Orange County pop legend No Doubt finally settled an ongoing misappropriation lawsuit with the videogame powerhouse Activision this past October. The band claimed Activision breached an agreement to feature the group’s members in the game Band Hero, as singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal were allegedly portrayed as a “virtual karaoke circus act” in one of the games scenarios.
According to an article featured in the NY times, the group originally agreed to appear in the game to perform their own songs. Stephani and company took insult to the game’s achievement rewards, where her virtual character was made to perform songs written by other artists, including “Honky Tonk Woman” by the Rolling Stones. The suit also cited an instance where Tony Kanal’s virtual character could be made to switch vocal roles with Stefani. Other artists, such Courtney Love also threatened to sue the Activision on the same grounds.
For many, success in the entertainment industry is based entirely on image and public impression. Performing artists like No Doubt, who have spent the last 25 years building and maintaining their brand, are certainly justified in trying to protecting themselves from misrepresentations and fraud of this nature.
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