Game over for former dictator Manuel Noriega

The former Central American dictator Manuel Noriega’s case against the makers of video game Call of Duty has come a cropper in a Californian court.

The former leader of Panama, deposed in the late 1980s and captured by US forces in 1989, had taken a case against the makers of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, claiming his reputation was damaged by his portrayal in the game.

The depiction of him in the game is certainly forthright, with his character prone to acts of violence, while Noriega, now 80, also claimed that the game manufacturer had not sought his permission ahead of using him as a character.

However, the Supreme Court of California said Activision Blizzard, which developed the game, had proven that the former ruler of Panama was a “notorious public figure, perhaps one of the most notable historical figures of the 1980s”.

The court ruled that Noriega’s rights did not trump those of the right to free speech as provided for by the First Amendment of the US constitution.

Activision Blizzard was represented in the case by Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, who said: “This was an absurd lawsuit from the very beginning and we’re gratified that in the end, a notorious criminal didn’t win. We thank the court for protecting free speech.”

Noriega is currently serving a prison sentence in Panama after being convicted of drug trafficking, money laundering, and killing political opponents.

His legal action had claimed that he was entitled to a share of the profits from the game, which was launched in 2012, as it used his image and name. He said he had been alerted to his character featuring in the game by his grandchildren. The games typically base the action on real-life people and incidents.