California Judge Dismisses Noriega’s Call of Duty Lawsuit Against Activision
Video game industry: 1. Murderous drug lord/dictator: 0.
Kotaku reports that California Judge William H. Fahey has dismissed the lawsuit former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega filed against Activation over the drug lord's likeness being used in Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Filed this past July, the lawsuit claimed that Noriega's character and image was exploited for the game's economic gain. Activision hired Rudy Giuliani (the former New York City mayor) and his legal team to defend them in court. It looks like Activision made a great choice.
"This ruling is an important victory and we thank the court for protecting free speech," Giuliani said in a press release. "This was an absurd lawsuit from the very beginning and we're gratified that in the end, a notorious criminal didn't win. This is not just a win for the makers of Call of Duty, but is a victory for works of art across the entertainment and publishing industries throughout the world."
We couldn't agree more, Mr. Giuliani.