Gibson Accuses Guitar Hero of Patent Violation

robipilot writes "Video game publisher Activision Inc. has asked a federal court to declare that its popular "Guitar Hero" game does not violate a patent held by real-guitar maker Gibson Guitar Corp. Gibson's 1999 patent covers a virtual-reality device that included a headset with speakers that simulated participating in a concert, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday by Santa Monica, Calif.-based Activision in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles."

Too bad Gibson didn't do anything with it

[hcdejong]

If they had published a game and associated hardware, we could have been hacking the Gibson by now...

Re:Why did they wait this long?

[jfbilodeau]

(oups! s/Dibson/Gibson/)

Maybe I was mixing Dilbert and Gibson. :P

Re:Too bad Gibson didn't do anything with it

[Anonymous Coward]

More or Less Paul?

Re:Why did they wait this long?

[iknownuttin]

I mean, how long has Guitar Hero been around for anyways? ...I think I know the answer, and it pisses me off.

Gibson is run by really old guys. One day, one of them was being visited at their retirement home, where they run Gibson guitars from, by one of their college age great-grandchildren. He said great grandpa! I've been playing this awesome game called Guitar Hero! Grandpa put two and two together. He's seen the ads with that top hatted guy during TV night and was glad that he was playing a Gibson guitar. He realized it was one of the new fangled computer juke box thingys and immediately called his lawyer in the next room.

That's how it happened!

We're in real trouble

[SpaghettiPattern]

Before we know the next corporation patents "An imaginary environment for simulated participating in the act of making love".

Guys we're in real trouble here. We're all guilty. The young ones are particularly vounrable to offending the patent multiple times a day. (We older guys envy the young ones for the favorable frequency. But I digress.)

Re:From the patent..."audio" signal.

[BadAnalogyGuy]

A series of relatively simple buttons and switches does not constitute an instrument.

The makers of jugs [wikipedia.org] and washboards [wikipedia.org] would like to ask how you define a musical instrument.

Re:Crucify me, baby

[NCG_Mike]

"Saying this patent applies to Guitar Hero is like saying that milk is the same as beer. You can drink them both, but the experience is completely different." Not if you're a "Newcomer" in Alien Nation ;-)

Re:jealous much?

[morari]

The RIAA has a talent pool? Surprised me.

Re:Too bad Gibson didn't do anything with it

[muellerr1]

Would that make this guy [toolmonger.com] a Fender bender?

Re:Guitar hero needs to pay

[morari]

As if it matters what your fake guitar looks like...

Re:We don't want it

[10101001 10101001]

Companies wanted to buy licenses from SCO in the same way gansters want to run laundromats.

Re:Musical Instrument?

[Darby]

I think they would be hard pressed to convince anyone that the junky plastic toy used in GH is comparable to a Les Paul...

Although I would find it totally amusing to watch *Gibson's* lawyers try and convince a court that they are comparable.