Harmonix sues over Rock Revolution

Last year, Konami filed suit against Harmonix and MTV Games parent company Viacom, saying the group's Rock Band violated patents it held for "simulated musical instruments" and "musical rhythm-matching" games. This week, it's Harmonix and Viacom on the offensive, as the pair have filed suit against Konami in Massachusetts District Court over the company's Rock Revolution game.

As reported by Bloomberg, the suit alleges that Rock Revolution violates a Viacom and Harmonix patent for a "game controller simulating a musical instrument." The suit does not go into any greater detail about the violation, but asks a court to stop all sales and importation of Rock Revolution and award Viacom damages and attorneys' fees.

Although 2008's Rock Revolution arrived a bit late to the current trend of musical games, Konami was a pioneer in the field of rhythm games requiring pricey peripherals. The publisher has enjoyed success in Japan for over a decade with its Bemani line of music games, like Beatmania, DrumMania, and Guitar Freaks.