Case 2:19-cv-00050 Document 1 Filed 02/12/19 Page 1 of 9 PageID #: 1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
MARSHALL DIVISION
BOOKER T. HUFFMAN,
Plaintiff,
V.
ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.,
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC., and
MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING CORP.,
Defendants.

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C.A. NO. 2:19-cv-50
JURY

COMPLAINT
Plaintiff Booker T. Huffman complains of Defendants Activision Publishing, Inc.,
Activision Blizzard, Inc., and Major League Gaming Corp., and for his cause of action for
copyright infringement, respectfully would show the following:
The Parties
1.

Plaintiff Booker T. Huffman (hereinafter “Booker T.”) is an individual who

resides in Friendswood, Texas.
2.

Defendant Activision Publishing, Inc. (hereinafter “Activision”) is a corporation

organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. Activision may be served with process by
serving its registered agent, Corporation Service Company, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington,
Delaware 19808.
3.

Defendant Activision Blizzard, Inc. (hereinafter “Activision Blizzard”) is a

corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. Activision Blizzard has done
business in Texas and has committed copyright infringement in the State of Texas, as is further
alleged below. Activision Blizzard may be served with process by serving its registered agent,
Corporation Service Company, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, Delaware 19808.

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4.

Defendant Major League Gaming Corp. (hereinafter “MLG”) is a corporation

organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. MLG has done business in Texas and has
committed copyright infringement in the State of Texas, as is further alleged below. MLG may
be served with process by serving its registered agent, Corporation Service Company, 251 Little
Falls Dr., Wilmington, Delaware 19808.
5.

Activision, Activision Blizzard and MLG will be referred to collectively herein as

"Defendants."
The Case
6.

This is an action for copyright infringement. Booker T. created two comic books

based on his character “G. I. Bro.” G.I Bro is a special operations action hero. Defendants
published a series of multiplayer, first-person shooter games under the general title “Call of
Duty.” In 2018, Defendants released Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, a “prequel” to the prior
videogame Call of Duty: Black Ops III. In Call of Duty: Black Ops III, one of the “specialist”
characters was David “Prophet” Wilkes, who had replaced 90% of his body with “cybernetics”
to enhance his fighting ability. For the “prequel,” Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Defendants chose to
depict “Prophet” as he was before he remade himself. They could have drawn him any way they
wanted. But they chose to steal Booker T.’s “G. I. Bro.”
7.

In the pictures below, “G. I. Bro” is on the left, and “Prophet is on the right:

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There is no doubt that Defendants copied “G. I. Bro.”
Jurisdiction and Venue
8.

This Court has exclusive federal jurisdiction over the subject matter of Booker

T.’s copyright infringement action under 28 U.S.C. § 1338. In addition, this Court has subject
matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 as this claim arises under the copyright laws of the
United States, 17 U.S.C. § 101, et seq.
9.

This Court has specific personal jurisdiction over all Defendants. Defendants

have done business in Texas and have committed copyright infringement in Texas, as is further
alleged below. This Court has specific jurisdiction of the Defendants because Defendants
knowingly, intentionally and purposefully committed acts of copyright infringement in Texas, in
the form of every sale of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 that took place in Texas or resulted in the
download or other delivery of a copy of the game to a purchaser in Texas. Under the Copyright
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Act of 1976, a copyright owner has certain exclusive rights, including the exclusive right to
make copies and derivatives of the owner’s works, and the exclusive right to distribute, by sale,
rental, gift or otherwise, copies of the copyright owner’s works. Any violation of the copyright
owner’s exclusive rights is an infringer of the copyrights. 17 U.S.C. § 501(a). Each distribution
or sale of each infringing copy is a new, separate, and distinct act of copyright infringement.
10.

A substantial portion of Booker T.’s entitlement to relief under the Copyright Act

arises from the sales and distributions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in Texas. Booker T.
incorporates by reference his allegations below describing the specific infringing conduct of
Defendants that was directed to Texas.
11.

