Gwen Stefani-fronted pop band No Doubt have finally got a trial for their lawsuit against Activision.
For those who don’t know, this all started in 2009 when 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 Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’ or Papa Roach’s ‘Lifeline’.
Activision tried to dismiss the lawsuit, although a superior court judge ruled that the claims of fraud, violation of publicity rights and breach of contract held steady.
The publisher says it has a video recording of No Doubt being told about the unlockable features and it is looking forward to presenting its defense.
This isn’t the first time a claim like this has been made, as Maroon 5’s Adam Levine filed the exact same complaint against Activision in 2011.
Source: AJC
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