Gibson still suing over Guitar Hero
March 24, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –(Business Wire)– Mar. 21, 2008 On March 20, 2008, Gibson Guitar Corp. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Harmonix, MTV Networks (a division of Viacom) and Electronic Arts (EA Games) in the Federal District Court in Tennessee. This new lawsuit relates to the same U.S. Patent involved in the lawsuit filed by Gibson Guitar recently against various retailers in the same court. Gibson Guitar had made good faith efforts to enter into a patent license agreement with the defendants in this case. The defendants have not responded in a timely manner with an intent to enter into negotiations for a patent license agreement. Gibson Guitar had no alternative but to bring the suit, and it will continue to protect its intellectual property rights against any and all infringing persons.
Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. Gibson’s HD.6X-PRO Digital Guitar and the Gibson Robot Guitar represent the biggest advances in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Maestro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Gibson Baldwin Music Education, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, Baldwin, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson’s website at http://www.gibson.com.
Steve’s Notes
Perhaps I might be missing something very obvious here but the guitars used in Guitar Hero are not real guitars. They are just a video game controller made to look like a guitar. Playing guitar Hero will in no way help you learn how to play a real guitar.
Since when does a couple of colored buttons and a strum area a guitar make? Is Gibson trying to say that the thousand dollar guitars they make are somehow in danger because a plastic video game controller was made to look like them for use in a game where players do nothing more than play an over-glamorized version of air guitar to impress their friends?
Give me a break Gibson. I know you have some patents on guitars but the only Guitar in Guitar Hero is in the name. The controller is not even a close facsimile of how a guitar works.
Amazon.com Completes Acquisition of Audible
March 19, 2008
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the completion of its acquisition of Audible, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBL).
Audible is the leading provider of spoken audio information and entertainment on the Internet. Through its websites in the US and UK and alliances in Germany and France, Audible offers over 80,000 programs, including audiobooks and other spoken word content from more than 520 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Content from Audible is downloaded and played back on personal computers, CDs, or AudibleReady computer-based and wireless mobile devices.
Upon the closing of the acquisition, all remaining outstanding Audible shares, other than those held by stockholders who properly perfect appraisal rights under Delaware law, were converted into the right to receive $11.50 per share in cash. As a result of the transaction, Audible has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com.
Three new deals from Dell
March 15, 2008
$45 off Dell SP2008WFP 20″ Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor Coupon code: 017PG86KWG3XS5
$50 off Dell SP2208WFP 22″ Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor Coupon code: 4K?C20D6LF$VFR
$50 off Epson PowerLite S5 LCD projector Coupon code: G48GTTVL23CK4T
These three deals are not like most of the deals I post on here. these three expire in a few days or after 150 redemptions. Yea, act fast or miss out.
Nintendo Talks NPD Data
March 14, 2008
The latest video game industry sales figures reported by the independent NPD Group show that Nintendo DS™ and Wii™ topped the U.S. charts for February. Nintendo DS sold nearly 587,600 units and Wii sold nearly 432,000.
“Our momentum has not let up since the holidays and we expect it to continue throughout the year,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We have the industry’s strongest lineup of games for everyone from core to casual gamers.”
- February sales, according to NPD, in the United States:
- Nintendo sold more than 1 million hardware units combined, accounting for nearly half (47.6 percent) of all hardware sold.
- Nintendo DS games topped all software sales, with more than 3.6 million units sold. Consumers purchased nearly 2.9 million software units for Wii. Four of every 10 games sold were for Nintendo systems.
- Three games in the top five sellers for February play on Nintendo systems, including two from third-party publishers.
- Nearly 1.7 million accessories were purchased for Wii, more than for any other system. More than 1.2 million accessories were sold for Nintendo DS as well.
Everyone reading this needs to keep in mind that NPD does not track world wide sales data. This information is mainly concerning the American market.
What I find most encouraging is the third bullet point where we find that two of the three Wii games that appear in the top five sellers list were not made by Nintendo. As great as Nintendo is it also has a reputation among third-party developers that only Nintendo owned titles ever do well on their systems.
More Deals from Dell For March 2008
March 13, 2008
Once again a large quantity of offers have entered my inbox from the fine folks at Dell. Take a gander at some of these offers and take advantage of the ones that interest you.
$20 OFF Swissgear Marlet Backpack. Only $35.99 after coupon!- Coupon code: 4XP8NMWX?ZNXDX
$50 OFF Hotas Cougar Flight Stick. Only $149.99 after coupon!- Coupon code: FS$TJFNZQG4842
Save $110 - TomTom ONE XL.S GPS- Only $239.99- Coupon code: 721FR4MTZ9LHSS
Save $25 - SanDisk 8GB Sansa View MP3 Player- Coupon code: PR?J$7?3JRBXW8
$470 off Canon HR10 DVD 10X Zoom Digital Camcorder- Coupon code: JNJHWNHGQ43TCQ
$37 off - Canon PowerShot SD750 Digital ELPH - digital camera- Coupon code: 8DKJX2$$B8KJB2
$57 off - Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH - digital camera- Coupon code: WBX6CJCPNW0WM6
Save $450 on Sharp Aquos 37″ LC37D62U 1080p LCD HDTV. FREE standard shipping!
Save $300 on Sharp AQUOS 32″ LC32D62U 1080 LCD HDTV. FREE standard shipping!
That’s all I have for now. check back in a few days and more offers will be posted.
Dell Deals for March 6, 2008
March 6, 2008
Save $300 on Philips 42” 42PFL5332D 720p LCD HDTV. Only $999.99 after discount.
Offer valid from 3/6/08 12:00 AM through 3/6/08 11:59 PM
Save $60 - WD 500GB My Book World Network Storage
Coupon code: RHDR1D8QRBVP1J
$40 off Dell S199WFP 19″ Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor
Coupon code: DSX6T$B6MPV?T$
$25 off Dell UltraSharp 1908WFP 19″ Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor Coupon code: LD8FZXJRT4ZR2D
$40 off Dell SE178WFP 17″ Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor Coupon code: D07L?TQKS3G6B?
