MusicGames
New Case: Guitar Apprentice v. Ubisoft
Case Update: July 2012: On July 5, Guitar Apprentice filed a notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice that has ended litigation started earlier in April. An order of dismissal was signed by…
Case Update: Harmonix v. Konami close to settlement
Well it looks like one of the two Harmonix/Konami cases might be settling. In Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. v Konami Digital Entertainment Co, Ltd., civil action 1:09-cv-10206 (D.Mass), the parties on June…
Case Update: Konami and Harmonix AGREE on something!
In an interesting development in the ongoing dispute between Harmonix and Konami over the hammer-on technology in the Rock Band/Guitar Hero games, they have filed a JOINT motion to stay proceedings: Date…
Case Update: No Doubt v. Activision Publishing Inc.
Activision has responded in federal court to a lawsuit originally filed in California state court by No Doubt over Activision’s use of the band’s likeness in “Band Hero.” According to Activision, the…
Back on Stage in the Guitar Hero/Gibson Suit?
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., along with a host of game retailers, is asking a court in Tennessee to resume proceedings in a patent suit brought by Gibson Guitar Corporation over the “Guitar…
CASE SETTLED: Activision v. Gibson [P]
Not surprising in view of the court’s claim construction that heavily favored Activision, it appears that Gibson and Activision have settled this case. Judge Pfaelzer of the District Court for the Central…
Case: Harmonix v. Konami (Mass.)
Harmonix and Viacom jointly filed suit in the District of Massachusetts against Konami for patent infringement. The lawsuit alleges Konami’s “ROCK REVOLUTION” video game infringes U.S. Pat. No., 7,459,624 entitled “Game controller…
News: Guitar Hero/Rock Band for a REAL guitar
You know, I’ve been waiting for over a year since I first heard about Guitar Rising, a Guitar Hero style video game that you can play with a REAL guitar. It seems…
Case Update: Activision v. Gibson – Claim Construction
As previously reported, Gibson asserts that Activision’s Guitar Hero franchise infringes on some Gibson patents. Gibson’s patent claims a “musical instrument” that produces an “instrument audio signal.” Naturally, in view of Guitar…
News: Konami sues Viacom over Rock Band
Konami Digital Entertainment Co. v. Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. No. 6:08-CV-286, (E.D. Tx, Filed July 9, 2008) Summary by Steve Chang, Esq. If you build it, they will come. The tagline from…
Case: Romantics v. Activision (E.D.Mich) – Publicity
The re-performance of a song for use in a video game pursuant to a non-exclusive synchronization license does not, without more, violate the original artists’ right of publicity, even if the artists…