Activision and No Doubt settle Band Hero battle

4 October 2012

No Doubt and Activision’s on-going legal battle with the band’s misused portrayal in Band Hero has finally been settled.

The settlement has come weeks before the trial was set to begin.

For those who may not know or never really cared (we don’t blame you), this all started in 2009 when No Doubt front Gwen Stefani sued Activision, claiming that their likenesses were misused to create a “virtual karaoke circus act” in the game, Band Hero.

The group had signed off on having their name and likenesses used to portray themselves singing their own songs, which the game featured.

The problem (or lack thereof) is that you can unlock the band after completing the game, making them available to “perform” any of the game’s songs while players jam away.

No Doubt were obviously not that happy seeing themselves virtually rock-out to other people’s songs, one in particular being that of Rolling Stone’s “Honky Tonk Woman”, which the suit claimed “results in an unauthorized performance by the Gwen Stefani avatar in a male voice boasting about having sex with prostitutes.”

No specific details on the settlement agreement were given.

Source: Associated Press

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