Former Dictator Suing Activision For Call of Duty: Black Ops II Appearance

Former Dictator Suing Activision For Call of Duty: Black Ops II Appearance

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Richard Walker

Lindsay Lohan isn't the only one taking action over an alleged likeness in a video game, as former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega is launching a lawsuit against Activision over the use of his likeness in Call of Duty: Black Ops II without his prior consent.

Noriega was convicted in 1992 for a number of crimes including drug dealing, racketeering and money laundering, before leaving prison in 2007. He was then imprisoned in Panama and still resides there. He's now suing Activision for "blatant misuse, unlawful exploitation and misappropriation for economic gain" of his image in Black Ops II.

"In an effort to increase the popularity and revenue generated by Black Ops II, defendants used, without authorisation or consent, the image and likeness of plaintiff in Black Ops II," the complaint reads. The lawsuit also states that his appearance in the game caused "damage" to Noriega, due the character being "portrayed as an antagonist and portrayed as the culprit of numerous fictional heinous crimes, creating the false impression that defendants are authorised to use plaintiff's image and likeness."

Here's an image of Noriega in Black Ops II versus his real-life counterpart.

[Courthouse News via Gamasutra]

Comments
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  • This was two years ago?! Clearly just looking for a quick paycheck
  • This guy versus Bobby Kotick - Epic Rap Battles of History - DO IT!!! o/
  • If anyone should be sueing it's Fidel Castro :S
  • I don't see it. Case dismissed.
  • @1 It 'is' a third world country. Black Ops 2 might be brand new there, along with the VHS version of Taken 2 and the cassette of Adele's "21".
  • In the map Favela of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 there's a picture on a few of the walls of a guy that looks remarkably like me. Does this now mean I can sue Activision?
  • Isn't he still in jail anyways? And @4, it's straight up him in the game. Name and all.
  • Yeah, I know I bought this game just because it had Noriega in it. And like I believe he never did similar things in real life that he did in the game. Yeah, sure. What about Hitler in Wolfenstein 3D? Why aren't his descendants suing? Stalin in C&C: Red Alert? Rodrigo Borgia in Assassin's Creed II? There have been tons of games with tons of historical figures, both good and bad, in them. Next people are going to be suing authors and movie studios for portraying themselves in their media in a way they don't like whether it's accurate or not. I don't even think Noriega has a case since he's not an American citizen. Does that even matter?
  • It's not that it looks like him, it IS him. In the game it's Noriega, he appears as a "character" during the story. So he's not suing cause it looks like him, but because they used him in their game without his authorization. Now keep in mind, I say he should go @#$% himself, but this isn't some made up lawsuit either.
  • If anything I would have thought Just Cause would have upset him more...
  • Smh. What's next, are the Kennedys going to sue for the portrayed shooting of JFK in the first Black Ops?
  • I don't think the clause for using someone without their permissions pertains to individuals outside of the country. Think it's strictly a US citizen law but who knows
  • LOL this is hilarious. How can anyone even take this seriously. He should be flattered his dumbass even made it in a game.
  • Well i look like the main character in Pacman, in off to see my solicitor
  • @11. JFK WAS shot. This guy didn't commit the crimes claimed in Black Ops, (despite actually committing other crimes) In all honesty, he has ground to stand on. They did use him unlawfully.
  • If he didnt want to be remembered as a bad guy maybe he shouldnt have acted like one.
  • The guy might be a piece of shit. But he's absolutely in the right here. They demonized him (for crimes there is no evidence he committed) in the game. Hell, it was an integral part of the story. This isn't some "he looks like me" lawsuit. It IS him. So, criminal or not, Activision has some serious cause to be concerned.
  • @8 Hitler had no descendants. Nor did Stalin. And any trace (if there is any) of the Borgia family was lost throughout the ages. Regardless, even if there were someone out there that were an ancestor, they'd have no ground to stand on. Rodrigo Borgia died hundreds of years ago. Along with the stain any of his crimes would have left on his family line. Doesn't matter what country you live in. An American publisher/developer used his name and likeness, as a heinous villain committing crimes Noriega himself never committed, in a work of fiction. If ever there were a justifiable case for a lawsuit, this is it. Even if the man is garbage.
