Band Sues Guitar Hero Publisher

The Romantics have filed suit against Activision, claiming the cover of their song used in Guitar Hero is too close to the original.

Guitar Hero III may be the franchise’s latest star as far as fans are concerned, but in headlines, it’s Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s that’s stealing the spotlight – and allegedly a song. The Romantics, an 80s rock band featured in the game, have filed a lawsuit against Guitar Hero publisher Activision, claiming that the game infringes on their image and likeness.

The battle is over the song “What I Like about You.” According to The Associated Press, Activision did acquire permission to use a cover version of the song in the game, but the issue is how closely the cover mimics the original. The cover, by Wavegroup Sound in San Francisco, may be so close to the original that it violates the band’s right to it’s own image, which is a separate issue from copyright violations.

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in Detroit,where the Romantics hail from. The band is seeking unspecified damages.