Today, the New York Supreme Court issued a decision on the defendants’ motion to dismiss.
Advertisement
In 2014, singer-actress Lindsay Lohan filed suit against publisher Take-Two Interactive and developer Rockstar Games for alleged misuse of her likeness in Grand Theft Auto V.
Lindsay has long claimed that the bikini-clad character Lacey Jonas, who spends her day fleeing the paparazzi and hanging out at the Chateau Marmont, was based on her.
Lohan had filed the lawsuit against the gaming producers over the character Lacey Jonas in Grand Theft Auto V that she believed had both her physical features and voice.
Rockstar’s position on the conflict was that Lohan was merely seeking attention with the legal action.
Mob Wives star Karen Gravano made similar claims that the game had appropriated her likeness, arguing that the character of Andrea Bottino and her plotline about being moved to safe house was based on her life.
Grand Theft Auto is Take-Two’s largest franchise, and “Grand Theft Auto V” exceeded $1 billion in sales within the first three days of its release.
Poor Lindsay Lohan – courts aren’t falling for this one!
Ultimately, however, a five-judge panel ruled that the suits were without merit because Lohan and Gravano’s actual names and images are not used in the game.
To recap, in addition to suing Take Two, Lohan had lost a defamation lawsuit against Fox News and had unsuccessfully sued musician Pit Bull for calling her out in a song.
As a side win for game fans, the judges agreed that video games deserve First Amendment protection, “like the protected books, plays and movies that proceeded them”. Gravano’s lawyer says they’re exploring their options.
Advertisement
A NY court today threw out a suit first filed back in 2013 by Lohan, who claimed the popular video game infringed on her privacy by “misappropriating” her likeness without her permission.
