Romantics Band Sues Activision Over Guitar Hero

Boston (dbTechno) - The Detroit rock band the Romantics have filed a lawsuit against the publisher of the popular video game Guitar Hero, Activision.

They are claiming that the game infringes on the group’s rights. The rights they are talking about revolve around the sound-alike recording of one of their hit songs, “What I Like About You.”

The lawsuit has been filed against Activision and was filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Detroit. It seeks unspecified damages for use of the sound-alike recording.

This sound-alike recording is features in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s which was released exclusively on the Sony PS2.

The Romantics are also seeking an injunction against the game Guitar Hero which could pull the game from store shelves during the busiest time of year for the video game industry.

The attorney for the Romantics stated that Activision properly secured permission to use the song What I Like About You. This gave them the right to record a cover version. What they did wrong though was that they created an imitation which was exactly like the original, which infringes on the group’s right to its own image and likeness.