Gibson Guitar says ＂Guitar Hero＂ infringes patent

BEIJING, March 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Gibson Guitar Inc. has informed Activision Inc. its popular "Guitar Hero" video games infringe one of the guitar maker's patents, and Activision responded by asking a U.S. court to find the claim invalid.

Gibson said the games, in which players press buttons on a guitar-shaped controller in time with notes on a TV screen, violates a 1999 patent for technology to simulate a musical performance.

On Tuesday, Activision filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for Central California to declare Gibson's patent invalid and to bar it from seeking damages.

Gibson made its claims in a letter sent to Activision in January, a copy of which was included in Activision's lawsuit.

The "Guitar Hero" series has sold more than 14 million units in North America and garnered more than 1 billion U.S. dollars since its 2005 debut.

Gibson, whose electric guitars are used by legendary blues and rock artists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Slash, has been a high-profile partner in the "Guitar Hero" games, with Activision licensing the rights to model its controllers on Gibson guitar models and to use their likenesses in the game.

"Gibson is a good partner, and we have a great deal of respect for them. We disagree with the applicability of their patent and would like a legal determination on this," Activision general counsel George Rose said in a statement.

A copy of Gibson's patent included in the court filing showed a method for simulating a live performance using a musical instrument, a 3D headset with stereo speakers, and a pre-recorded concert.