Skag Hag vs Evil Corporation

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

Kurt Cobain is in Guitar Hero 5.

It being a guitar hero game, he looks like he has downs syndrome, but that is irrelevant.

Courtney Love may have probably got him killed, but she also owns the rights to his likeness it would seem.

"For the record this Guitar Hero shit is breach of contract on a Bullys part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction. WE are going to sue the shit out of ACtivision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises." - Courtney Love (incoherently) via Twitter.

Via VG247

I wonder who was being paid for use of Nirvana songs in previous music games?

myp · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:09

LewieP wrote:

I wonder who was being paid for use of Nirvana songs in previous music games?

Dave Grohl, seeing as his company owns the rights to the music catalogue.

Runcle · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:11

Im sure I was reading somewhere they have to get permission from band members, who ever owns the songs (label), and next of kin for this.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

myp wrote:

LewieP wrote:

I wonder who was being paid for use of Nirvana songs in previous music games?

Dave Grohl, seeing as his company owns the rights to the music catalogue.

Aha, I for some reason thought she (at least) partially owned some of the Nirvana Back catalogue. Did she at one point, and maybe sell them?

Zardoz · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:12

Does Dave Grohl get all the money in september when all the College/Uni Students turn up in their brand spanking new Nirvana T-shirts?

myp · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:12

Runcle wrote:

Im sure I was reading somewhere they have to get permission from band members, who ever owns the songs (label), and next of kin for this.

Pretty sure it's just Courtney Love and Dave Grohl, in this instance. I'm sure Krist Novoselic didn't have much of a say.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

myp wrote:

LewieP wrote:

I wonder who was being paid for use of Nirvana songs in previous music games?

Dave Grohl, seeing as his company owns the rights to the music catalogue.

This is about Cobain's likeness though, not the music.

Interesting stuff. I can't see Activision not having this covered off legally; but then again I find the use of Cobain in the game rather tasteless.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:13

myp wrote:

Runcle wrote:

Im sure I was reading somewhere they have to get permission from band members, who ever owns the songs (label), and next of kin for this.

Pretty sure it's just Courtney Love and Dave Grohl, in this instance. I'm sure Krist Novoselic didn't have much of a say.

A case of 'Krist on a your bike'

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:14

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Interesting stuff. I can't see Activision not having this covered off legally; but then again I find the use of Cobain in the game rather tasteless.

You need to avoid the new Rock Band game that's out, then...

myp · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:14

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

myp wrote:

LewieP wrote:

I wonder who was being paid for use of Nirvana songs in previous music games?

Dave Grohl, seeing as his company owns the rights to the music catalogue.

This is about Cobain's likeness though, not the music.

Read the question that I quoted.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Grim... wrote:

You need to avoid the new Rock Band game that's out, then...

I've covered this in the Guitar Hero thread. For one, the two surviving Beatles plus one widow and one daughter specifically endorsed it. For two, the cartoony art style is sympathetic. For three, every review has praised the games deep reverence to everything the Beatles ever made. For four, they are only performing Beatles songs.

Whereas Cobain, a man who killed himself partly because he couldn't be made the handle the pressures of fame and commercialisation of his work, now has a creepy dead-eyed digital simulacrum who can be made to sing Bon Jovi songs. That's a very different thing.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

LewieP wrote:

myp wrote:

LewieP wrote:

I wonder who was being paid for use of Nirvana songs in previous music games?

Dave Grohl, seeing as his company owns the rights to the music catalogue.

Aha, I for some reason thought she (at least) partially owned some of the Nirvana Back catalogue. Did she at one point, and maybe sell them?

There was a big bunch of court cases years back between Courtney Love and Dave Grohl over who should have the rights to the back catalogue. As I recall, Dave Grohl and co. (I forget where the other band blokes stood, but I understand vaguely that they supported him) won, on the grounds that they actually helped write and create the music, whereas Courtney Love's case was that she was a whining crackwhore and therefore deserved more money for some reason.

The likeness is another matter. I don't think it's come up before, but I'd imagine Courtney Love would win the rights. Quite apart from anything else, she needs to continue leeching off Kobain in order to make money, so she'll throw all she has into suing them. It'd probably be easier for the company to just throw her a bone rather than face the hassle of deciphering her incoherent slaverings in court.

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:43

Does the game use his name?

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

sinister agent wrote:

The likeness is another matter. I don't think it's come up before, but I'd imagine Courtney Love would win the rights.

Well, this is the interesting thing. As I remarked to Grim... on IM, soon we're going to have the tech to make a new Marilyn Monroe film, and what happens then? Who controls the rights to the image of dead celebrities is going to become very important in the next ten years, and this is just the early rumblings.

