Booker T. files lawsuit against video game publishers

WWE Hall of Fame inductee and Houston native Booker T. Huffman has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the publishers of the video game franchise "Call of Duty," claiming its character "Prophet" is too similar to the "G.I. Bro" comic book action hero character that Huffman created based on one of his early professional wrestling personas.  

The 2018 release "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4" prequel depicts the pre-cybernetics Prophet, which bears striking similarities to G.I. Bro, a special operations soldier created and copyrighted by Huffman. 

"When seen side-by-side, there can be no question that this character was copied from 'G.I. Bro,'" said Dallas-based attorney Micah Dortch of the Potts Law Firm. "From the hair, body type and clothing, right down to facial expressions, the similarities are too profound to be an accident.”

Dortch and Houston-based attorney Patrick Zummo represent Huffman in this lawsuit.

Huffman has appeared at multiple events since 2015 dressed as his "G.I. Bro" character.

In the first three days of its release by Activision Publishing Inc., Activision Blizzard Inc., and Major League Gaming Corp., Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 sold more than $500 million in physical copies and downloads. Total sales to date are thought to exceed $1 billion. 

"Booker T. has devoted a significant amount of time and money creating and organically growing his 'G.I. Bro' character,” said Dortch. "That entrepreneurial investment should not be erased by such a blatant act of copyright infringement by a gaming juggernaut." 

The case of Booker T. Huffman v. Activision Publishing, Inc., Activision Blizzard, Inc., and Major League Gaming Corp., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.