The Romantics Sue Over Guitar Hero Cover

[Junaid Alam]

The Romantics Sue Over Guitar Hero Cover

Activision and Wavegroup Sound, the publisher and sound recorder for the massive hit game Guitar Hero, have been sued by The Romantics for a cover recording of the band's song.

The 1980s-era Detroit-based rock band claims the cover for "What I like About You" bears too much similarity to the original.

While the in-game usage was obtained by permission, the rock group has successfully sued over the song's use in television commercials in the past.

Band singer Wally Palmer pronounced himself "very upset" at the game's inclusion of the song. The Romantics spent years perfecting a "distinctive sound," he said.

The group's attorney, William Horton, honed in on the game's massive sales and expected revenue.

"The sales of this game are huge," he said. "We're all for good commerce. We just want to share in it."

Source: Shacknews.com [http://shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50042]

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[TheLostSkeleton]

I don't think the Romantics understand what a cover is.

"Sure, you can cover our song... just don't make it too good!"

 

[Robomanjr]

It just getting ridiculous, why is the world so sue happy? What does it solve other then someone becomes flat broke and gets a blackmark? I think its time to stop this ridiculous trend. Alos why would a band complain about a little free promotion?

 

[Unholykrumpet]

I definitely bought guitar hero JUST for that song! I wasn't going to get it, then I heard the cover for it, and was like OOOOO gotta burn 60$ to listen to that song by the Romantics /end sarcasm

If Guitar Hero had been a flop...would they still have sued? If the sound of the song was terrible, would they have been happier? Then they have the tag "originally by the romantics" attached to a crappy song, and 9/10 of the people who play guitar hero don't realize that the songs are covers. So would making people think the romantics sucked ass be a better alternative? Greedy band people...boo
Facepalm'd

 

[stizzy [deprecated]]

so...let me get this straight

a one hit wonder shit heap of a band from the 80's gives someone permission to use their song

and then sues them over it
not only that but

"the rock group has successfully sued over the song's use in television commercials in the past."

I guess that's one way to keep making money from your shitty song

 

[stizzy [deprecated]]

so...let me get this straight

a one hit wonder shit heap of a band from the 80's gives someone permission to use their song

and then sues them over it
not only that but

"the rock group has successfully sued over the song's use in television commercials in the past."

I guess that's one way to keep making money from your shitty song

 

[Kronopticon]

It just getting ridiculous, why is the world so sue happy? What does it solve other then someone becomes flat broke and gets a blackmark? I think its time to stop this ridiculous trend. Alos why would a band complain about a little free promotion?

the world is sue happy, because the world is losing its mind, everyone, the whole culture of the entire world is breaking down, until were all going to become slobbish, yob-like idiots drinking cheap lager and fornicating uncontrollably until the entire world forgets how to eat. At that point, my clone will emerge from the bunker i built, and will rule the earth! Muahahahahha.

its all about money, and until someone decides that the law is a complete farse, and should be demolished, we will be stuck in this trend of people doing anything for some cash. if i ever see people throwing bank-notes out on the street, i'll go up to them and say: WHAT THE HELL, as they are clearly fools, trying to disrupt the natural order of people by corrupting them with even more unnecessary money. i should write an article about this.......

 

[The Irrelevant Gamer]

I love how they are very upset, but gave their permission. Yeah. They're very upset they didn't negotiate a fat slice of the royalties.

 

[Robomanjr]

It just getting ridiculous, why is the world so sue happy? What does it solve other then someone becomes flat broke and gets a blackmark? I think its time to stop this ridiculous trend. Alos why would a band complain about a little free promotion?

i should write an article about this.......

Yeah me too, I've lost my faith in humanity. People just keep getting greedier and greedier and it's disgusting.

 

[Andy Chalk]

If Activision was given permission to use the song, I'm not really seeing how this has much of a chance of going anywhere.

 

[bkd69]

In the US, mechanical rights, sheet music, etc., have a compulsory license, and songwriters can't prevent their songs from being covered or performed. The legal question is, is the use of the cover recording in the Guitar Hero game sufficiently transformative to be substantially different than a simple cover recording, and subject to a different rights regime. If I were arguing for The Romantics, I would say yes, but if I were arguing for Activision, I would say no, the type of presentation in Guitar Hero is little different than a karaoke publication/recording, though for guitars, instead of vocals, and using a cover a band instead of master recordings. Though I'll readily concede that I know nothing of the licensing agreements that into place in producing a karaoke disc.

Oh, and a point of correction, The Romantics were two-hit wonders, with 'Talking in Your Sleep' as well as 'What I like About You,' though I'm not sure how far up the charts it got.