Here's something you probably didn't expect to see today: Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, defending Call of Duty: Black Ops and publisher Activision in a lawsuit filed by Manuel Noriega, the former military dictator of Panama.
Noriega was woven into Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 often ridiculous plot, which dipped into Panama during his rule in the 1980s. This July, Noriega got wind of his appearance and filed a lawsuit against Activision over the "blatant misuse" of his image, claiming that he's portrayed "as an antagonist and... as the culprit of numerous fictional heinous crimes." The lawsuit indicated that he was also upset about being reduced to a mission objective, saying at one point in the game the goal is "solely to capture the plaintiff."
Today, Activision filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and announced that Giuliani will serve as co-counsel to 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," Giuliani said. "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."
Activision has said that, if successful, Noriega's efforts would give political figures a veto right over their appearances in works video games and other works of art.