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Viacom Ordered To Pay Harmonix Millions In Overdue Performance Bonuses
If this headline seems familiar, that's because it is. Viacom purchased Harmonix in 2006, and it sold the developer in 2010.
Following the sale, Harmonix sued Viacom claiming that the media company was owed unpaid performance bonuses. The dispute made it to the Delaware Supreme Courts, and it ruled that Viacom pay Harmonix what it was owed. Viacom made an attempt to appeal that ruling, but today we learned that that appeal was denied.
According to a report from Joystiq, the conglomerate media company, combined with other disputes with Harmonix, now owes the developer $533 million.
[Source: Hollywood Reporter via Joystiq]
Our Take
Despite its issues with Rock Band losing popularity, Harmonix is still a successful developer that seems to be doing just fine financially. Harmonix may not be "the little guy" so to speak, but it is certainly "the littler guy" when it comes to butting heads with Viacom. It's good to see the ruling go in Harmonix's favor. The studio certainly deserves to rewarded for the work put into Rock Band.
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