Legal Niches

ATVI Returns Fire on No Doubt

By pete_gallagher

Activision has filed a countersuit against rockers No Doubt, alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

The move comes in response to No Doubt's suit of Activision over the ability of gamers to use No Doubt on-screen avatars to perform other band's music in the game Band Hero. No Doubt claimed that such an implementation relegated them to a 'virtual karaoke act.'

Activision's counterclaim was filed December 3 in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Western Division. As part of the complaint (full PDF available here), Activision attached a copy of a Professional Services and Character License Agreement between the parties, dated May 21, 2009. Activision wrote that the contract 'speaks for itself,' and denied allegations of wrong doing.

In response to No Doubt's main complaint, Activision wrote:

Activision admits that although it is possible to program a videogame whereby particular in-game characters can only be selected when certain songs are played, Plaintiff first requested this only after the "Band Hero" programming was finalized, had been submitted to all of the U.S. console manufacturers for approval and had been approved for manufacture by most console manufacturers…

Activision is seeking judgment in its favor, unspecified damages and interest, a return from No Doubt of all benefits and payments, an order for No Doubt to pay the 'full cost of this action' and 'reasonable' attorney fees, along with further awards and relief that the Court 'deems just and proper.'

|Via The Hollywood Reporter|

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on December 09, 2009 (boomark / email).