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Image from “How to Play Guitar Apprentice!”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vgfOtIeAeQ |
The claims of the ‘736 patent do not appear to be limited to video games. Instead, the independent claims recite entirely non-interactive features of displaying and “cueing.” Some dependent claims (e.g., “displaying a score of the player” in claim 3) recite more familiar features of interactive games.
Ubisoft and Guitar Apprentice are currently engaged in litigation over one of Guitar Apprentice’s patents, U.S. Pat. No. 8,586,849, which is generally directed to a system for progressive instruction in playing a guitar. See case no. 2-13-cv-02903 (W.D. Tenn., filed November 19, 2013). Ubisoft recently filed a petition for Inter Partes Review with the USPTO regarding the ‘849 patent. See IPR 2015-00298, filed November 25, 2014.
We will continue to watch this case for any interesting developments.