French publisher and developer Ubisoft has sued The Black Eyed Peas for $1 million.
The lawsuit has been filed as BEP Music, the band’s representatives, failed to respond to requests pertaining to the approval of an iOS game that featured the band.
Ubisoft said it “entered into a license agreement (‘the Contract’), pursuant to which BEP Music licensed to Ubisoft the exclusive, worldwide right to use, among other things, the names and likenesses of a music group and its members … to develop, produce, and distribute a video game … on all existing and future handheld and home consoles and IOS platforms, including the iPhone and iPad.”
A clause in the contract required BEP Music to respond to the submission of a game within 10 days, with Ubisoft stressing it submitted the iOS game to the group in March, but has yet to hear anything back.
“Since March 2012, and despite Ubisoft’s repeated requests, BEP Music has breached the contract by failing and refusing to either approve or disapprove the IOS game in writing or otherwise. Ubisoft has performed all of the obligations required of it under the contract, except as those obligations that have been excused by BEP Music’s conduct or by operation of law.”
The publisher claims the wait to hear back from BEP Music initially cost the studio around $233,000 in developing the iOS title.
“As a direct and proximate result of BEP Music’s breach of contract, Ubisoft has suffered damages in an amount in excess of $1,000,000, which not only includes Ubisoft’s out-of-pocket development costs, but also the profits Ubisoft has lost and will continue to lose as a result of BEP Music’s breach of contract.”