Call of Duty Publisher Activision Moves to Dismiss Former Military Dictator Manuel Noriega’s Absurd Lawsuit
23 September 2014 - 12:00AM
Business Wire
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani Named as Co-Counsel
Today – Will Be Available via Teleconference to Discuss Noriega’s
Claims
Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), the creators of the
popular Call of Duty franchise, today will file a motion to dismiss
the frivolous lawsuit by former dictator and convicted murderer
Manuel Noriega. Former New York City Mayor and U.S. Attorney Rudy
Giuliani who is now a named partner of Bracewell & Giuliani
LLP, will serve as co-counsel and defend the company on the grounds
that Noriega’s depiction in Call of Duty is a protected right to
free speech.
“What’s astonishing is that Manuel Noriega, a notorious dictator
who is in prison for the heinous crimes he committed, is upset
about being portrayed as a criminal and enemy of the state in the
game Call of Duty. Quite simply, it’s absurd,” said Rudy Giuliani.
“I’m not interested in giving handouts to a convicted murderer and
drug smuggler like Manuel Noriega who is demanding money from
Activision and its popular Call of Duty franchise for simply
exercising its right to free speech. Noriega’s attack on the rights
of Call of Duty comes as no surprise considering he’s a lawless
tyrant who trampled over the rights of his own people.”
The stories in the Call of Duty franchise, like many movies and
television shows, are ripped from headlines. From the Cold War to
World War II and the advanced soldiers featured in the upcoming
Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare, the game is fictional, but
is grounded in reality. Call of Duty regularly features characters
that are ruthless dictators and iconic villains, such as Fidel
Castro and Manuel Noriega, as well as vaunted heroes such as
President John F. Kennedy.
The motion to dismiss will be filed this morning in the Superior
Court of the State of California. Today’s legal action seeks to
dismiss Manuel Noriega’s complaint at the outset under California’s
anti-SLAPP statute, a state provision enacted to protect freedom of
speech against spurious lawsuits. Relevant legal documents can be
found HERE.
If successful, Noriega’s efforts would give numerous historical
and political figures – and their heirs – a veto right over their
appearances in works of art, having a chilling effect on movies
such as Forrest Gump and Zero Dark Thirty, TV shows such as
Saturday Night Live and Boardwalk Empire, and beloved books such as
Primary Colors and The Paris Wife, just to name a few.
A taped video of co-counsel Rudy Giuliani discussing the key
themes of the case is available HERE.
A live teleconference with Rudy Giuliani will be available for
interested media today from 3:00 - 3:30 PM EDT. The following is
the call-in information:
Toll Free Number: 1-800-247-5110International Number:
1-334-323-7224Passcode: 59961
About Activision Publishing,
Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision
Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and
distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil,
Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy,
Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore,
mainland China, Hong Kong and the region of Taiwan. More
information about Activision and its products can be found on the
company's website, www.activision.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Activision
Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about the launch date
and expected features of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare,
are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a
number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause
Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially
from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in
this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors
identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this
release are based upon information available to Activision
Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of
this release, and neither Activision
Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any
obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may
ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Activision
Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to
risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond
its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from
current expectations.
ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS II and CALL OF
DUTY ADVANCED WARFARE are trademarks of Activision Publishing,
Inc.
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Activision BlizzardMary Osako, 424-322-5166orRubenstein
CommunicationsFarrell Sklerov, 212-843-8289
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