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Publisher Activision is looking to have a lawsuit filed by former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega thrown out of court.
In a release that dubs the legal action frivolous” and refers to Noriega as a convicted murderer”, Activision says it has enlisted the services of former New York major and current US attorney Rudy Giuliani.
"What’s astonishing is that Manuel Noriega, a notorious dictator who is in prison for the heinous crimes he committed, is upset about being portrayed as a criminal and enemy of the state in the game Call of Duty. Quite simply, it’s absurd," Giuliani stated.
"I’m not interested in giving handouts to a convicted murderer and drug smuggler like Manuel Noriega who is demanding money from Activision and its popular Call of Duty franchise for simply exercising its right to free speech. Noriega’s attack on the rights of Call of Duty comes as no surprise considering he’s a lawless tyrant who trampled over the rights of his own people."
Added the press release: If successful, Noriega’s efforts would give numerous historical and political figures – and their heirs – a veto right over their appearances in works of art, having a chilling effect on movies such as Forrest Gump and Zero Dark Thirty, TV shows such as Saturday Night Live and Boardwalk Empire, and beloved books such as Primary Colors and The Paris Wife, just to name a few.”
Noriega filed a lawsuit in July claiming that the publisher had of the "blatant misuse, unlawful exploitation and misappropriation” of his image for economic gain" in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
