Gwen Stefani in Band Hero avatar argument
Ain't No Doubt about it
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US ska-pop band No Doubt - best know for its 1996 hit Don't Speak - has become the latest group to throw a hissy fit over the use of its lead singer’s likeness in a videogame.
The band agreed to lead singer Gwen Stefani’s likeness being used alongside three No Doubt songs included in Activision's videogame Band Hero, but they now object to gamers being able to ‘play’ Stefani alongside songs from other bands.
No Doubt has allegedly accused Activision of a breach of contract. Activision has said it “believes it is within its legal rights with respect to the use and portrayal of the band”, according to a report by the BBC.
The case smacks of a similar argument between Activision and early 1990s grunge rockers Nirvana.
Just last month the band’s surviving members – among them Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl – protested that gamers should only be able to use Kurt Cobain’s likeness to play Nirvana songs in Guitar Hero 5.
It is believed No Doubt is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction preventing Activision from distributing the game. ®
COMMENTS
not that similar (probably)
having worked on some soccer games, what can happen is that most players will have a deal with the organisers say for example the premier league. but more 'famous' individual players will have their own deals this is often why big name players either appear as 'number 7' in fifa it is also why some players have very long contract arguments when signing for new clubs.
Ahh, though having googled' that, I'm stunned that EA have fallen foul of this. Though they don't say in the lawsuit anything about his actual face features, are they just saying that the height and weight are enough to be his 'likeness' ?
I suspect the deal with band-hero' is closer to the medical condition of 'financial myopathy' where the person signing the deal is unable to actually read it because they cannot see past the $$$$$$$$$$. Not probably helped by the number of intermediarys trying to explain the concept.
Don't they read the news?
This sounds very similar to the news earlier this year with EA Sports and the likeness' of NCAA players in their EA Sport NCAA Football game (and other games). The following Google (is there anything else) search will get you the lowdown on the existing suit.
http://www.google.com/search?q=ea+sports+likeness
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