Dictator Manual Noriega Lawsuit Against Activision’s ‘Call of Duty’ Tossed Out


Former Panamanian dictator Manual Noriega’s lawsuit against Activision has been tossed out, according to a report from Polygon today. The military dictator filed a lawsuit against Activision over his alleged appearance in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 as an unauthorized use of his likeness.

The lawsuit from Manual Noriega, who is currently serving one of multiple sentences at 80 years of age for murder and money laundering in Panama, accused Activision and Call of Duty for using his likeness in several scenes and missions from the highly popular Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Noriega’s legal team claim that Activision used his likeness as a “blatant misuse, unlawful exploitation and misappropriation for economic gain.”

The lawsuit was tossed out by the presiding Judge, William H. Fahey of the Los Angeles Superior Court after Activision filed for a dismissal of the lawsuit based that the use of Noriega in the game was protected free speech and a legitimate fictionalization of a historical figure. As the Inquisitr reported previously, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was named as co-counsel on the case. In the original press release from Activision, Giuliani made a statement about the absurdity.

“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. 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.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 also featured other historical figures such as John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro and Robert McNamara. Activision raised concerns in their briefings that the lawsuit from Noriega would give publishers less creative freedom when featuring important historical figures in games.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for the 40 million dedicated members of our Call of Duty community and global audiences who enjoy historical fiction across all works of art,” Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, said in a statement. “I want to thank Mayor Giuliani, who has dedicated his life to the protection of citizens against terrorists like Manuel Noriega and today for defending free speech.”

[Image Credit: Wikipedia Commons]

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