Konami sues Viacom over Rock Band

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Jul 10, 2008 10:22 pm PT

[UPDATE] Japanese publisher claims Harmonix-developed multi-instrument hit violated its "musical rhythm-matching game" patents, reports Bloomberg; MTV responds.

Nearly a decade ago, Konami released the first installments in the DrumMania and Guitar Freaks series, which used drum and guitar peripherals. Though neither franchise was a huge hit, the Japanese publisher did sell millions of its dozen-plus Karaoke Revolution games worldwide.

Given Konami's primogeniture in the instrument and karaoke genres, the publisher was likely none too happy when developer Harmonix combined drums, guitars, and singing into one game--Rock Band. Since its release last November, the MTV Games-published, Electronic Arts-distributed title has sold more than 3 million $179 bundles and more than 10 million song downloads. MTV's parent, Viacom, went as far as to name-check the game in its annual earnings report in May, crediting it with increased profits.

Now, it appears Konami is expressing its displeasure in legal form. According to a report on the Bloomberg news service, this week the Japanese publisher filed suit in a Marshall, Texas, court against Harmonix, MTV Networks, and Viacom. Its suit claims that Rock Band violates a series of US Patents registered in 2002 and 2003 relating to "simulated musical instruments" and "musical rhythm-matching game."

Bloomberg's report did not outline what Konami wanted in terms of compensation from the suit. However, the legal action's timing comes shortly after the announcement of Rock Band 2 and Rock Band: Japan as well as the release of Rock Band: Special Edition for the Wii. It also comes less than two months after Konami announced its own peripheral-based, guitar-drum-vocal title, Rock Revolution, due out later this year.

[UPDATE] Unsurprisingly, MTV Games and Harmonix will not be taking the suit lying down. "Konami's actions are extremely surprising," an MTV representative told the company's Multiplayer gaming blog. "Unfortunately, successful products such as Rock Band can often become targets for baseless litigation. We have substantial defenses to this claim and intend to vigorously defend it."

316 Comments

  • nintendoboy16

    Posted Jan 25, 2009 9:13 pm PT

    @ASG

    Because according to pdilly3, Activision had an agreement with Konami to ensure Guitar Hero dosen't share Rock Band's fate.

  • ASG_

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 8:18 am PT

    Why don't they sue Activision too? -_-

  • Eric_Drav3n

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 5:48 am PT

    If this is true then Konami really dissapoint me, I always thought they were a great company but this just sucks, go make new games instead of waste time on this

  • alifoxey2

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 8:28 pm PT

    Konami is a great company you guys don't know what you are talking about. What you guys are basically saying is, for example, if you just copy and paste a report from the internet and then change some of the words and then claim it as your own. Furthermore blacksparrow15 what do you mean by crap? The game guitar freaks was a great game and even today Konami still makes great games (MGS,PES,DDR, Zone of the Enders, Silent Hill, Castlevania, etc.) Unless you are an ignorant gamer then you these aren't "crap."

  • blacksparrow15

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 7:26 pm PT

    We gamers are the one who should sue Konami for putting this kind of crap in our respected stores, Gamestop, and Wal-Mart and Best Buy and such.

  • gnutux

    Posted Sep 29, 2008 9:53 pm PT

    now if Konami just make even DDR better, then it can sue all it wants to. I wouldn't care.

  • joshboy101

    Posted Sep 29, 2008 7:17 pm PT

    I'm begining to really hate Konami! THEY ARE A SMALL COMPANY THAT LIKES TO SUE PEOPLE BECAUSE ITS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN GET MONEY!
    They have already sued activation's in the groove which was a lot better than ddr and now there sueing ROCKBAND!
    WHAT THE HECK!

  • joshboy101

    Posted Sep 29, 2008 7:17 pm PT

    I'm begining to really hate Konami! THEY ARE A SMALL COMPANY THAT LIKES TO SUE PEOPLE BECAUSE ITS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN GET MONEY!
    They have already sued activation's in the groove which was a lot better than ddr and now there sueing ROCKBAND!
    WHAT THE HECK!

  • MastirOfPuppets

    Posted Sep 29, 2008 6:09 pm PT

    Sleep in Alucard.

  • Valo_Skater

    Posted Sep 29, 2008 5:03 pm PT

    notice how people start suing once the franchise go's big.

  • pokerguy94

    Posted Sep 27, 2008 3:48 pm PT

    That's a great philosophy, if someone else can make a better game than you can sue them! God I hate this planet.

  • bestbuy319

    Posted Sep 26, 2008 7:56 am PT

    what else are the Japanese going to do god knows they cant make good games any more so they will just sue good developers.

  • DarthEthong467

    Posted Aug 26, 2008 1:56 pm PT

    Face it Konami, you suck! If you couldn't get it right than stop whining! Sore-losers...

  • Fooglewasp

    Posted Aug 23, 2008 5:44 pm PT

    Rock Band, Viacom, EA, Harmonix>Konami

  • ohjtbehaaave

    Posted Aug 22, 2008 6:22 pm PT

    You snooze you lose Konami. Now STFU!

  • Dreamerdude26

    Posted Jul 26, 2008 12:29 am PT

    I think that Konami is just mad because most of their games didn't sell very well but someone else created something that has similar but not identical instruments that has sold extremely well. Why didn't they bring this suit into play while the game was being developed? Obviously they just wont some more green.

  • BIFFAR posted Jul 20, 2008 6:00 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    BIFFAR

    Posted Jul 20, 2008 6:00 pm PT (hide)

    Im with konami on this one. They have every right to defend what they created with all these imitation guitar/band games.

  • BRINCA

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 1:39 am PT

    For all the people who keep saying why now or anything else like that do you think most gaming companies care about us no they just want our money or any money at all so stop blaming konami for anything they just want money like all gaming companies.

  • pdilly3

    Posted Jul 15, 2008 12:42 am PT

    For those unaware:

    From Dictionary.com - PATENT: the exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years. Wikipedia - "A patent provides the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, offering for sale, or importing the patented invention for the term of the patent, which is usually 20 years from the filing date."

    Konami
    A. Has (and had) no obligation to file this quickly. They did so when they were ready.
    B. Have every right to protect such inventions that they were granted rights to by the US government.

    Activision was smart enough to get an agreement in place with Konami; as such there should be some validity to their patent ownership, else Activision would have ignored it as well.

    let the flames begin...

  • BrushedMetal

    Posted Jul 14, 2008 10:44 pm PT

    I dont think GuitarFreaks was the greatest name in the world for a rhythum game. Guitar Hero and Rock Band just has a better presentation and songs. And the develepers for GH and RB also have inspiration and perserverance to make these great games.

    I dont know if this makes sense to everybody but its just my opinions

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