Activision Accused of Ripping Off Character for ‘Call of Duty’

Activision Blizzard Inc. allegedly copied a writer’s vigilante character for the character of “Mara” in its hit video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” according to a complaint filed Tuesday in Texas federal court.

Clayton Haugen told the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas that Activision used Haugen’s photographs and hired the same model from the photos—wearing the same hair, makeup, and clothing from Haugen’s pictures—in creating Mara.

Haugen is a writer, photographer, and videographer who focuses on “dystopian science fiction, post-apocalyptic, and military themes.” A film version of his story “Hard Kill” was released last year. ...