Giuliani Takes On Ex-Panamanian Dictator Noreiga In 'Call Of Duty' Lawsuit

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani called a lawsuit filed by former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega against a Santa Monica-based video game company an "attack on free speech" in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday.

Giuliani - who is now a private attorney representing Activision Blizzard Inc. - filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit by Noriega, which alleges the company used his likeness without permission in "Call of Duty: Black Ops II."

The game, which launched in November 2012, generated roughly $1 billion in revenue in just the first month of sales alone.

During a telephone news conference, Giuliani argued that video games are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as books and movies, and claimed that allowing Noriega to prevail in such a lawsuit would "open the floodgates" for relatives of numerous historical figures both "infamous and otherwise" to file similar cases.

He argued that, for example, a favorable ruling could motivate relatives of Osama bid Laden to file a similar case over the depiction of the slain terrorist in the film "Zero Dark Thirty."

Attorneys for Noriega filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles on July 15, alleging the 80-year-old Noriega's likeness was used without his permission in the 2012 game and that he was falsely portrayed as a "kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state."

The lawsuit alleges, "In an effort to increase the popularity and revenue generated by BLACK OPS II, defendants used, without authorization or consent, the image and likeness of plaintiff in BLACK OPS II," Courthouse News Service reported.

Giuliani argued that Noriega made himself a public figure through his own actions and is not someone who was unintentionally thrust into the spotlight.

"I am outraged that a man who was a notorious dictator in prison for drug dealing, murder and torture is upset about being portrayed as a criminal," the 70-year-old Giuliani said. "Quite simply, that's absurd."

Noriega is only featured in a small portion of "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" and is not even advertised as a featured player in the game, Giuliani said.

Toppled in 1989 by a U.S. invasion, Noriega served a 17-year drug trafficking sentence in the United States. He later was convicted of money laundering in France, which eventually repatriated Noriega to Panama in December 2011.

He is currently serving a 60-year sentence in Panama for murder, embezzlement and corruption.

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