AfterDawn: News

Konami sues over Rock Band patents

The publisher Konami has sued Harmonix, Viacom and MTV Networks over alleged patent infringements pertaining to the blockbuster game Rock Band.

Konami's patents were issued in 2002 and cover "simulated musical instruments and a musical-rhythm matching game".



The suit is asking for monetary compensation as well as an injunction blocking Harmonix and Viacom from using the instrument peripherals that are included in the game.

The popular video game, which sells for $150 USD in the States and GBP 180 in the UK has sold millions of copies and has seen over 15 million paid downloads from its online music store.

Konami recently announced "Rock Revolution" a music-based game centered around drumming, which is currently in production in the UK.

Rock Band has been so successful, that under terms of the company's acquisition by Viacom in 2006, Harmonix has earned over $200 million USD in bonuses.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 11 Jul 2008 14:57

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• 13 comments

• Pop_Smith

  I'll bet they wouldn't have said a thing about this patent if Rock Band didn't become as popular as it did.

  11.7.2008 15:15 #1

• ikari

  Originally posted by Pop_Smith: I'll bet they wouldn't have said a thing about this patent if Rock Band didn't become as popular as it did.Why would they, they wouldn't make any money that way. /rant
  
  I hate how the patent system works. However, with the exception of not having a system, I can't think of a good way to protect one's ideas.

  11.7.2008 15:40 #2

• Silo45

  Yawn...
  
  What about Pro 2009.

  11.7.2008 16:27 #3

• emugamer

  Am I wrong, but wasn't Harmonix doing this years before Rock Band hit?

  11.7.2008 16:56 #4

• Azuran

  Originally posted by emugamer: Am I wrong, but wasn't Harmonix doing this years before Rock Band hit?Your right harmonix has been in the rhythm game business for many years. Probably not as long as Konami, but long enough to make a lawsuit such as this seem a little fishy. I doubt it will hold up in court.

  11.7.2008 17:06 #5

• mrmarx

  good for Konami thats what Viaccom gets. They want to sue YouTube for copyright infringement and then spy on all the users accounts i hope they lose lol

  11.7.2008 19:53 #6

• o0cynix0o

  It seems to me that anyone can make a little scratch these days. Even if you don't invent or produce something. What a world we live in.

  12.7.2008 02:25 #7

• iluvendo

  Originally posted by mrmarx: good for Konami thats what Viaccom gets. They want to sue YouTube for copyright infringement and then spy on all the users accounts i hope they lose lol
  Karmic Fate ?
  

  If it wasnt for bad luck, Id have no luck!
  "The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
  Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

  12.7.2008 06:04 #8

• ceno82

  Harmonix came out with Frequency and Amplitude on the PS2 before the whole GH and then Rock Band craze that they started. Yeah that was a while ago, but Konami has them beat as to who did what first. Long before I even had a PS2, keep in mind Frequency was my first game, Konami had been putting out these kind of games in the arcades so I do see where Konami is coming from. Granted these games were out mostly in Japan, but some of their DJ game (totally forgetting the name.) arcade cabinets and even less of their drumming game made it here. This should prove to be an interesting court battle.

  12.7.2008 11:53 #9

• mgnicks

  Forget the infringement. The biggest issue if i am reading it right is why the hell the UK are paying £180 for it when in the US it sells for $150?
  
  What happened to currency conversion ?
  
  If i did read it wrong then please call me a dick and ignore my post : )

  12.7.2008 17:38 #10

• maitland

  Quote:Originally posted by Pop_Smith: I'll bet they wouldn't have said a thing about this patent if Rock Band didn't become as popular as it did.Why would they, they wouldn't make any money that way. /rant
  
  I hate how the patent system works. However, with the exception of not having a system, I can't think of a good way to protect one's ideas.yeah, the problem is the patent system mostly just protects corporations for which the actual inventors/innovators work, not the inventors innovators themselves.
  
  Simple solution: don't let corporations own patents.

  12.7.2008 19:48 #11

• FreqNasty

  Originally posted by mgnicks: Forget the infringement. The biggest issue if i am reading it right is why the hell the UK are paying £180 for it when in the US it sells for $150?
  
  What happened to currency conversion ?
  
  If i did read it wrong then please call me a dick and ignore my post : )I agree with you bud. Whoever sets prices outside North America should be SHOT!

  13.7.2008 03:24 #12

• 21Q

  Quote:Originally posted by mgnicks: Forget the infringement. The biggest issue if i am reading it right is why the hell the UK are paying £180 for it when in the US it sells for $150?
  
  What happened to currency conversion ?
  
  If i did read it wrong then please call me a dick and ignore my post : )I agree with you bud. Whoever sets prices outside North America should be SHOT!Geez thats more then twice the US price!
  
  INtesting to see this is, as I was never sure of who made what game. They should just all work together and make the ultimate rythem game, since drums and guitar are more of the same besides which company releases it. DDR is Konami, which did come out before Rockband, and since DDR is a rythem I think it is usable in court.

  14.7.2008 12:40 #13