“Guitar hero” : Licensed rights in harmony ?

2008-01-01

”
GUITARHERO”:LICENSEDRIGHTSINHARMONY?

MARIE-ÈVECOTE*
LEGER
ROBICRICHARD,LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

GUITARHEROisaverypopularvideogamewithteensandmusicfans.Thisgame
isplayedwithagamepadintheshapeofaguitarwhichispluggeddirectlyintoa
console(PLAYSTATIONorotherequivalents)andthegoalistoreproducethe
notesandchordspresentedonthescreen.Moreover,thegameenthusiastschoose
theircharactersandperformindifferentvirtualconcerthalls.
ThedifferentguitarswhichactasgamepadsarereplicasoftheGibsonguitar
models.TousethesemodelsandtheGIBSONtrademarks,thecompany
responsibleforthemarketingofthegame,Activision(hereinafter”GuitarHero”)had
toobtainlicencerightsfromGibsonGuitarInc.(hereinafter”Gibson”).
Regardlessofthesegrantedrights,lastJanuary,intheUnitedStates,Gibson
allegedthatthemakingandmarketingofthevideogameGUITARHEROinfringes
oneofitspatentsissuedin1999.Assuch,GuitarHerowouldbecontraveningthe
rightsofGibsonbyexploitingarightthatisnotcoveredbythecontractual
relationshipbetweenthetwoparties.Consequently,GibsonprovidedGuitarHero
withaformalnoticeurgingGuitarHerotolegallyobtainthelicencerightsfor
exploitingthepatent.Ifthenoticewasnotcompliedwith,Gibsonwouldsummon
GuitarHerotoceaseallsalesofthevideogame.
Inresponsetothisformalnotice,GuitarHerodirectlyaddressedtheCourt(in
California)inordertoclaiminvalidationoftheGibsonpatent.Moreover,GuitarHero
claimedthatbyhavingwaitedmorethanthreeyearsafterthelicenceonother
aspectsofthegame(modelsandtrademarks)hadbeengranted,animplicitlicence
wasconferredbyGibsontoGuitarHeroforuseofthepatent.
Inturn,Gibsoninstitutedproceedingsagainstsomeofthemostimportantretailers
ofthevideogame,includingWAL-MART,TARGET,K-MARTandTOYS”R”US(to
nameonlyafew)allegingthattheseretailerssoldproductswhichviolatedtheir
patent.Gibsondidnotstopthere.ItalsofiledsuitagainstHarmonixwhichhad

©CIPS,2008.*WithLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP.amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-
markAgents.PublishedintheSummer2008Newsletterofthefirm(Vol.12,No.2).Publication
068.091.

2
originallydevelopedthegameGUITARHEROandhadsolditsrightstoGuitarHero.
Thissuitiscurrentlybeingsettled.

3
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdela
propriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielset
modèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationet
appellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droits
voisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;
biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsde
commerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsde
technologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérification
diligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademark
agentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofall
fieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;
trademarks,certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightand
entertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,
softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsand
plantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,
franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusiness
law;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELA
PLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOURIDEASTO
THEWORLD