The Romantics Wage War Against Guitar Hero Encore

PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, DS news by Calvin Kemph, published on Monday 26th November 2007

Rock stars often times do questionable things which cause a ruckus in the news. From Kurt Cobain to Pete Doherty, musicians are usually looked down upon (intellectually) despite their genius, merely due to their turbulent “personal” life. Then there’s The Romantics, who have filed a lawsuit against Activision, RedOctane, Harmonix Music Systems, and Wavegroup Sound regarding a Guitar Hero cover of the song “What I Like About You”. Despite the fact that The Romantics signed their consent for the aforementioned recording in contract form, they seem to be disattisfied with the quality. This is where things get interesting.

Plantifs Master Beat, Wally Palmer, Mike Skill and Coz Anler filed the suit in Detroit’s District Court last Wednesday (November 20th), claiming that the cover isn’t a proper imitation due to its accuracy, calling it “virtually indistinguishable from the authentic version”. The Romantics are seeking compensation, puneative damages, and the removal of Guitar Hero Encore: 80’s from store shelves. The rhythm franchise may be selling in record-breaking numbers now, but if enough bands follow suit (some pun intended), it could spell the end for plastic-wielding enthusiasts everywhere.

[via billboard.com]