No Doubt has filed suit against the video-game company Activision over the use of its band member’s avatars in the just-released Guitar Hero variant Band Hero, thanks to the ability for players to put Gwen Stefani through the paces of the hooker-glorifying “Honky Tonk Women.” Also, bassist Tony Kamal can be cross-dressed into singing “Just A Girl.” This usage of Stefani’s and Kamal’s likenesses, the suit claims, “transformed No Doubt band members into a virtual karaoke circus act.” Uh, hang on a second, I thought the utterly superfluous Talk Talk cover accomplished that task way back in 2003? [AP]
Lawsuits
No Doubt Are Not Feeling Hella Good About Their “Band Hero” Cameos
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Lawsuits
Aw c’mon, the Talk Talk cover was pretty good.
Wait, am I wrong or didn’t we all just make fun of Courtney Love for this exact same thing with regarding to Kurt Cobain? It kinda looks like Activision got their lawyers to give them the opinion that the contract language these bands signed allowed this, while the bands thought they were just giving over the rights for use of their images for their own songs. Pretty interesting legal question. I’d love to see the contract at issue.
This is actually a better case than the Courtney threat over Kurt’s avatar, because it removes all of the extraneous baggage from the dispute — Cobain as true-believer of non-commercial rock; Love as misguided rock-star widow — and boils it down to a valid question of the rights of public figures and the use of one’s likeness.
I actually side with the artists on this one, despite my normal technophilic leanings.
@Chris Molanphy: How is this different than licensing a doll of yourself and then having the little girl (or boy) who bought you make you wear a dress? I think we’d all agree that if Christian Bale found out someone did something like that with a Bruce Wayne figure, no one would be on his side.
Just because the technology is there to limit this, *should* it be limited?
And just to drive the point home, No Doubt have licensed dolls of themselves. So STFU guys and enjoy your (extra) money.