  • What a DICtator!
  • @5 guessing he's only heard about it recently since prisons in panama probably don't have too many Xbox's If he didn't want his likeness used he shouldn't have ruled a brutal and oppressive regime
  • Who cares it's Call of Duty, Activisions lawyers will beat the case and they will make more CoD games.
  • While this will amount to nothing, and I am totally against censorship in video games, I have to admit I still feel weird assassinating Fidel Castro in Black Ops. Yeah, yeah, he was a body double. But... killing the currently still living leader of a foreign country makes me uncomfortable. What if the next CoD had Vladmir Putin as the villain? Wait, that might actually be awesome...
  • @20 I'd say he didn't even know about it. I'd put money on some lawyers saw an opportunity to pocket some money..
  • Man, he's just now playing this game?? What a loser. He should just focus on Zombies and cool his nuts.
  • He is a little late to the party.
  • Some of these comments, my word. This isn't a case of mistaken identity or parody. This is Noriega's name and likeness used without permission. I am sure Activision assumed that Noriega would never bother to kick up anything about it but in a plot twist he's completely within his right to sue, and is doing so. I can understand his position but I'm still not sure why he's particularly bothered.
  • @27 Really you would like to live in a modern day Russia ruled by what is essentially a dictator himself and goddamn political bully who attacked the Ukraine. The bastard is trying to rebuild the old Soviet Union which started with the attack of Georgia a few years ago that's the country not the state and now the Ukraine. And Obama's a pussy for ending wars & trying to maintain peace, trying to improve his country's state of being. Maybe World War 3 is your answer. Man your a real piece of work...
  • if hitler was still alive he'd be be quids in
  • @8 really dumb remark put it this way hitler would you honestly come with your Hitler's great grandson answer honestly
  • Well at least he has a bit of a case considering he's actually in the game and all. BUT not really because "In an effort to increase the popularity and revenue generated by Black Ops II, defendants used, without authorisation or consent, the image and likeness of plaintiff in Black Ops II". Really?! Show of hands, who actually knew who Manuel Noriega was before buying Blops 2 and bought Blops 2 specifically because he was in it. ... Nobody? Thought so. Claim holds no water, case dismissed. "The lawsuit also states that his appearance in the game caused "damage" to Noriega" Bitch please. Damage how? Nobody knew who he was before playing the game and nobody cared enough after playing the game to think the things that happened in it were real. Hell, most people probably thought that Noriega was just a character the game developers made up rather than a real person. tl;dr: Sit down and shut the fuck up, Manuel Noriega.
  • @8: That already happens. http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2014/07/04/scarlett-johansson-wins-legal-action-against-french-author
  • @10 - Came for the article, found an avatar brother from another mother in an Uncle Cousin.
  • A former dictator is suing because his human rights have been violated. Just think about that for a second.
  • well, he is in prison for a reason ...
  • So let me get this right, in real life, he is an evil piece of crap? And he is suing Activision for portraying him as such? He should be flattered that they recreated an accurate representation of him. Yes they should have been more careful what they did when using him in CoD, as they have used his likeness without prior consent. So i think he does have a case. Not sure how it will work being in a different country. I am no expert on law, so can't say much there. But it might still be possible for him to sue for damages etc.
  • Didn't like 3 people play the campaign?
  • He's not an American citizen. So how the fuck can he sue an American company like one. Rot in jail Manuel.
  • Hopefully they will go bankrupt so I don't have to deal with another shitty yearly installment of this fucking title
  • Hope you win this case manuel
  • He needs money, the CIA must've finally cut him off for good...
  • Hope this piece of shit dies in prison. But to say "He's not American, so how can he sue an American company" is just plain stupid. Other countries have copyright-laws as well and also, this game was not intended for the American market only. If an American company can like Coca Cola can sue a French company for illegal use of their font, than a former Panamanian dictator sure as hell can sue Activisoion for likeness. International laws go both ways you know.
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