No Doubt Sue Activision over Band Hero Avatars
11/4/2009 By Josiah Hughes

Maybe Courtney Love wasn't as crazy as we initially thought when she alleged that Activision had gone outside of her contract with Kurt Cobain's avatar in Guitar Hero 5. After all, the admittedly less insane members of No Doubt have come up with a similar complaint with the company regarding its forthcoming Band Hero game.

In a statement released to press, the band said they were shocked when they found out that their characters could be used to sing other people's songs. “Without the band’s knowledge or approval, Activision turned the group into virtual karaoke players by having them perform over 60 additional songs by other musical groups,” the statement reads. “Additionally, Activision allowed the group's character to be isolated into solo performances of these cover songs and placed randomly in countless variations contrary to the agreement between the parties.”

Apparently, the band approached the company to change this option in the game, but it refused, saying it would be too costly.

As a result, No Doubt have officially filed a lawsuit against Activision seeking an injunction and damages.
More News: << Previous Story | Next Story >>
Do you have a news tip for us? Did anything crazy happen at a show? Got any inside info on a band? Click here to let us know!
• Follow Exclaim! for Your Chance to Win a Wilco Album Every Week Until January
• Arcade Fire Slate Third LP for May Release, to Return to Stage This Spring
• The Clash to Release London Calling 30th Anniversary Edition, Sell Album's Original Artwork
• Audio Blood Celebrates One-Year Anniversary with Oh No Forest Fires, Make Your Exit at Toronto’s Second Annual Jingle Bell Rock
• New Pavement Material “Inevitable,” Spiral Stairs Says
• Dinosaur Jr. + Cobra Verde + Witch = Sweet Apple
• Too Much Joy Get the Digital Shaft from Warner Brothers and Blog All About It
• Sally Seltmann Retires Her New Buffalo Moniker for Upcoming Arts & Crafts Full-Length
• Kode9 Explores “the Darker Sider of Sound” in New Book
• Arcade Fire Once Again Pair Up with Coldplay Producer Markus Dravs for New Album
New and Forthcoming Release Dates In Canada - All information is tentative and subject to sudden change
Check out the hottest new releases in Canada this week, including: Erasure The Innocents, Gentleman Reg Heavy Head, The Hoa Hoa's Pop/Drone/Pedals, Spiritualized Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space: Deluxe... Read More
Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
Given that the Strokes haven't released a record in almost four years, Julian Casablancas's debut as a solo artist is oddly timed. Band-mates Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti have all struck out on their own during the group's hiatus (twice, in Hammond's case) and word is th... Full Review
200th Issue Celebration
Exclaim! celebrates our 200th issue ever with this retrospective of the best Questionnaire answers in our history, which in this case is technically only 113 issues. (This feature debuted, with Buck 65, in September 1999.) It was called 20 Questions then and we'd do two at a time, head-to-head. We've changed interrogative tack a few times, but the heart remains the same. See you again for #300, in February 2019.... Read More
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the December 2009 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> Front Five  •  Points  •  Year In Review  •  Questionnaire  •  Release Dates  •  Timeline  •  Videogames  •  Conversations • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews  •  Halifax Pop Explosion Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Need to Know  •  Where I play • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues