Topic: Konami Sues Viacom and Harmonix Over Patents and Rock Band

[NWR_Neal]

Konami claims that their patents regarding some of their rhythm games are infringed by Rock Band's instruments. Harmonix responds by calling it "baseless litigation."
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16347

 Konami Corp. is suing Viacom Inc.'s Harmonix because, according to Konami, Harmonix's Rock Band game and instruments break patents that Konami filed in 2002 and 2003 for the games Guitar Freaks, Drummania, and Pop'n Music. Konami is demanding cash compensation and an order that would block the three named companies, Viacom, Harmonix, and MTV Games, from using their peripherals and game.    

MTV and Harmonix http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1590762/20080711/id_0.jhtml ">responded the next day and said that their successful product is an apt target for "baseless litigation." They followed that statement up by saying that they "have substantial defenses to this claim and intend to vigorously defend it."    

The official case designation is Konami Digital Entertainment Co. v. Harmonix Music Systems Inc., 08cv286, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Marshall).

[Morari]

Took them long enough.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

The industry will sue itself into oblivion.

[King of Twitch]

More money for the lawyers, less money for developing ports!

[Morari]

I don't think Harmonix puts a lot of money into their ports to begin with. Zing!

[Ian Sane]

When the first Guitar Hero was getting all sorts of praise for being innovative I was pretty pissed off that Konami wasn't getting their due.  But where is Konami's competing product?  There isn't one.  I can't buy some American home version of Guitar Freaks and Drummania.  And if it existed would it have any music I would actually like?

Typically I would side with Konami.  They seem to be in the right.  But what do we get?  From the gamer perspective it seems like if Konami wins Rock Band 2 is canceled and Rock Band is yanked from stores.  Well that would be worse for us.  So Konami get off your butt and make your own game and then you can sue but Harmonix delivered a product people wanted while all you gave us were imported Japanese arcade machines.  You deserve the credit but right now Harmonix deserves the business.

[vudu]

But where is Konami's competing product?  There isn't one.  I can't buy some American home version of Guitar Freaks and Drummania.  ...  So Konami get off your butt and make your own game and then you can sue....

Apparently Ian slept through this announcement.  Konami is suing because they are coming out with their own competing product.

[Spak-Spang]

I think this is a lawsuit of convince.  Konami may be in the right, or they may be in the wrong.  I don't care...I hate lawsuits.

But to me, if Konami wanted to make an issue out of this they should have started by suing when the very first Guitar Hero game came out...or at least when the very first Rock Band came out.

Since it comes on the heals of Konami entering the arena of Home Market Band games, where 2 is already a crowd and 3 is insane...it just seems like too much.

It makes me wonder what Konami's real goal is.  Perhaps it is a desire to get Rock Band's instruments to work with their game...a sort of backwards compatibility issue...without having to pay royalties for it.  That would explain why Konami is going after Rock Band and not Guitar Hero...because it is the first on the market and the industry leader at this point. 

[UncleBob]

But to me, if Konami wanted to make an issue out of this they should have started by suing when the very first Guitar Hero game came out...

Apparently, according to what I've read elsewhere, Activision paid royalties on Guitar Hero to Konami.