Right Hemisphere (company)
Peter Vogel | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 30, 1954 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Innovator, technologist |
| Known for | Co-creating the Fairlight CMI |
Peter Vogel (born 30 August 1954 in Sydney) is an Australian innovator and technologist, recognized primarily for his role in creating the Fairlight CMI.
Career
After completing his education at Cranbrook School, Sydney in 1972, Vogel embarked on a career in electronics. His most notable accomplishment was co-establishing Fairlight alongside his schoolmate Kim Ryrie. Together, they developed the world's inaugural commercial digital sampling synthesizer, the Fairlight CMI, which was produced from 1975 until 1999. For their pioneering contributions, Vogel and Ryrie were honored with the CSIRO Medal in 1987.
In 1982, Vogel engineered Vitalcall, a device designed to assist medical emergencies. By 2014, he held the position of Chief Technology Officer at Vitalcare, an Australian provider specializing in medical alert systems for elderly individuals.
Vogel founded Right Hemisphere Pty Ltd in 1988, broadening his focus into computer and communication technologies. During this period, he secured patents related to television innovations, including an interactive on-screen program guide and a commercial-skipping apparatus for TV recordings. These inventions subsequently triggered legal challenges with broadcasting companies.
In 2003, Vogel dissolved Right Hemisphere to concentrate on developing IceTV, Australia's pioneering subscription-based electronic program guide featuring TiVo-style remote DVR control accessible via mobile devices and web browsers.
The Nine Network initiated legal action against IceTV in 2006 over alleged copyright violations concerning its electronic program guide. The ensuing financial pressures contributed to Vogel stepping down as Chief Technical Officer. Subsequently, he co-founded the consultancy firm Vogel Ross Pty Limited.
The dispute between Nine Network and IceTV escalated to the High Court of Australia, which ultimately ruled in favor of IceTV in 2009. This verdict marked a significant precedent within Australian copyright jurisprudence.
In 2009, Vogel revived Fairlight Instruments and launched the CMI-30A, commemorating thirty years since the original Fairlight CMI's debut. Alongside this hardware release, Fairlight introduced iOS applications. Reflecting a shift toward new synthesizer development, the company rebranded as Peter Vogel Instruments in 2012.
By 2017, sales of the updated CMI were halted due to litigation involving former Fairlight trademark owners Fairlight.au Pty Ltd. The conflict stemmed from PVI’s licensing of the Fairlight trademark being limited to the CMI-30A hardware and not extending to the iOS applications. Fairlight.au filed a trademark infringement suit against PVI, which responded with counterclaims alleging breach of contract and copyright violations.
The legal proceedings concluded with a 2016 Federal Court appeal decision favoring PVI. The court ordered Fairlight.au to pay damages; however, as of September 2019, this ruling remained under appeal.
External links
- Peter Vogel's official website Anerd
- Brief Interview and Complete interview at NAMM Oral History Library (2017)
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Articles without Wikidata item
- 1954 births
- 20th-century Australian inventors
- Computer designers
- Living people
- Australian musical instrument makers
- People educated at Cranbrook School, Sydney
- Australian people of German descent
- Anti-smoking activists
- Tobacco control
- Australian companies disestablished in 2003