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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ki11er1egend
His CD sale must be down.
sephirothcloud
Oh come the hell on I mean really? How more stupid can this world get?
Angelicsin87
So he stole air planes and got 5 star cops on him for real!? He should be sued for the crimes the game bases off him. LOL
Shuklar
Based on his life story? Then shouldn't this guy get arrested ASAP?
IHateChrisGore
If this is supposedly true then why has he waited so many years to sue Rockstar? San Andreas came out when... 2002? 2003? It was the early 2000's and it's almost 2011 now. This story just sounds like another lazy bum who just wants money for not doing anything.
kmcroc
Dude we all know you smoke, but what makes you think someone would use your sad life as a game concept.you may want to cut back on your SMOKING. one more thing you mean hype man right cause last i heard or seen rap groups have no backup singers.
mrsappho
Aww then I guess I should sue Activision cuz i'm a fhuuking secret super soldier who travels to globe to kill bad guys and presidents, and even that story is even more plausible than this idiot's dispute with rockstar...
shmaron
I remember a scene in that game where you're in a convertable with a helicoptor using its blades to attack you. If this is true, this guy had a more intense life than 50 Cent and Tupac put together.
boiske
hah what a joke! but rly i hope he doesnt get a cent
ardoinny
and you just now do something?!
JustTheBeginning
If it was truly based on his life, then he is a criminal, book his azz!
DreamingDarklyRobin
You can't sue Rockstar! Is this guy insane in the brain?
venromero
i call bull! but this is a great time for rockstar to bring GTA san andreas to the current gen systems, i would pay for that, whos with me?
CALiiGeDDon
Just another person in this world wanting money...
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