RedOctane sues guitar manufacturer

[GoPodular.com]

Guitar Hero publisher and parent company Activision bring legal action to bear against the maker of an unlicensed line of controllers for the popular game.

Anyone familiar with "Ant Commando" controllers?

[elvis]

It's amazing how childish some companies will act in the face of fair competition.

It seems to be a standard these days: if you can't beat someone in a fair market, drown them in a sea of legal bills until they give up and go away.

Have a look at the guitars on offer:
http://www.theguitarmania.com/servlet/StoreFront

Do they look like the RedOctane units?  Do they even mention any RedOctane products?  No.

Shocking behaviour on RedOctane's behalf.  Competition exists in every marketplace, and it's a normal and healthy thing.  Grow up and get over it.

[SithMaster]

i want the black one but its not wireless darn.

they are suing ant commando for what they have been doing to everyone else.  they are even being sued by konami.

[elvis]

I'm so happy I don't live in a country with a rediculously shallow legal system and arse-backwards patent office.

Although it looks like our government is stupid enough to accept the DMCA, so it could all go downhill from here very quickly.  Time to migrate to France methinks.

[shmokes]

Yeah, I think copyright and patent law are terrible in this country.  Way too draconian.

[SithMaster]

Way too draconian.

are you in my western civ class?

[elvis]

Yeah, I think copyright and patent law are terrible in this country.  Way too draconian.

Copyright laws are fine in the US.  Their only issue is that they apply for too long on software, but that's a small criticism and easily fixed (although sadly I don't see that happening any time soon).  Also people are abusing the laws and making them apply incorrectly by twisting their definitions.  That won't go away any time soon either.

US Patent law however is definitely draconian.  And new laws like the DMCA are just plain wrong.  They are "anti-tinker" laws.  As citizens of a "free" country, I don't know how Americans put up with crap like that.  Once you buy something it's yours to do with as you please.  If you want to use it as intended, or hack it up and do as you please.  Either way, some corporate doesn't have control over you and your actions.  The Orwellian dystopia future is now.

I think the bigger problem at hand is the US Patent Office itself.  For starters, it is grossly low on human resources.  And secondly the people working there are so out of touch with cutting edge technology (a field that by it's very nature moves incredibly fast)  that it makes it nigh impossible for them to accurately assess the status of a patent application.

Ironically, copyright and patent laws were invented in early US history to protect inventors, tinkerers and hackers (as in, people who hack at things - not the stupid pop-culture/media definition of the word "hacker").  These laws were put in palce to promote fair competition and progress. 

Today these same laws are being abused by the rich to stop competition and prevent competitors from ever trying to make progress.  And even if they are in the wrong, those with the deepest pockets will always win, as the little man simply can't afford the rediculously overinflated and uncontrolled legal fees.  This in itself is why I don't see much hope for the system - lawyers are far too happy charging everyone through the nose to keep the system going along it's merry and utterly corrupt way.

I wonder what the founding fathers of America would say today if they saw the state their country's corporates have deteriorated to.

[shmokes]

are you in my western civ class?

Yes

[Tahnok]

After reading the article, it seems like the title is rather misleading. From what I understand, RedOctane isn't trying to eliminate the competition because they're making unlicensed controllers. They're trying to stop this one company from making a product that looks exactly like theirs. I'm all for healthy competition, but I think most people would agree that it's bad business practice to just clone products, right down to the packaging. It doesn't really help the consumer, since most of the time they are either of inferior quality, or are the same price. In both cases, it only hurts the original company, the one who actually designed the product. I

[elvis]

I

[Texasmame]

 

Long ago, Activision was sued (unsuccessfully) by Atari for making 3rd party software. 

"The ironing is delicious."

[Tahnok]

I

[Silhouette]

This is really funny, because RedOctane got started by making 3rd party Dance Dance Revolution mats. 

[elvis]

This is really funny

It would be funny if it wasn't yet another example of corporate wankerism.  I think most of the world stopped laughing at this sort of behaviour long ago.  It would be a wonderful thing if companies started applying some common sense to the day-to-day runnings of their operations instead of constantly "crying to mommy" every time another company tried to compete fairly with them.

[wana10]

so i wonder what red-octane's response would be if konami filed another suit...this one directed at guitar hero citing it copied guitarfreaks...hmmm

[DarkBubble]

Yeesh, makes it feel like we're backsliding into the NES era of gaming business.

One of these days, I'm going to have to buy a PS2 and Guitar Hero.  However, I'd end up gutting something and building my own controller.  I've seen some nice customs, but I'd put more work into it.  I play guitar and know a lot about how they're built, so I'd probably put some of that to use as practice for building a complete axe later down the line.  I guess I'm just picky.  I don't like the feel of the controller that much.  The weight and size feel odd and I don't like the buttons.  I'd probably rig up a system where there were actually strings, or at least A string, so that it felt a little more natural to me.  It was hard enough for me to stick with the guitar as a kid, as I have somewhat small hands, so the fat buttons are a pain.

[romperwomb]

  Wow! They offer a little amp you can hook to the game!  I've never seen those, very cool.

Pretty lame to sue them.  Red Octain dosn't even offer any wireless guitars.

[AlanS17]

I've actually tried playing that wireless controller at Fry's. I really liked the freedom of the wireless, but the buttons all seemed a little stiff to me. Maybe it just wasn't broken in, though.