Ex-dictator Manuel Noriega sues Activision over 'Call of Duty' game

[Rafy]

 

Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega is suing the Santa Monica video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. for depicting him and using his name without his permission in one of the fastest-selling video games.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Noriega alleges that “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” portrays him as “a kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state.” This was done “to heighten realism in its game,” which “translates directly into heightened sales” for Activision, the lawsuit states.

Noriega, 80, is seeking lost profits as well as damages. His attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.

A U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 ended Noriega’s military dictatorship and landed him in U.S. prison for about two decades on drug-trafficking charges. For a time, he had been a close ally of the U.S. government. He has lived in Panama since 2011.

Activision Blizzard, which has a market capitalization of $16.3 billion, houses a number of video game titles. But "Call of Duty" is among the most well-known. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.

The legal action is the latest to target the video game industry and its use of characters. Actress Linday Lohan recently sued makers of the “Grand Theft Auto V” video game over the use of her likeness without permission. A group of college athletes recently reached a $40-million settlement with Electronic Arts for the use of their likenesses in NCAA-branded video games.

“Black Ops II" was released in November 2012 and netted more than $1 billion in sales in just two weeks. In the video game, Noriega helps the CIA capture the game’s villain before turning his allegiance, according to a "Call of Duty" fan website.

"Black Ops II" came under scrutiny when it was released because it also includes a character resembling former U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, who had just left his role as CIA director after revelations of his extramarital affair.

At the time, Activision told reporters that Petraeus hadn’t been paid, “was not involved in the creation of the game” and that “it is clear to game players that his character and others that are based on real-life figures are fantasy.”

Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/tech...715-story.html

 

First Lohan and now this?!

[Askew]

This nigga the Lindsay Lohan of Panama?

 

At least he was depicted as a warrior and not a bubblegum broad.

[Prodigydeadeye]

Sounds like a nice guy.

[lufihengr]

What profits did he lose?????

[AlwaysFSX]

This only works if you're in the US. Outside we can just ignore you.

[flibberdipper]

Haha, he's funny. Thinking Activision will give him money... Nice try though, dude.

[Levent]

everyone wants a piece from the pie

[Askew]

Haha, he's funny. Thinking Activision will give him money... Nice try though, dude.

 

I can imagine what they're saying in Actiblizz office

 

"Oh come one man, for real? We didn't depict your 80 year old not being able to raise a gun above your waist diaper wearing ass, fly back to Panama."

[AnnoyedShelf]

Yeah, he's not getting any money out of the scumbags at Activision.

[Bloodkil933]

This just sounds like a case of "I'm broke and I've found something that looks slightly like me, maybe I can get some money.", I'm sure Activision's lawyers will tell him otherwise

[StingBull]

I wanna sue Activision too, I need money for my new PC.

[steffen_anywhere]

I wanna sue Activision too, I need money for my new PC.

 

Sue them for infringing with their own copyrights cuz every CoD is the same

 

EDIT: I don't even know what I'm doing, just ignore that...

[cluelessgenius]

I wanna sue Activision too, I need money for my new PC.

yeah me too. that dude somewhere around half through the ghosts whos catching a break at the balcony and gets killed looks totally like me, so i want 25 million right now or ill scream for my lawyer. *mumbling* - "god damn avtivsion fucks... thinking they smart....going around copying people... ill show them smart"