No Doubt Settles Lawsuit Over Video Game

By JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR.

The band No Doubt has settled its lawsuit against the makers of the Guitar Hero video game over how the band members' likenesses were manipulated in a spin-off game's virtual world, The Associated Press reported.  The settlement was reached on Monday, a few weeks before a trial was set to begin.   The terms were not disclosed.

In 2009 the band sued Activision asserting fraud, violation of publicity rights and breach of contract.  No Doubt argued that it had agreed that Gwen Stefani and the band members could appear in a spin-off game called “Band Hero,” but that the game makers had broken the agreement with a feature that enabled the band members' virtual counterparts to perform songs No Doubt never recorded in real life. 

The suit cited an instance where Ms. Stefani's likeness could be made to perform “Honky Tonk Women” by the Rolling Stones, or a virtual version of the bassist Tony Kanal could b e made to sing in Ms. Stefani's voice.  The musicians complained that the game had turned them into “a virtual karaoke circus  act.”  Activision had denied any wrongdoing and said it was within its rights under the contract.