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Wrestler Booker T is suing Activision for allegedly putting his alter ego in Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4.

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/12/...ivision-prophet-black-ops-4-copyright-lawsuit

Professional wrestler Booker T. Huffman is suing games publisher Activision for allegedly putting his comic book character “G.I. Bro” in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Huffman filed a copyright complaint today based on similarities between G.I. Bro and the Black Ops character David “Prophet” Wilkes. “They could have drawn him any way they wanted. But they chose to steal Booker T’s ‘G. I. Bro,’” the complaint reads.

Huffman’s lawsuit seems based essentially on visual similarities between G.I. Bro and Prophet. (That’s G.I. Bro as depicted in Huffman’s comic book G.I. Bro and the Dragon of Death, as opposed to his 1990s “G.I. Bro” wrestling persona, and Prophet as depicted in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, as opposed to an older version of the character in Black Ops III.) Specifically, it compares a picture of Huffman’s character with a promotional image of Prophet, stating that “there is no doubt that [Activision] copied ‘G.I. Bro.’”

Screen_Shot_2019_02_12_at_5.32.04_PM.png
 

xviper

Member
Pathetic, whenever a celebrity sues a video game company for a ridiculous reason i immediately loose any respect for them.
 

Bullet Club

Member
When I saw "Booker T is suing" I thought it was going to be something like that he was suing Epic for putting the spinaroonie into Fortnite, but no, this is even weirder.
 

TheSHEEEP

Gold Member
Wait... is this a black guy with dreads suing a company because they put a black guy with dreads in, and therefore that MUST be him? What...
 

ThatGamingDude

I am a virgin
Pathetic, whenever a celebrity sues a video game company for a ridiculous reason i immediately loose any respect for them.
He actually has a pretty decent case >.> And a legit one too. His job is his branding, persona, and likeness. Would you work a full week and not get paid?
Another pathetic washed up celebrity seeking money
BOOKER T IS NOT WASHED UP HOW DARE YOU

My wrestling goofiness aside, he's actually running for mayor of Houston this year
When I saw "Booker T is suing" I thought it was going to be something like that he was suing Epic for putting the spinaroonie into Fortnite, but no, this is even weirder.
I can't find a video of that or any info on it; I'm not a huge Fortnite guy, mind shooting that my way?
Coincidence. I doubt Activision ever looked at WWE spinoff products for inspiration.
Stranger things have happened, for example
<a href="https://www.geek.com/games/torchlight-art-assets-stolen-used-in-ios-game-armed-heroes-1503605/">Mobile game steals Torchlight assets</a>

And there's totally some comic book that had a character "inspired," by someone's deviantart account in very much the same way; I just can't for the life of me find it, it was an incredibly interesting read.

inb4 I have a shitty memory
 
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/12/...ivision-prophet-black-ops-4-copyright-lawsuit

Professional wrestler Booker T. Huffman is suing games publisher Activision for allegedly putting his comic book character “G.I. Bro” in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Huffman filed a copyright complaint today based on similarities between G.I. Bro and the Black Ops character David “Prophet” Wilkes. “They could have drawn him any way they wanted. But they chose to steal Booker T’s ‘G. I. Bro,’” the complaint reads.

Huffman’s lawsuit seems based essentially on visual similarities between G.I. Bro and Prophet. (That’s G.I. Bro as depicted in Huffman’s comic book G.I. Bro and the Dragon of Death, as opposed to his 1990s “G.I. Bro” wrestling persona, and Prophet as depicted in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, as opposed to an older version of the character in Black Ops III.) Specifically, it compares a picture of Huffman’s character with a promotional image of Prophet, stating that “there is no doubt that [Activision] copied ‘G.I. Bro.’”
He looks more like R-Truth to me...

image

Screen_Shot_2019_02_12_at_5.32.04_PM.png
 
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IWMPhJB.jpg


Is is amusing that the comicbook example itself features what appears to be Sharmell as a super blatant MCU Black Widow rip-off. =S
 

norm9

Member
I mean, that's a pretty good likeness.
Howeve, Not sure what the five time champ would get from winning other than cod changing the portrait.
 

demigod

Member
So according to him all black people look the same now. Seriously though, the black ops does not look like him.
 

Boss Mog

Member
I haven't watched wrestling since I was a teenager but I always liked Booker T. He was pretty athletic and acrobatic for a guy with so much bulk. "Can you dig it sucka?".

Not really sure he has a case here, but whatever, we'll see I guess.
 
I’m quite skeptical the cause of action (count 1) - copyright infringement - will be successful. On its face I’m more inclined to think of it as a right of publicity case, but that is a matter of state law (California or Delaware, presumably, but that likely provides grounds for diversity jurisdiction for a federal court to hear the case, assuming Booker T isn’t a citizen of the same state as the entity).

I’m likely unaware of the precedents for not arguing for this in the alternative, but it may very well have to do with venue and wanting to get to a hearing or trial as quickly as possible (hence why so many patent cases are brought in Texas), so they avoided the state claim in favor of the copyright infringement.
 

cryptoadam

Banned
Probably doesn't have anything here but he needs to protect his intelectual property so I don't blame him for trying this. Its not like the dancing thing, if he is right they are outright using his image without his permission. Again IF he IS RIGHT as per the courts.

The Video game industry is starting to find itself in some muddy waters and the wild wild west days seem to be over. Its big money and people out there will always want their piece of the pie. In the past you could get away with things but because of how high profile video games and how much $$$ involved you know sharks are going to circle and lawyers are going to want to get paid.
 

VertigoOA

Banned
I love booker but it’s a bit of an outrageous claim.

Don’t think he’s hurting for cash either. He’s still on wwe payroll and has a wrestling school with his brother that is quite successful...
 
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