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No Doubt Sues Activision Over Stefani's 'Band Hero' Avatar

by Lee Bains on November 6, 2009 at 07:30 AM

Yesteryear's teen ska sensations No Doubt have filed suit against Activision Blizzard, Inc. over a depiction of frontwoman Gwen Stefani in the new game 'Band Hero.' Although No Doubt signed a contract allowing Activision to use the band's music and likenesses, the lawsuit maintains that the contract did not give Activision clearance to feature Stefani's avatar lip-synching to the Rolling Stones' 'Honky Tonk Women,' as the company has apparently done. This lawsuit follows a similar one threatened by Courtney Love in September. The widow of Kurt Cobain, Love claims that she did not expressly authorize the company to defile use her departed husband's likeness in a 'Guitar Hero 5' rendition of a Bon Jovi tune.

According to Reuters, the band objects, in the lawsuit, to the idea of "the Stefani avatar in a male voice boasting about having sex with prostitutes." Why, No Doubt? Because the Stones write songs that have some kind of substance or grit to them? Because Stefani is a woman? Because to do so would be totally f'in punk rock? Listen, Gwen, we've seen Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker sing the hell out of Danzig's immortally gross words: "Father, gonna take your daughter out tonight/Gonna show her my world ... If you wanna find Hell with me/I can show you what it's like/Till your bleeding," and it was nothing short of rock'n'roll genius. We recommend you familiarize yourself, via this video, and start taking notes. [From: Reuters, via Pocket Link]

Tags: band hero, BandHero, guitar hero, GuitarHero, gwen stefani, GwenStefani, lawsuit, music, no doubt, NoDoubt, videogames

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