Tag Archives: gibson

Ubisoft has announced bundles for Rocksmith, created via a partnership with Gibson, which will bundle Epiphone Les Paul Junior guitars with the game.

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An American court has dismissed a patent infringement case bought against Activision by guitar-maker Gibson.

Gibson alleged Guitar Hero’s mock guitars – modeled on Gibson guitars under license – infringed on a patent it registered in 1999 for “technology for simulating a musical performance.”

“No reasonable person of ordinary skill in the relevant arts would interpret the ’405 Patent as covering interactive video games,” wrote Judge Mariana R Pfaelzer in a ruling obtained by GameSpot.

“Gibson would have this Court determine that any device that controls something that produces musical sounds is covered by the ’405 Patent.”

The case was originally files last March.

This is going to be awesome. Not content with getting extremely legal on Harmonix’s behind over alleged patent infringement over Guitar Hero, guitar-maker Gibson is now suing EA over Rock Band.

EA now joins Harmonix, MTV and owner Viacom as being on the sharp end of Gibson’s legal wrath. According to Gibson, the companies have violated a 1999 patent for technology that simulates a concert performance via pre-recorded audio and a musical instrument.

Gibson also sued six retailers – GameStop, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Kmart – earlier this week for selling Guitar Hero.

EA must be pleased, although it wouldn’t be the harshest cynic to surmise that the challenge to Rock Band arriving after this claim from Activision wasn’t coincidence.

So that’s what happened. According to a statement issued by Activision today, Gibson allegedly only decided to sue the Guitar Hero-maker for patent infringement after is became clear that the two parties weren’t to continue with their business relationship. Gibson-branded guitars are included in Guitar Hero packs at the moment. Obviously not for much longer.

“As Activision noted in its filing, Gibson waited three years to make its patent allegations, and only did so after it became clear that Activision was not interested in renewing its marketing and support agreement with Gibson,” said the statement. “Activision continues to believe that Gibson’s claims are disingenuous and lack any justification.”

Full thing after the link.

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Wow. And we thought they were BFFs. Not only is Gibson suing Activision over a patent related to Guitar Hero III, but it’s undeterred by the fact the publisher’s asked a court to block the action and has said, in no uncertain terms, that it intends to get mediaeval on its maggot-farming ass.

Gibson, based in Nashville, issued a statement today saying that it “intends to vigorously defend its rights and to pursue any rights it may have against Activision and any other persons.”

What happened? Guitar Hero III ships with a controller based either on the Gibson Les Paul model guitar or on the Kramer Striker, which is also a Gibson brand, so it’s not as if the companies didn’t know what they were getting into.

Gibson’s complaint is related to the fact Guitar Hero III replicates musical performance, allegedly in contradiction to one of its patents. The guitar-maker is seeking make Activision take out a license to make the game or stop all sales.

Lovers’ tiffs are never pretty.