According to singer Michael "Shagg" Washington, open world crime simulator Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is based on his life. Washington, who says he was a backup singer with rap group Cypress Hill, alleges Rockstar games ripped off his life-story and his image for the game, and he'd like to be paid around $250 million dollars for misappropriation of likeness and copyright infringement.
Washington says he met with Rockstar in the early 00s, for two hours to answer questions on "his street life including how the teen-agers in his gang rode around on bicycles." In a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Washington says:
"It began to dawn on him that his image had been stolen for the game. Upon examination of images of ‘CJ’ and comparison to his photos from that year and other evidence, it became clear that Rockstar (the developer of Grand Theft Auto) had stolen his image and never paid him.”
Washington is listed on San Andreas credits under "Talent," (along with, literally, hundreds of other people) which could show he had some connection with Rockstar, but as for his likeness, in a game with such a large number of customization options for the main character -- up to and including morbid obesity -- I don't see how it could be said that Carl "CJ" Johnson even has a likeness.
I'm not lawyer, but the story of GTA: SA seems based, loosely, on the "Boys n the Hood" style urban crime films that were popular back in the 1990s. Come to think of it, when I was teenager, we used to ride around on bikes too! Maybe they stole GTA from me. (I'm from the streets.)
In my non-lawyer opinion, unless this guy can prove he used to fly explosive remote control bi-planes, has a brother named "Sweet" and wants to put to Grove Street on the map, there's no case here. These kinds of "they stole my idea/voice/face!" cases are notoriously difficult to prove in a legal sense. Still, I'm not a lawyer, and I'm often wrong.
So what do you guys think? Does this guy stand a chance of winning his case? Could he be in the right? Has a video game ever been based on your life?
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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Socratz87
Hmm...I guess I should sue Bioware. Mass Effect was based on my life. That's right. I saved humanity TWICE!
zoomos
I think this dude should go jump off the San Fierro Bridge.
boricuaboy03
he must be good at base jumping too
M6000
This same thing happened to me I should sue Nintendo because Mario is based off my life right after I ate that Mushroom all that stuff happened to me.
Wolfhammer
sounds like someones bank account finally drained, knew that gold plated hummer would bite him in the butt
hamilton_m
Bioshock. Bioshock was based on my life.
Oinkness
Q-Bert was based on my life. I actually won and was granted a settlement in that case.
Keithk
This guy should stfu and get a job like normal people.
Nub Salad
So many people lie and steal from each other so much it's hard to tell who is being honest. There are many people that try to get money from not doing any work. If they took his likeness its not like he did anything else to make GTA:SA happen. And on the other side of the story, huge companies take advantage of people all the time, including their employees. It's not like a company couldn't take an idea from someone that has no means to do anything with it alone, make millions off it, and then completely ignore where they got the idea. Lesson learned, don't go into rockstar or any company with an idea to make millions without having your back covered, because they will take it, no one will believe it was your idea and you'll be effing pissed off.
DevilishBoredom
Isn't this dude just a tad to late to the game on this one so to speak... San Andreas is kinda old news now. Didn't he realize this when there were huge ass billboards and ads all over the place and ads on the tv all the time?
Now if some hard-ass dude from russia came up to me and said GTA4's Niko was based on him, I may tend to believe him... I just don't wanna know that dude... I'd probably wind up dead. >.>
FOX OPS
I don't want to imagine what some gang banger rapper would do with that money. I honestly don't think he has a case though. FAIL
lynch dude8
OMG! i know how he feels! fallout 3 was like an exact telling of my life!
MeanBob91
it's been 6 years since the game came out. really, til now you wanna say something?
Even then, people just wanna sue to just get money outta really anything..
efFofexX
This happened to me once. LittleBigPlanet is totally based on my life, but you don't see me going around tryin to sue people. What an idiot.
GamebustaZX
come on this game came out years ago this guy went broke and dont want to work at Burger king so he looked around for someone to sue for some money this dead beat anit gonna get no money for lack of proof
MattmanX311
This guy should also get to work on his lawsuit against Summers' Eve, because I'd say one of the companies major products is most assuredly based on him as well....
GH0STX14
Id like to get paid from lionhead studios because I became ruler of albion, destroyed the darkness, and happened to marry a prostitute. They definitely stole my life
luckyone91
I'd like to take this oppertunity to say that Fat Princess is based on MY life, and I'll also be seeking compensation.
gtamaster503
Well there is a legal message at the beginning of the game that has the premise of: If this happened in real life, it's a coincidence.
DrNo0
How come he says this now after 6 years this game was popular back then and he tells us now he must be a little low on cash
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