Amazon in Talks to Invest $10 Billion in OpenAI as AI Firm Eyes $1 Trillion IPO Valuation 
SUPERFORTUNE Launches AI-Powered Mobile App, Expanding Beyond Web3 Into $392 Billion Metaphysics Market 
Trump Signs Executive Order to Establish National AI Regulation Standard 
SpaceX Reportedly Preparing Record-Breaking IPO Targeting $1.5 Trillion Valuation 
Apple App Store Injunction Largely Upheld as Appeals Court Rules on Epic Games Case 
SoftBank Shares Slide as Oracle’s AI Spending Plans Fuel Market Jitters 
Adobe Strengthens AI Strategy Ahead of Q4 Earnings, Says Stifel 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
SK Hynix Considers U.S. ADR Listing to Boost Shareholder Value Amid Rising AI Chip Demand 
Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns 
Nvidia Weighs Expanding H200 AI Chip Production as China Demand Surges 
MetaX IPO Soars as China’s AI Chip Stocks Ignite Investor Frenzy 
Trump’s Approval of AI Chip Sales to China Triggers Bipartisan National Security Concerns 
Trello Outage Disrupts Users as Access Issues Hit Atlassian’s Work Management Platform 
Biren Technology Targets Hong Kong IPO to Raise $300 Million Amid China’s AI Chip Push 
iRobot Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Amid Rising Competition and Tariff Pressures 
Activision Blizzard and some of its subsidiaries have been named defendants to a recently filed copyright infringement lawsuit. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” developer Infinity Ward is being accused of deliberately copying the plaintiff’s work to create the playable character named Mara.
‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ developers allegedly planned to copy Mara
In the complaint, as first reported by TorrentFreak, plaintiff Clayton Haugen alleges that the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” operator Mara was based on Cade Janus. Based on the filing, Cade Janus is a central character to his fiction work titled “November Renaissance,” described as a “female vigilante and pariah figure.”
Haugen’s 22-page complaint narrates that he pitched “November Renaissance” to film studios in 2017. To do that, he hired a talent to portray Cade Janus, along with a professional makeup artist, to create the concept art for the character. The plaintiff also maintains he directed the photoshoot for the Cade Janus concept art. “Mr. Haugen subsequently posted the protected images and character background on his website and social media,” his legal representatives from Potts Law Firm said in a press release.
Two photos were posted on his Instagram page in August 2018. These are also attached in the complaint filing for side-by-side comparisons of the Cade Janus photos with the in-game player model and promo images featuring Mara.
Why the ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ lawsuit is not like most video game copyright claims
It is not strange for video game studios and publishers to face copyright claims. But what makes Haugen’s complaint different from most cases is that his camp maintains the “November Renaissance,” and Cade Janus photographs were registered to the United States Copyright Office.
The complaint gets more interesting as it narrates how “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” developers allegedly copied Cade Janus in “deliberate, intentional and comprehensive” ways. Haugen claims the developers used his registered photos as guides, hired the same talent to pose as Mara, and had the talent asked Haugen for the same clothes worn for Cade Janus.
The plaintiff further maintained that the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” studio also commissioned the same makeup artist. They were then allegedly asked to style the talent with the same makeup and hairstyle for Cade Janus before taking 3D scans for Mara’s character creation. Haugen’s camp has filed a separate petition to demand a jury trial.
