Maroon 5 singer sues Activision over Band Hero likeness

Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine has filed suit against Activision for use of his likeness to sing unauthorized songs, including those in different voices than his own.

6

Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine is suing Activision over the use of his likeness in Band Hero, the latest of a handful of suits against the company from musical artists. The suit was filed in a Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday, claiming fraudulent inducement, breach of contract, violation of common-law right of publicity, and unfair business acts or practices.

Levine says that he didn't agree to allow his avatar to sing songs besides his own, or in other voices.

Levine allowed his likeness rights and performance capture for the song "She Will Be Loved," but the game allows his avatar to be used for any of the game's 60 songs. The suit claims that the other songs "would not have been chosen by him for recordings or performances," reports Reuters. Worse yet, those performances use other people's voices, "including female voices." The horror!

The filing also alleges that Activision sought permission from other artists for the expanded use of their likenesses, and to make matters worse, paid other artists a higher fee than they paid Levine.

If this all sounds incredibly familiar, that's because two years ago the band No Doubt sued Activision for the same brand of unauthorized likeness use in Band Hero. Months earlier, musician Courtney Love threatened a similar suit over the appearance of deceased rock icon Kurt Cobain in Guitar Hero 5.

At the very least, Activision won't be attracting new lawsuits anytime soon. The music game franchise is on indefinite hiatus, and hasn't announced any more Hero games in production. The company is currently working on reinventing the series, but hasn't shared plans.

Shacknews has contacted Activision regarding the suit, and will update as more information becomes available.

Editor-In-Chief
From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 5, 2011 7:45 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Maroon 5 singer sues Activision over Band Hero likeness.

    Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine has filed suit against Activision for use of his likeness to sing unauthorized songs, including those in different voices than his own.

    • reply
      August 5, 2011 7:46 AM

      Irrelevant artist struggles to make people remember he's still alive.

      • reply
        August 5, 2011 8:29 AM

        Irrelevant and selling millions of albums. I wish I was irrelevant.

      • reply
        August 5, 2011 8:51 AM

        If hes irrelevant, what is relevant? JWOWW?

    • reply
      August 5, 2011 8:00 AM

      Fuck you, Adam Levine.

    • reply
      August 5, 2011 8:11 AM

      Money, money, money. Mr. Levine is doing what the rest of us would do, only if we had an inkling of talent and our likeness was used in a shitty game that will make millions.

      • reply
        August 5, 2011 8:14 AM

        But he's already making millions, even if he is a half assed artist. Most of us have no clue what having that kind of money is like.

        • reply
          August 5, 2011 8:21 AM

          Just because I have $10, doesn't mean I don't want $11. What do people with power and/or money want? More power and/or money.

          And although I don't listen to Maroon 5, their ability to sell records and seats in a stadium has nothing to do with in. Somewhere, out-there, is a fan that thinks his music is great. Disgusting as that may be ...

      • reply
        August 5, 2011 8:39 AM

        mr levine prolly isn't even the one that's doing it

    • reply
      August 5, 2011 8:37 AM

      The amount of times this has come up makes me wonder if Activision really wasn't clear with either the artists or their representatives.

    • reply
      August 5, 2011 10:04 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      August 5, 2011 10:19 AM

      WTF is a Maroon 5?

    • reply
      August 5, 2011 10:27 AM

      The No Doubt lawsuit is still "in process" and that was in 2009. Courtney Love threatened to sue as well, but I am not sure if that actually happened.

Hello, Meet Lola