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Jack Thompson vs. Mortal Kombat
Posted by
Zonk
on Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:53 PM
from the fight! dept.
from the fight! dept.
Nate writes to mention the news that Jack Thompson has issued a cease and desist for the new Mortal Kombat:Armageddon title. Says Mr. Thompson: "It has today come to my attention that the newly recently Mortal Kombat: Armageddon contains an unauthorized commercial exploitation of my name, photograph, image, and likeness within the game." Thompson's likeness has appeared on websites in the game over the last few days as a result of his construction in the 'build-a-fighter' mode. His image is not actually a selectable character in the game, a fact he's chosen to skirt in his demands to Midway. If that's not enough Jack Thompson news for today, Game|Life has the video and commentary on Thompson's dressing down by the judge in the Bully case. Video courtesy of the Destructoid site.
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"Celebrity" (Score:5, Insightful)
Thompson needs to seriously get a grip.
Re:"Celebrity" (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Well..
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Well, at least the next time a judge finds him in contempt of court, the judge can simply rip off his head with the spine still dangling and declare "Fatality!"
Re:"Celebrity" (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
I bet he will win too (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Yeah, it's the same thing and Thompson will win </sarcasm>
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
well, not exactly. Marvel owned the trademarks to the likenesses of those characters in the City of Heroes game. CoH was competing with a similar franchise, so it was construed as a trademark violation.
this mortal kombat thing not only lets you create a likeness of a real person, but also is probably protected by the same laws that protect parody.
Re: (Score:2)
And as far as I know, parodies of trademarked/copyrighted stuff is still legal in this country, isn't it? And doesn't this qualify as parody? And is Jack Thompson's face/likeness a registered trademark?
Here it is... (Score:5, Funny)
I think... (Score:4, Funny)
Dammit, when will these nutballs learn? (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
It is absolutely brilliant.
I need to go and get my JD now...
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Jack is to video games (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't bother with the video (Score:2)
Customization isn't a feature, it's a lawsuit! (Score:5, Funny)
I recently purchased your violence simulator which you refer to as a game called Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. While observing the features of the game I tested out your Kreate a Kharacter option which lets you customize a character to your preferences given a wide variety of choices. Apparently I can design a character in a suit and name him Jack Thompson, which makes this game in clear violation of allowing games to design men in suits and name them after people. You are ordered to Cease and Desist production of this game immediately until my name and all variations of spellings are disallowed during designing characters in suits. This includes "Jerk Thompson" AND "Jackoff Thompson".
Lovingly,
Jack Thompson, the original man fighting lost causes
You want to have some fun... (Score:4, Interesting)
Oh, Jack... (Score:5, Insightful)
In other news... (Score:3, Funny)
Summary of the video (Score:5, Informative)
First 5 minutes of it are spent watching some dork drive, then run into the courthouse, camera running. Thank god for fast-forward. Once inside the courthouse, he gets both Jack and Judge Friedman in the picture. Mostly Jack, whose body language is nothing short of nonchalantly defiant throughout.
Judge F, throughout, speaks very calmly, slowly, repeats himself quite a bit, indicating that this isn't the sort of game he would want his kids playing, but "that is not the test" and that the defendant would prevail on first amendment grounds.
Jack first speaks up, saying something like "am I going to be allowed to speak at this hearing?" but offers nothing, except to try to hold up a rather oversized (about 5 feet tall) sign, which we don't get to see. The judge doesn't actually say anything except "no" and Jack quickly takes the sign down, and it doesn't come back up (at the end of the video as Jack is leaving the courtroom, you can see that it has some relevant statute concerning disqualification of judges). Jack hands the bailiff a normal sized printout to hand to the judge, but no indication is given as to what it contains. One could easily assume it's the same thing as on his poster.
The judge then goes on to call Jack's behavior "inappropriate, unprofessional, and contemptible", and in his usual style, repeats himself quite a bit saying it. He mentions how Jack filed a lawsuit against the judge and attempted to use that as a reason for the judge to recuse himself, which the judge shoots down by saying that you can't simply sue a judge you don't like just to get him out of your case. While the judge is dressing Jack down for this, Jack is making a big show out of putting away his papers, like he's getting ready to leave.
Jack does get a little soliloquy in though: basically he tells the judge to his face that he "you misrepresented what was said in your chambers", and several times used the word "misrepresented" -- basically accusing Judge F. of lying. Ouch. The Judge is pretty much unfazed by this.
I saved the best for last: Judge Friedman won't hear the Motion to Show Cause, he's kicking it to another judge. The reason for this is that Judge Friedman has himself filed a complaint with the Florida Bar about Thompson's behavior.
So not only is Thompson still facing contempt charges, he's going to be up against the bar again. Last time, the FL Bar paid him off to go away, but now he's almost certainly going to face disciplinary action again, and this time, they might just decide to give him some serious payback.
Jack is a technology expert! (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)