Gibson Settles Another Music Game Patent Case

Viacom, Electronic Arts and the Rock Band franchise have settled a 2008 patent suit with Gibson Guitar Corp, and the parties will seek a dismissal. The guitar manufacturer had alleged that the Rock Band games which Viacom's Harmonix develops and EA distributes, violate its 1999 patent related to simulating rock concerts. Guitar Hero house Activision has also tangled with Gibson, which first tried to get the publisher to license its patent before warning of infringement, prompting Activision to complain. That dispute has since been settled. Terms of the settlement among Viacom, EA and Gibson weren't disclosed, according to Bloomberg's report. Notably, the patent at the core of Gibson's dispute with video game companies involves using real musical instruments in concert simulations. Gibson also has complaints pending against retailers who carried the games, including Target, Wal-Mart and Amazon, that have yet to be resolved.