The Romantics Sue Over Guitar Hero III Cover, Claim It's Too Accurate
80's one hit wonder band, The Romantics (ok let's be fair, two hit wonder), are suing Activision over the cover of their song "What I Like About You" that appears in Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80's. The band claims that the version used in the game is so similar to the original that people will become confused and think the band had something to do with the game.
For a band that had a modicum of success back in the day, you'd think they would be glad to have their song attached to such a popular game. I would wager that many people playing the game had never even heard of the group until they played the signature song in game. I'm sure there is some legitimacy to their claim somewhere in there, but it's reported that the band gave permission for the song's use and was paid its inclusion in the game. So, what is the real reason they are suing, is it the principal of the thing or simple after-the-fact money grubbing? Their lawyer's statement to the press would seem to indicate the latter.
The sales of this game are huge. We're all for good commerce. We just want to share in it.
'Nuff said...
Band Sues Over Too-accurate Guitar Hero Cover [Shacknews]
Fruit Brute
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 23 November 2007
· Comments (5)
Other stuff like this: activision, cover, guitar hero III, romantics, sue
I read in another article that the band is not disputing the legality of using their song at all. They admit that the rights were properly acquired for recording a cover version of their song. They're just claiming it's "too similar." What were they expecting, a heavy metal version of 80s pop? Idiots...
I believe the game in question is actually Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, just to head off any confusion.
While I've never been a big fan of the Guitar Hero series for being suspiciously way too similar to Guitar Freaks, I'll defend GH in this arguement. If the Romantics wanted a share, they should have provided their original cover.
Red Octane/Harmonix or whatever has every right to make a cover that's close to the original track if they get the rights for the song. That's kinda what you have to do when making a music game. Why would you make a version of a song that sounds completely different and unfamiliar?
The WaveGroup version of this song is on iTunes. Show your support-slash-rub it in the Romantic's faces by purchasing it.
Personally, they sound similar, but well, they're different enough that anyone can tell the difference, IMO.
This seems like a classic "give us money so we'll go away" maneuver. It seems to me (as a non-lawyer) that the only thing they could sue over would be using an impersonator without permission, like Tom Waits did. Oh, what's that? These guys actually gave permission and they're suing anyway? Never mind.