Gibson Guitar Corp., makers of possibly the most coveted guitars amongst rockers, recently announced a patent infringement lawsuit against a slew of companies associated with the gaming phenomenon “Guitar Hero.” Not only is Gibson going after MTV, game developer Harmonix and Electronic Arts (EA), Gibson has also filed suit against several retailers to stop them from selling the game.

According to Associated Press (AP) reports, “Guitar Hero” publisher Activision claims that by waiting three years to file the claim, Gibson granted de facto licensing for any technology. Gibson claims to have made “good faith” efforts to grant licensing agreements to the various defendants in the case and since they failed to respond in a timely manner, the company was forced to protect its patent.

There are several pertinent questions in this litigious corporate drama. Was Gibson’s patent violated? If so, did “Guitar Hero” developers make satisfactory efforts to obtain licensing? Why is Gibson filing suit now? How will this law suit affect game sales? What will happen to “Guitar Hero” if the case is decided in Gibson’s favor?

Speculation has surfaced that Gibson may have actually filed suit as a result of a deal gone bad. If this is the case, Gibson’s claim of good faith could be false.

The fact is that the patent language is obtuse and the entire case quite dubious. The only thing certain is that Gibson is out for blood.