The band No Doubt has filed a lawsuit against Activision over just-released music game Band Hero.
<span class="tooltip-content">
<span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span>
<span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span>
<span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab Wii'></span></span>
<span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab DS'></span></span>
<span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/62255/band-hero/index/" title="Band+Hero">Band Hero</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/62255/band-hero/news/" title="Band+Hero news">News</a></h6> (4)</li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/62255/band-hero/news/" title="Band+Hero news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/62255/band-hero/review/" title="Band+Hero review">Review</a></h6></li>
</ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/62255/band-hero/videos/" title="Band+Hero videos">Videos</a></h6> (10)</li>
<li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li>
<li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li>
</ul>
</span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span>
<span class='tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/62256/band-hero/index/" title="Band+Hero">Band Hero</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/62256/band-hero/news/" title="Band+Hero news">News</a></h6> (5)</li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/62256/band-hero/news/" title="Band+Hero news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/62256/band-hero/review/" title="Band+Hero review">Review</a></h6></li>
</ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/62256/band-hero/videos/" title="Band+Hero videos">Videos</a></h6> (10)</li>
<li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li>
<li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li>
</ul>
</span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span>
<span class='tooltip2 Wii'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/62267/band-hero/index/" title="Band+Hero">Band Hero</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/62267/band-hero/news/" title="Band+Hero news">News</a></h6> (4)</li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/62267/band-hero/news/" title="Band+Hero news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/62267/band-hero/review/" title="Band+Hero review">Review</a></h6></li>
</ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/62267/band-hero/videos/" title="Band+Hero videos">Videos</a></h6> (9)</li>
<li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li>
<li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li>
</ul>
</span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span>
<span class='tooltip2 DS'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ds/62876/band-hero/index/" title="Band+Hero">Band Hero</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ds/62876/band-hero/news/" title="Band+Hero news">News</a></h6> (3)</li>
<li><h6>Previews</h6></li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ds/62876/band-hero/review/" title="Band+Hero review">Review</a></h6></li>
</ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ds/62876/band-hero/videos/" title="Band+Hero videos">Videos</a></h6> (3)</li>
<li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li>
<li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li>
</ul>
</span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span>
</span><div class="arrow"></div>
According to the suit, Activision only had permission to use No Doubt's image to sing three of the band's songs, but instead, it "transformed No Doubt band members into a virtual karaoke circus act" by having them "sing, dance and perform over sixty songs" without getting their permission.
This seems a lot like the lawsuit Courtney Love threatened against Activision a few months ago. Much like Love's suit this seems to me to be very unlikely to prove successful. I'm no lawyer, but Activision is a serious company with a lot of money tied up in this game; I just couldn't see them deciding to do anything they didn't have ironclad, legal agreements to do. I don't think the extra sales earned by the appearance of No Doubt in game form would be worth the potential legal risk of using the band's images in ways they didn't agree to... But hey, who knows. Maybe I'm wrong. Believe it or not, it's happened before.
Source: TMZ
Comments
Displaying 1–20 of 29
122
SwordSaint830
No Doubt (and Courtney love) need to get themselves a grip. they are beginning to take themselves too seriously, and are beginning to look like idiots. Remember kids, if you sign a contract saying X company can use your likeness, there is PROBABLY a clause saying that they can use it more than once, and however they need to use it.
Why don't people read their contracts and then get all butthurt after the game has been made?
willy277
except for No Doubt will create coherent sentences unlike Courtney Love who probably doesn't even know what coherent means...
onto of that it seems No Doubt actually knows that they only signed up for Activision to use three songs and if they provide proof of that, they'll get alot farther than Courtney Love got.
Raverenz51
Its their image. Unlike us, who would kill to be on the game, celebrities have no privacy ect. all they have is their public image and they don't want a company like Activision using their image in a way they did not agree to. I see where they are coming from and I totally agree. Activision should view No Doubt as a privilege not a right. This is the exact reason why some bands and singers flat out refuse to be on a game.
napkinshower
lol! source: tmz
mark6789
band hero...wow thats loooow.
pmc_soap ShowHide(1 Reply)
never heard of no doubt
pmc_soap
never heard of not doubt
bloodflow82
they should be honored to be in a game. quit bitching.
Luna_Saisho
I love No Doubt, and when my friends and I play Rock Band, we do a lot of their music. So while I like, enjoy and purchase their stuff, I think that they're whiners for doing this. Just what is so wrong with your virtual self singing other music? Why is this such a horrible thing to the point of legal action?
A suggestion, not meant to insult, but the members of bands and such should actually check out the game an understand what they're getting into when they're getting into it.
aliens8us
If anything, Gwen and co. should be grateful that their image is forever immortalized in a videogame! I've lost interest since Gwen did her solo work and made Gavin, from Bush, HER B*tch!
snipeshooter
Wow cry babys.
JNR713
ok so No Doubt is crying over free publicity.
Hi Im here to file a law suit because Activision is giving me free publicity
ShockWaveNews
Alot of you are sounding like complete morons in this thread. No Doubt is a multi award winning band, have sold out venues, and had more airplay and Tv time than some of the featured Rock Bands. speaking of Featured and Contracted Bands of the RockBand games, You dont see Metalica Singing Love is a Battlefield, or The Beatles singing Enter The Sandman or Back in Black. They should give the other Contracted Singers or Bands the same respect if they are getting the luxery of using the Music Catalog of their music.
ABXPuPpeT
isn't that Gwen Stefani's crew?
XwingVmanX
No Doubt is in the game? Somehow I don't care....
bedrockk
you're right, Activision would never do something illegal - as long as you don't count when they tried to buy Numark's partner and successfully prevented them from putting out Scratch: The Ultimate DJ in time for them to compete this holiday season and then were ordered by a court to return the source code for the game and now are entrenced in litigation for possible third-party tortious interference. so, no, Activision would never use their power to do what they want and tie their rivals in costly litigation just because they can.
just because it may be free publicity doesn't mean its what the party, i.e. No Doubt, wants done with their likeness. just because its "free publicity" doesn't make it right.
Stop drinking the Activision Kool-Aid.
dethsauz
i probably wont be playing the game or listening to any NO DOUBT albums anytime soon ANYWAYS
stormwalker4
Is it really that difficult to believe that a company with deep pockets and a large number of lawyers on retainer would act like a bully while trying to appear innocent? I'm not saying that activision has done anything wrong here. I am just saying that I would not put it past them.
Spybreak
What musicians still don't fully grasp is that people play video games to escape and the form of an alternate reality would have an unlikely singer or band singing a song/playing a song because its a game! Seriously.
Mr_Eko_73
I hope Kevin Garnett doesn't sue me for Trading him to the Bulls on NBA Live- as least it wasn't the Clippers.
Displaying 1–20 of 29
122
Add a Comment