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UPDATE - Metallica Sues Guitar Hero Maker
Alternate Title: Sean Gets Pwned...
by Sean
UPDATE: Earlier today, I posted the following blog piece. I had stumbled across the story on digg, thought it was interesting and plausible. So I wrote it up and posted it. Turns out the whole thing was a fake. In fact, if you re-read the source article, it should be ridiculously obvious to just about anyone (anyone, that is, but me...) that it is a fake. I could use the excuse that it was 7:15 in the morning and I still hadn't had my coffee, but just because its true doesn't make it excusable. I was a little leery about the lawyer using the word, "batshit"... but hey... I admit it... I got punk'd...
I just keep hearing the voice of my old journalism professor telling me all about research, checking facts, etc...
Still though... it could happen.. Metallica is weird...
In a move that we probably should have seen coming, lawyers for the rock band Metallica are suing Harmonix and Activision (which recently acquired Red Octane), the developers behind the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. Metallica is claiming that the two companies acted illegally by distributing copies of Metallica songs for the upcoming Guitar Hero III and Rock Band (both due in late 2007). Metallica is concerned that their record sales would suffer if fans could just buy a video game with Metallica music on it.
A statement issued by the band shortly after the suit was filed had this to add, "The band learned its lesson the hard way with file sharing in the late 90s. This time they want to do a pre-emptive strike before the music gets out there."
Harmonix hasn't released a statement about the suit yet, but the legal team over at Activision had this to say, "Our company paid a licensing fee to feature the track 'One' by Metallica in Guitar Hero III.. We don't understand why Metallica would turn around and sue us, unless they've gone from insane completely batshit insane since 2001, but we're confident that the law and our contracts will be enough to have this thrown out."
Video game and music industry analysts were confused by the lawsuit, which is even weirder when you consider that Metallica had announced on their own website that "One" would be included in the next Guitar Hero title. The overriding consensus is that Metallica has simply lost touch with a media empire that has been on the decline in recent years and that they simply don't know what is and isn't licensed.
Personally, I'd just like to add that while I once called myself a fan of Metallica (a very pedestrian fan at that...) it is just this kind of "Sue First" mentality that is going to destroy not just this band, but the entire music industry. I can't fathom that anyone actually believes that someone who would drop $80 on a game (or up to $200...) would have a problem spending $16 on a CD. Sadly though, the lawsuits continue to rise while record sales continue to plummet.
Source
In a move that we probably should have seen coming, lawyers for the rock band Metallica are suing Harmonix and Activision (which recently acquired Red Octane), the developers behind the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. Metallica is claiming that the two companies acted illegally by distributing copies of Metallica songs for the upcoming Guitar Hero III and Rock Band (both due in late 2007). Metallica is concerned that their record sales would suffer if fans could just buy a video game with Metallica music on it.
A statement issued by the band shortly after the suit was filed had this to add, "The band learned its lesson the hard way with file sharing in the late 90s. This time they want to do a pre-emptive strike before the music gets out there."
Harmonix hasn't released a statement about the suit yet, but the legal team over at Activision had this to say, "Our company paid a licensing fee to feature the track 'One' by Metallica in Guitar Hero III.. We don't understand why Metallica would turn around and sue us, unless they've gone from insane completely batshit insane since 2001, but we're confident that the law and our contracts will be enough to have this thrown out."
Video game and music industry analysts were confused by the lawsuit, which is even weirder when you consider that Metallica had announced on their own website that "One" would be included in the next Guitar Hero title. The overriding consensus is that Metallica has simply lost touch with a media empire that has been on the decline in recent years and that they simply don't know what is and isn't licensed.
Personally, I'd just like to add that while I once called myself a fan of Metallica (a very pedestrian fan at that...) it is just this kind of "Sue First" mentality that is going to destroy not just this band, but the entire music industry. I can't fathom that anyone actually believes that someone who would drop $80 on a game (or up to $200...) would have a problem spending $16 on a CD. Sadly though, the lawsuits continue to rise while record sales continue to plummet.
Source
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