the original Guitar Hero game was made.
I'm not going to say I know a thing about legal matters like this, but imo they should have said something earlier (i.e. GH1 or 2) or they should not be able to sue for video games.
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Good luck with that!
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I had a soft spot in my heart for Gibson gear which has now been replaced by a rabid hedgehog. Turns out they're just another evil corporation out to claim bullshit IP and patent rights instead of creating real innovation of their own.
I can't see this ending well for them...
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Soz ard.
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Sure, I lost my right leg and can't sleep comfortably any more, but at least I fought in a real war, unlike you pansies!
(Yes, I'm being sarcastic. I wish the "lawl go play a real guitar noob" crowd would kindly stop trolling anything even remotely related to GH or RB.)
BTW that argument doesn't hold up, soz.
Even the best Guitarists started slow, likely many hours before they had at least ten chords figured out, more than that before scales were easily accomplishable. To play a Guitar is an intimidating challenge. You can be proud of that, you met the challenge and can now play Bon Jovi for the weepy fat bitch at your frats kegger, hooray you.
But for most people who play Guitar Hero, they open the box, plug it in, and within 5 minutes are having a musical experience that is likely as far as they ever wanted to take the fantasy regardless. They enjoy playing the game and at the end of this time, they don't feel the need to wander over www.ultimate-guitar.com's message boards talking about all those losers who play real guitars. Only prats like yourself enjoy that past time, go fig... guv'ner.
Oh and to learn a beautiful musical instrument or to get a highscore in a limited game (lol - South Parks Guitar Queero episode, they hit the nail on the head there) that bears nothing to playing a guitar in real life.
By all means go out and learn how to shoot a gun. Maybe Yanks could do with that so they're taught how to respect the gun and not go on another killing spree.
Oh and Myspace? Do people still even use that?
Still amazed that people can draw parallel to learning an instrument and wanting to go out and kill people. Not a good reflection on game players to have such narrow vision really.
Amazing, Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi's guitarist, is a classically trained guitarist too. And he knows twelves different instruments, and yet he's not a prat. Nice how that works out... some people are pretentious bastards, others avoid that pitfall.
"Oh and to learn a beautiful musical instrument or to get a highscore in a limited game (lol - South Parks Guitar Queero episode, they hit the nail on the head there) that bears nothing to playing a guitar in real life."
Amazing. Most guitar hero players don't WANT to learn an instrument. This is the point we're trying to get across to you. Guitar Hero is not a simulator in any way, shape, or form. In fact, it doesn't even try to be that with the whole scores and stuff. It is a game, period. Everyone who plays Risk isn't training to be a general, everyone who plays Monopoly isn't researching a career in real estate, and everyone playing Win, lose, or Draw isn't investing in a professional artist career. They are playing games. Nothing more or less.
But then there are, frankly speaking, spastics like yourself that somehow feel threatened by this game. And yes, I do say threatened because, truth be told, if you were a real musician firmly rooted in your skills and confident, this wouldn't even be an issue. How do I know? My father has played guitar his entire life. I'm proficient at synth software and electronica as well as turntables. I know several people in bands locally and a few that have gone on decent careers. And among this group, not a single one feels the need to shit on it's players. Many even own the game and play the hell out of it.
It's just people like you who somehow fear Guitar Hero will cut into your trim that feels the need to bash it and it's players constantly.
No, I don't keep up on other musicians. I don't really care for most music so I don't know about Bon thingies guitarist. Should I?
And I'm not worried either. Infact it's hopefully pulling more people from playing a real guitar (the weaker players at least) into playing a toy. The less guitarists out there the better it is for us good ones. Lights in fog and all that.
I just really enjoy looking down at them specific people. If you were a "real" Guitar Hero then you wouldn't mind my comments as you just do what makes you happy. But alas you seem to want to try and defend the rights of these toy playing kids.
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Seems a little late to be calling in their patent. Plus, it doesn't really have any ties with the actual guitar I do not think.
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1. Guitar Hero has been on the market for nearly 4 years now, and they didn't say a damn word until now. Why?
2. Gibson willingly partnered with, and sponsored Guitar Hero 2 and 3, only to suddenly realize that they had a "patent" on the game 2 years later?
These guys are morons, and are only going to damage their reputation in the industry. Don't want to play nice Gibson? That's fine. I'm sure the folks at Fender, Ibanez, etc. will be more than happy to sponsor a Guitar Hero game and pickup right where you left off. Your name not being on a guitar will effect sales in no way at all.
Idiots.
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Cooperate and reap the benefits, or try to grab money by suing, pissing off the industry and its communities.
You fail, Gibson. Hard.
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"*All guitar models, marks, logos etc provided courtesy of Gibson Instruments. USED with PERMISSION."
Caps-ed out just like that, too. I hope someone has a paper trail, one way or the other.
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