After his unsuccessful campaign for president in 2008, Rudy Giuliani did what many failed candidates do: enter the private sector, in this case as a lawyer.
But after a few years out of the spotlight, Giuliani is back in the news, this time for facing off against a very different kind of opponent.
In this case it's Manuel Noriega, the former dictator of Panama who was deposed by the U.S. in 1989 and has been behind bars for killing his own citizens ever since. (Video via Military Learning)
But you can still file lawsuits from prison, and that's where Giuliani comes in: "Activision is hiring Rudy Giuliani to take on former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. ... Bracewell & Giuliani is now representing the video game giant."
Why the suit? Activision is the publisher of "Call of Duty," a popular series that frequently uses real-lifehistorical figuresas characters.
"We are in grave danger from the communists. Our freedom … our very way of life is at risk."
In a "Call of Duty" game released in 2012, Noriega was one of those characters, depicted as the brutal, vicious dictator he basically was.
"No witnesses."
Noriega, who's currently imprisoned in Panama, isn't happy about the game. The Los Angeles Times reports he's suing for damages and a share of the profits, saying Activision used his likeness without permission.
The payout could be huge: Joystiq reports the game grossed a billion dollars in its first 15 days alone.
But not if Giuliani, who spoke to PC Gamer on Monday, has anything to say about it.
"This is a complete violation of our right of free speech, and he's making a mockery of the American legal system. If you don't get upset about that, you have no sense of justice."
It's an argument Giuliani will take to court next month as he attempts to have the charges dismissed as "frivolous."
Other famous figures have sued over their portrayal in video games, including several athletes and Lindsay Lohan. But a dictator? That's a new one.
This video includes images from Getty Images.
