After being told to “Don’t Speak” for several months, the No Doubt/Activision court case is finally ready to clear the “Spiderwebs” and settle for “A Simple Kind of Life.” Or something like that.
The popular rock group, who will be returning with a new album later this year, will finally get their court case heard in Los Angeles Superior Court on October 15. The band states that Activision used their images wrongfully for the game Band Hero, as players could pick them to sing any song in the game, rather than just the ones that they were licensed for. Singer Gwen Stefani wasn’t happy with this choice of design, stating that the band’s inclusion was along the lines of a “virtual karaoke circus act” – something the band clearly isn’t.
This isn’t the first instance a superstar’s image has been used for character purposes. In a previous Guitar Hero game, Kurt Cobain and Johnny Cash could be used for any given song that the player chose as playable characters. Courtney Love (Cobain’s ex) and the Cash estate were not amused.
This probably might explain why Activision did away with the Hero franchise, because if they lose this case, it’ll definitely run them millions of dollars. Guess it has to be “Sunday Morning” sometime, doesn’t it? (OK, we’ll stop. Time for something “New.” HA!)
