RSS RSS Twitter Twitter
electronista

03/12/2008, 4:45pm, EDT

Wednesday, March 12th

Gibson: 'Guitar Hero' maker violating patent

Activision's popular Guitar Hero rhythm games are breaking the law, charges legendary guitar maker Gibson. The company has publicly accused Activision of infringing on a patent from 1999, which involves technology simulating a musical performance; in Guitar Hero, one or two players strum along on a simplified guitar, in time to on-screen notes. Reuters notes that Activision denies any wrongdoing, and is in fact asking the US District Court for Central California to render Gibson's patent invalid.

The conflict represents an unusual turn for Gibson, as it previously appeared to have a friendly relationship with Activision; its products can be found in the series, and the Wii, Xbox and PlayStation controllers for Guitar Hero III are all modeled after one of Gibson's signature instruments, the Les Paul.


Filed under: industry, gaming
Other story tags: music, patents, Activision, Gibson

, , 4comments, del.icio.us, slashdot, digg, buzz , Twitter
4 comments
Reader Reactions (Please use <i></i> for italic text)

subscribe to comments
for this article




Expand All   Global Settings
Why I want a Fender!
0
03/12, 4:56pm, EDT
All the more reason for a Fender Strat or Jazz Bass controller!
i think
0
03/12, 5:55pm, EDT
playing air guitar on a toy far precedes the filing of Gibon's patent...
Mac Elite
Joined May 2001
User is offline
It's just a video game
0
04/16, 3:41pm, EDT
just because the controller looks a little like a guitar, it's just a musical version of whack-a-mole.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Apr 2008
User is offline
Your Comments

In order to post comments: If you are a registered member, please login with your MacNN Forums username and password otherwise please uncheck the checkbox below.


Registered Member?
macnn forums login:

macnn forums password:

Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.

www.cashforiphones.com - Sell your iPhone or iPod today! Get an instant online quote. Top cash, FREE shipping.

Internet Marketing School - 100% Online: Master SEO, SEM, E Commerce, Media & More with a U of San Francisco Certificate.

Buy from The Apple Store, iTunes.com, Amazon.com, TechDepot, OfficeDepot, Computers4Sure, or donate.