Hey, does anyone here actually remember the plot of Call of Duty: Black Ops II? Admittedly Treyarch tried to break the mold with that game’s campaign, but it was still some pretty standard fare, and all said and done, just an over the top, summer blockbuster kind of story that only served as a glorified tutorial to the real meat of the game- the multiplayer.
However, one man seems to remember the plot, and he does not seem to be happy with it. That man is former dictator of Panama, Manuel Noriega, who was featured in the game’s story. Apparently in a manner that he did not approve of, because he went ahead and sued Activision over it.
Today, Activision had some choice words to say about his lawsuit, which they think is frivolous.
“Manuel Noriega had no more than an inconsequential appearance in Call of Duty and isn’t entitled to anything for his role as a brutal dictator,” Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor who is heading Activision’s legal team, said in a statement. “If successful, this case would obliterate the entire genre of historical fiction.”
Giullani is correct, and Noriega does not have much of a leg to stand on anyway. Call of Duty: Black Ops II would technically fall under transformative work, which is a form of protected free speech, meaning that Noriega’s lawsuit is likely to be thrown out of the court.
You can read the full response by Activision’s legal team to the lawsuit here.