LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- A lawsuit filed by former dictator of Panama, Manuel Noriega, against the Call of Duty video game publisher has been dismissed by a judge in California.
Judge William H. Fahey of the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled Monday that "Noriega's right of publicity is outweighed by defendants' First Amendment right to free expression."
Noriega had filed his 13-page lawsuit in July, claiming that Activision's 2012 "Black Ops II" edition portrayed him as a "kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state." He sought damages for the harm it caused to his reputation, and compensation for the role his character played in the game's success.
Fahey ruled that no evidence was provided to substantiate Noriega's claim that the video game's portrayal of the former dictator sullied his reputation. "Indeed," the judge concluded, "given the worldwide reporting of his actions in the 1980s and early 1990s, it is hard to imagine that any such evidence exists."
As for the Noriega character's purported role in the game's success, the judge noted that the character was not the central figure in the "complex and multi-faceted game," pointing to the Noriega character's appearance in two of 11 missions and limited spoken parts.
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and attorney for Activision Blizzard Inc., called Noriega's filing "an absurd lawsuit from the very beginning."
Noriega's attorney, William T. Gibbs, said, "At this time, we are still reviewing the court's order and conferring with our client to determine our next steps."
