GTA 5’s bikini-clad, selfie-taking Lacey Jonas character did not rip-off the image of Mean Girls actress Lindsay Lohan, a US appeals court has ruled.
In a case dating back to 2014, Lohan, 31, had claimed Take-Two’s look-and-sound-alike character had represented an invasion of her privacy.
She had objected to the depiction of Jonas as a “really famous” “actress slash singer” who hid from the paparazzi and was subjected to a police frisking during the best-selling game.
However, the New York State appeals court unanimously ruled (via Reuters) the character “nothing more than cultural comment.” In its decision, the court said the Jonas character was simply a “twenty something” woman rather than a deliberate attempt to include Lohan in the game.
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Judge Eugene Fahey wrote: “The amended complaint was properly dismissed because the artistic renderings are indistinct, satirical representations of the style, look, and persona of a modern, beach-going young woman that are not reasonably identifiable as plaintiff.”
Ramifications…
Despite the dismissal of Lohan’s appeal, the case may have some lasting ramifications. The judges ruled that a video game character can indeed constitute a ‘portrait’ under the meaning of the Civil Rights Act.
“We conclude a computer generated image may constitute a portrait within the meaning of that law,” the verdict reads.
It’s just that in this case, the images ‘are not recognisable’ as Lohan.
Neither the actress, nor Take Two Interactive Software have responded to requests for comment.
You can see Lacey’s scenes in the video above. Judge for yourself and let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
