Konami Sues Over Rock Band Instruments

Video game developer Konami has filed a patent infringement suit against Rock Band developer Harmonix—along with publishers Viacom and MTV—alleging the video game violates three Konami patents (6,390,923 6,425,822, and 6,645,067) covering “simulated musical instruments.” The suit has been filed in the patent-friendly U.S. District Court for the Eastern division of Texas. Konami’s patents involve game controllers and apparatus that bear more than a passing resemblance to those used in Rock Band, although Harmonix also seems to claim to have patents on the game’s controller technology.

The lawsuit follows a similar claim from real music instrument maker Gibson, saying Guitar Hero (and Rock Band) violate a patent it holds on simulated concert experiences that enable users to participate or play along with a musical performance. But while Gibson’s patent describes a virtual reality 3D headset gizmo, Konami’s patents actually specify devices much like Rock Band controllers.

Guitar Hero publisher Activision actually cites three Konami patents in relation to its games, and is not currently the subject of any related litigation from Konami.