LOS ANGELES — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is joining a video game company’s legal fight against disgraced Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who is suing Activision over his inclusion in one of its popular “Call of Duty” games.
Activision Blizzard Inc. announced Monday that Giuliani and his firm will ask a Los Angeles judge to dismiss Noriega’s lawsuit, which claims his likeness was used without permission in 2012’s “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.”
Giuiliani told The Associated Press he took the case because he doesn’t want the imprisoned Noriega to profit from his crimes, which include convictions for murder, drug trafficking and money laundering. Also, Giuiliani said that if the lawsuit is upheld, it could give historical figures and their heirs veto power over their depiction in books, television, movies and video games.
Noriega sued Activision in July, claiming the company depicted him as a “kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state.”
