Agreed. I like No Doubt (their older stuff anyway), but this is just stupid.

Indeed, I don't really know who to root for in this case. It's hard to get behind Activision these days, but it really seems like the band either didn't read the fine print, or is just actively trying to get some more money after hearing about Cobain. I sort of doubt it's the latter, but then I also doubt that Activision didn't clearly state that it was buying the band's likeness with (reasonably) free reign.

Oh come on. This isn't the first time corps like AV pay royalties and overstep their contract. They make millions and at the sae time are cheap enough to not pay that extra bit for what they use. Likek always, they were pushing it. Fuck 'em. Go NoDoubt.

Pyrrhic victory.

They're protecting their rights to their own likenesses.

You people have gone absolutely DAFT if you don't think this is worth judicial involvement. It'a a violation in much the same way forgery is. Someone is establishing your permission, without your permission.

Jesus GOD in Heaven, I hate the gamer community sometimes. Always ready to make grandiose, ri-goddamned-diculous statements about things they don't have complete knowledge of.

I am fine as long as they lost. And got a friend who is a big fan of Gwen, so I guess I am ok with that too.

@SBC Slam: While I respect the band's right to defend the use of their likenesses, this just seems like the sort of infringement (if any, mind you, as we don't actually know that Activision has committed any wrongdoing) that public figures should have a laugh about and move on from. It makes them look petty to do this.

If the avatars were made to perform 2 Live Crew songs, I'd probably be more understanding, but that's not what this is. If it's damaging to No Doubt's image in some way, by all means, they should bring the perpetrators to task for it. I don't think that's what's happening here. At least, not prior to their bringing the suit.

LOL @ Activision not understanding what the first amendment is for.

@Conrad Zimmerman

Wel that's more detailed from what I knew about before. Thanks.

Everyone knows that the best part about Band Hero is creating a band entirely out of Taylor Swifts.

@Conrad

Dude, 2 Live Crew . . . I'm writing this through the laughter. That would be fucking amazingly hilarious!

I realize that we don't know the minutia of the contract, but we do know that the court ruled in No Doubt's favor. If the court finds that there was no clause provided to allow Activision use of their likenesses in cases other than those specifically enumerated by said contract, then that's good enough for me. I mean, we have a court ruling. Saying we don't know about the particulars of the contract is a bit moot at this point. :-)

Also, you and I (but more so I) haven't experienced the level of fame associated with their celebrity. Their images are something of a commodity. They can trade their likenesses, licenses them out, etc., to great financial gain. If someone wants to use my likeness to dance/sing 2 Live Crew tunes, I'd laugh at it, think it was cool, and move on, knowing full well something like that would never happen again. Gwen and Co. have to be very protective of this sort of thing, as they actually lose money every time someone misappropriates their likenesses.

That and the fact that Activision, nor any corporation for that matter, should ever be allowed to do what they do without strict oversight. Exploitation is how companies make their money, and unless regulated, would behave an awful lot like a two-year old. "MINE!" I have often gone on record stating my allegiance to all things corporate, which is true, but it's only because of the regulations that I find them capable of my backing. Truly, they are all ill-spirited.

@gatorsax2010
But what if there's an audience full of Kanye Wests? :( You'll never be able to finish your song.

@mollygos

Nah. He's going let you finish, but first . . .

@SBC Slam: Don't misunderstand. This is just one step in what could be a long legal battle. This is a tentative ruling on Activision's ability to defend themselves using the First Amendment, not a decision in favor of No Doubt's claim. Nobody has made that decision yet.

People as commodities just make me sad, honestly. I respect their right to sell their image, I just wish they wouldn't. There's nothing worse to me than the thought of somebody saying before all, "I am a product." Which is what No Doubt's suit says to me.

I agree wholeheartedly with your opinion on the need for corporate oversight, however.

(nice of you to imply that I have some degree of fame; flattering, but simply untrue)

@Conrad

Yeah, I s'pose I jumped that gun. I went ahead and hit the link, and all the court did was essentially invalidate the Defense's First Amendment claims. My bad.

