Slashdot Mirror
Deee-lite Singer Sues Sega Over Space Channel 5
According to this story at Rollingstone.com, the former singer of Deee-lite, Lady Miss Kier, is suing Sega for borrowing her image and style for the game Space Channel 5. She's seeking more than $750,000 for misuse of her likeness, and claims that Sega originally tried to negotiate a deal with her during 2000, but she declined. This calls to mind Nintendo's brush with Uri Geller.
Deelite: http://homepages.culver.edu/faculty/jcoelho/CoverA rt/DeeeLite_VeryBestOf.jpg
Space Channel 5: http://www.gameindustry.com/reviews/images/000621s pacechannel5.jpg
(forgive my crappy formatting, I don't feel like html tonight.. I'm still sort of learning as I go along, doing the website at work, and don't want to mess it up and feel more foolish if I do it wrong)
After a quick Google image search, I'd say SC5 has more of a resemblance to the classic sci-fi B-movie Barbarella (spaceships and laser guns) or the movie CQ than Deee-lite. Oh, and does that mean she's going to try and sue Monolith for the game No-One Lives Forever (and the latest Austin Powers franchise while she's at it?)
:)
If there's any resemblance, it's because Dee copied Barb's look - which is only that cliched 60's view of the future anyway. I vaguely remember a DeeLite video featured aliens playing a keyboard. If it wasn't a straight rip-off of the Star Wars canteena band - I'm not sure what isn't. Although really the only similarity I can see is that they both Dee and Ulala have RED (or PINK) hair. Shocking!
I'd be suprised if SC5 actually made a profit for Sega given the nature of most games (and the Dreamcast's nosedive). I'm sure if Dee would like to take her fair share of the negative profits, Sega would be only too happy...
Popular fact #1: SC5 contained "spydance" (and was actually quite funky), as opposed to "shit pop music" that should have died in the early 90's.
Popular fact #2: Michael Jackson (yes that Michael) played a walk-on role and sung some backing vocals in SC5 if you rescued him from the aliens. The rumour is that he approched Sega and offered to appear for free (but I might be making that up).
It isn't just the look, but the movement, voice and persona of LMK that Ulala has. The first time I played Space Channel 5, I was immediately reminded of LMK of Deee-Lite. A good example is her name, Ulala. On Deee-Lite's Sampadelic Relics and Dancefloor Oddities, there's a sample of LMK saying "Ooo la la, la la la la la la" and then speaking a bunch of French. The whole game is just a funky hodgepodge of dancing, style and flare, which is more or less what LMK has always seemed to convey.
Still, I think it's ridiculous that LMK thinks she owns the rights to a certain look. You don't see the first guy who started wearing khaki shorts and sandals suing everyone who has made a late 90's frat movie. Or, perhaps more appropriately, a 70's disco diva suing Lady Miss Kier.
This guy. This $#!%^ guy.
space channel 5 isn't exactly new..... this is frivolity... also, I don't see the resemblence.
Except that, according to the story, "The singer further claims that between May and July 2000 Sega asked to license her likeness, image and name for the games for roughly $15,000, but she declined." If this is true, then Sega thought it was close enough to seek a license....
Then again, maybe why you don't see the resemblance now is because Sega was forced to change the game...which of course would make the lawsuit a little opportunistic.
moto411.com
distinctive? come the fuck on, that discribes half of all european and asian teenage girls. just take your damn royalty checks for "groove is in the heart" and leave Sega alone. I mean, at least Sega is something from the 80's that's still good
The World's Worst Webcomic!