In late 2009, No Doubt sued Activision after discovering that Gwen Stefani’s likeness could be used to sing any song in the Band Hero catalogue. No Doubt has now settled with Activision, for an undisclosed sum.
The settlement was made two weeks before the trial was set to take place. No Doubt had intended to sue Activision for fraud, violation of publicity rights, and breach of contract.
At the time No Doubt was particularly worried about having a Gwen Stefani avatar singing songs that may have been damaging to Stefani’s image and reputation. The suit made specific reference to the Rolling Stones song ‘Honky Tonk Woman, which allowed for an “unauthorized performance by the Gwen Stefani avatar in a male voice boasting about having sex with prostitutes”.
No Doubt Lawsuit: Band Settles With Video Game ‘Band Hero’ [Huffington Post]
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