I believe that control of rights of use of imagery pass to the estate and next of kin, which (despite her being a mewling crackwhore) is Courtney Love. But Activision must have know this, of course.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:46

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

As I remarked to Grim... on IM

KLEEK LEEK

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:46

Quote:

Richard Gaywood says (12:20):
this is important
because soon we are going to have the tech to release a new Marilyn Monroe film
and then what?
Matt says (12:20):
hopefully, Monroe dolls

myp · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:47

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

But Activision must have know this, of course.

They haven't done it without her consent though, have they? I thought she agreed.

Derek The Halls · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3742

This article suggests she was involved in it.

EDIT: Actually someone has just pointed out to me that maybe she was okay with the image being used on his songs but not on other people's.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Nirejhenge wrote:

EDIT: Actually someone has just pointed out to me that maybe she was okay with the image being used on his songs but not on other people's.

This occured to me too. If so, I suspect it'll come down to a difference between "what she signed" versus "what she thought she signed", and Activision will win. I'm sure they were careful with that contract.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Zardoz wrote:

KLEEK LEEK

I took that and I made this.

TheAlbin0Kid · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 13:19

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Zardoz wrote:

KLEEK LEEK

I took that and I made this.

You really shouldn't have done.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

TheAlbin0Kid wrote:

You really shouldn't have done.

http://twitter.com/PenLlawen/status/3886021560

I'm not even slightly sorry.
— Richard Gaywood (@PenLlawen) September 10, 2009

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 13:23

Grim... wrote:

Does the game use his name?

TheAlbin0Kid · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 13:28

Grim... wrote:

Does the game use his name?

In a clever legal ploy they call him Burt Slowbrain citation needed

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

This seems like an ideal moment to repeat my 'Burt Cokain' idea from about ten years back.

DBSnappa · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 13:45

TheAlbin0Kid wrote:

Grim... wrote:

Does the game use his name?

In a clever legal ploy they call him Burt Slowbrain citation needed

In light of how he offed himself, surely it should be Kurt Nobrain

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 14:19

Hurt Nobrain.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38651

fart boringtune

myp · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 14:24

Kurt Co-bane!

Geddit?

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38651

kurt shootyface

TheAlbin0Kid · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 14:27

Chesty La Roux

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38651

they could do an avatar reward with his shotgun, with the amusing animation being the toe/trigger action

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

Slut Banwaller?

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38651

jerry dorcey

Curiosity · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 14:34

Slinglebert Denbleback

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

Shotgun McSplattyscalp

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38651

They could use his real name: Ima Cowardly-Bastard

Sir Taxalot · **Joined:** 5th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 4818

Kurt CoBANG

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

Kurt Coboohoohooaargh

DBSnappa · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 15:10

Sir Taxalot wrote:

Kurt CoBANG

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

myp wrote:

LewieP wrote:

I wonder who was being paid for use of Nirvana songs in previous music games?

Dave Grohl, seeing as his company owns the rights to the music catalogue.

Uh, no. Love owns a massive majority of the music rights with Kris and Grohl owning small, equal portions. Unless Love has sold some to Grohl since I last checked (a year or two ago).

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Quote:

When Nirvana singer and lead songwriter Kurt Cobain died in 1994, his widow, rocker Courtney Love, became the primary beneficiary of his estate, which includes more than ninety-eight percent of the band's publishing rights. Band members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl were left with part of the remainder. Now Love tells Rolling Stone that she has finally sold twenty-five percent of her share of Nirvana's sought-after publishing catalog -- to Larry Mestel of Primary Wave Music Publishing, former COO/GM of Virgin Records.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/ ... ghts_share

So, she owns 98%, minus the 25% she sold there. Grohl owns next to fuck all.

throughsilver · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6197

I'm not sure where taste has a place in this discussion. So a puppet that looks vaguely like Cobain is playing songs Cobain may not have liked. GH/RB isn't about taste or integrity. It's about videogames we play for our entertainment.

And avoiding Interpol songs wherever possible.

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 17:31

Seriously, though, if it uses his name then I can see her point.
If it is just something that looks like him then the skag cannot be allowed to win.

kalmar · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 17:34

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Zardoz wrote:

KLEEK LEEK

I took that and I made this.

Heh, nice one.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 17:39

Splurt Blowbrain?

throughsilver · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6197

Daniel Johns?

kalmar · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 17:42

Shirt Soakstain

NervousPete · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 17:49

Kurt Migraine?

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

Bert Dunblane

Be Excellent To Each Other

Skag Hag vs Evil Corporation
Grab the popcorn

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Be Excellent To Each Other

Skag Hag vs Evil Corporation Grab the popcorn

Who is online

Skag Hag vs Evil Corporation
Grab the popcorn