I agree with you that people shouldn't treat themselves as commodities, and we all need to laugh a lot more where ourselves are concerned. Tom Cruise should have laughed when he took a pie in the face in Germany those many years ago . . . but he didn't. It's a sad thing, really.

Also, you may not be famous, but I love you, sweety. ;-)

Amazing.

When are people (and companies) going to realize that the First Amendment is about freedom of speech from the government, not private individuals? This was one of Activision's more asinine moves.

Definitely cheering for Activision. Not because I got beef with Gween or No Doubt but because we've this time and time again and historically the band's are at fault. Band's have been notoriously bad at signing contracts they regret since the beginning of time no matter how much money and lawyers are thrown into the mix. This just seems like another one of those cases.

Sends lawyers, guns, and money. Dad, get me out of this.

I'd be more sympathetic to Activision if the agreement wasn't specifically for the avatars to be used the three No Doubt songs and was more a blanket allowance of using ND's likeness.

Amazing how probably less than a day's coding can cause millions of dollars in legal fees sometimes.

@Elzam
Was that ever proven? It's what No Doubt claimed but Activision always claimed the opposite. It's very possible Activision used sorcery and weird wording to give themselves a workaround. In which, sadly, it still works in their favor.

Regardless of what No Doubt and their lawyers thought they were signing I want to know exactly what they were signing.

I'm more sympathetic if it were artists. But it's freakin' No Doubt! Lighten up and let us imagine you performing better songs.

No Doubt still exists? I thought Gwen sacrificed the other members to whatever dark god for hyperstardom. D:

I don't care how stupid it is. If it means another kick to the 'nads of Kotick, then I'm all for it.

If Activision was using their likeness to promote songs other than No Doubt songs, I can fully understand this lawsuit. However, if No Doubt is in the game, and I want them to sing Hungry Like the Wolf, what should it matter to anyone ?

Don't get me wrong, I love to see more of this happen to Activision, maybe Kotick will get the boot, but I think it's pretty petty of the band to whine about stuff like this.

I felt the same way about the Courtney Love/Kurt Cobain thing, and I am a MASSIVE Nirvana fan. Who is this really hurting ?

Yes, it is a bullshit lawsuit, but this thing just sparked a new idea in me:

Activision Legal: A reallistic lawyer corporation TV Show where our (un)faithful heroes(?) battle the hordes of lawsuits caused by the scandalous administration of ACtivision. It's gonna blow your mind!

You seem to fail to realize that cases like these set precedents so the implications are much bigger than simply this one single instant with No Doubt. I think No Doubt recognizes this.

I'm cool with anyone who wants to figuratively (or literally) punch Activision in the face. I think I'm gonna go listen to some No Doubt for the first time in my life. =P

If an avatar of your likeness was put into Band Hero and you wanted it to be available only for the songs you've done, just to find out that people can play as you, singing along to a Hilary Duff song, you'd be pretty miffed too.

No Doubt may suck, but the way things are now, I would be happy if Timothy McVeigh sued Activision and got some money from them.

Gwen is one sexy momma. I remember having such a huge crush on her as a kid. Ya know, when they were much better ska-esque music. I'm happy about this. No Doubt gets richer, Bobby Kotick gets poorer. That's the world I want to live in!

THIS SHIT IS BANANAS. B-A-N-A-N-A-S! YOU DON'T FUDGE WITH GWEN ACTIDEVIL, SHE FUDGES WITH YOU. O and Gwen is still hawt.

Yeah, I'm not saying that No Doubt doesn't have a right to say what can and cannot be done with their likenesses, I'm saying that if we know Activision, they probably put it in the contract exactly what the band's likeness would be used for.

If the contract says that the band will only be used to perform No Doubt's songs, and then this happens, then of course Activision overstepped and they should lose. If the contract just says that the band will be used in the game to perform songs, then I don't think No Doubt has a leg to stand on.

I completely disagree. I'm glad the courts sided with No Doubt.

In the above picture, from left to right:

Dave Gahan, Paul Rudd, Marilyn Monroe, and Indian Duke Nukem.

@flea friend: hahahahah i think im the only one who knows who dave gahan is... all of those were called perfectly

Funny how Janie Hendrix was the only one smart enough to research what it meant to be a character in Guitar Hero.