After going after one guitar-playing videogame, Gibson Guitar Corp. has filed a federal patent-infringement lawsuit against the other big game in the space by suing the creator and publisher of “Rock Band.” Gibson sued Viacom Inc. units Harmonix Music Systems and MTV Networks and Electronic Arts Inc. in Tennessee days after suing six retailers — including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. — that sell the blockbuster Activision Inc. game “Guitar Hero.” Harmonix developed “Guitar Hero” but broke away from the brand after the game’s publisher and rights owner was acquired by Activision. Viacom’s MTV then bought Harmonix, seeing in the deal a way to blend its legacy in the music industry with videogames, a form of entertainment its young viewers are highly savvy about. Earlier this month, Activision filed a federal lawsuit asking that a Gibson patent be declared invalid and “Guitar Hero” be ruled as non-patent infringing. Gibson alleges “Guitar Hero” too closely matches a musical virtual-reality patent from 1999.
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After going after one guitar-playing videogame, Gibson Guitar Corp. has filed a federal patent-infringement lawsuit against the other big game in the space by suing the creator and publisher of “Rock Band.” Gibson sued 
