Mar
13
Like many heroes, Guitar Hero in trouble
Posted by Dirk Avery at 11:32 am under Litigation, Patent, Video games.
Gibson Guitar, the famous maker of “real” guitars, is seeking an injunction against Activision which would prevent further sales of the popular Guitar Hero game. Gibson, which holds some 52 utility patents issued since 1976, has a patent (US Pat No. 5,990,405) on a “System and method for generating and controlling a simulated musical concert experience.” After Activision refused to license the patent, Gibson brought suit. Fortunately for my wife, a Guitar Hero fan, eBay would make an injunction less likely. Activision, perhaps wanting to avoid an invalid light being cast on its own related patents, appears to be claiming in response that it does not infringe rather than that the patent is invalid. The Wall Street Journal’s Chad Bray has more.
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