Venue in this District is proper under 27 U.S.C. § 1400(a) and 28 U.S.C.

§ 1391(b) and (c) because Defendants do business in and may be found in this District.
Factual Background
12.

Booker T. Huffman has led a blessed life. Born in Louisiana and raised in inner-

city Houston, he learned as a young man that he had to live his life with no excuses, and that he
was responsible for his own actions and decisions. “Legend” does not do justice in describing
Booker T.’s career as a wrestler. He is famous for winning the world champion title while
wrestling in the WCW circuit not once but five (5) times. Booker T. is often ranked amount the
top five heavyweight wrestlers in history.
13.

In creating his wrestling personality and the stories for his performances in the

ring, Booker T. realized that he could create characters and stories beyond professional
wrestling. He conceived a character like his wrestling personality who would be a retired special
operations soldier, fighting an old enemy he thought he had finished off years before, with the
support of his old military friends.

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14.

In 2015, Booker T. teamed with an independent contractor, Travis Huffman (they

are not related). Travis Huffman and his employees took Booker T.’s G. I. Bro and created
artwork, four cartoon versions of G. I. Bro. They then took Booker T.'s story and produced a
preview comic book, G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death. In it, the retired soldier is “Book,”
based on Booker T. himself. His old enemy taunts him as “G. I. Bro.” They produced a longer
version later the same year, G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death. Booker T. has promoted his
character and his comic books by appearing at comic book events dressed as G.I Bro.
15.

Booker T. is the author of, and at all times relevant to this claim, has been and is

now the sole owner of all right, title and interest in and to the copyrights in the following:
G. I. Bro Artwork, four drawings of the G. I. Bro character,
G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death Preview, a comic book,
G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death, a comic book.
Each of the foregoing works is an individual work of authorship created by Booker T. Each of
these works is protectable subject matter pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) and (5). (Hereinafter,
the foregoing works will be referred to collectively as the “G.I. Bro Works.”)
16.

Booker T. has filed an application for registration of his copyright in G. I. Bro

Artwork. He has paid the requisite fee, and has deposited the necessary copy of the work with
the United States Copyright Office. The United States Copyright Office has received these
materials, and has assigned the application Case No. 1-7398740741.
17.

Booker T. has filed an application for registration of his copyright in G. I. Bro

and the Dragon of Death Preview.

H e has paid the requisite fee, and has deposited the

necessary copy of the work with the United States Copyright Office.

The United States

Copyright Office has received t h e s e materials, and h a s a s s i gn e d the application Case
No. 1-7398741148. G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death Preview is based on the character G. I.
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Bro, first drawn in G. I. Bro Artwork, and includes two of the drawings from G. I. Bro
Artwork; to that extent it is a derivative of G. I. Bro Artwork.
18.

Booker T. has registered G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death with the United

States Copyright Office. The Copyright Office has issued Certificate of Registration No. TX 8668-892 for this work, dated January 8, 2019. G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death is a derivative
of G. I. Bro Artwork and G. I. Bro and the Dragon of Death Preview. G. I. Bro and the Dragon
of Death is based on the character G. I. Bro, first drawn in G. I. Bro Artwork, and includes one
of the drawings from G. I. Bro Artwork; to that extent it is also a derivative of G. I. Bro
Artwork.
19.

Booker T. has complied in all respects with Title 17 of the United States Code,

§101 et seq., (the Copyright Act of 1976) and all other United States laws governing copyrights,
and has secured the exclusive rights and privileges in and to the copyrights to the G. I. Bro
Works. Booker T.’s copyrights in the G. I. Bro Works are presently valid and subsisting, and
were valid and subsisting from the moment of their creation.
20.

All conditions precedent to the filing of this action for copyright infringement

have occurred.
21.

Defendants began utilizing Booker T’s G.I. Bro image in Call of Duty: Black Ops

4 which went on sale in late 2018. It sold $500 Million worth of copies/downloads in the first
three days following its release. Total sales to date are thought to exceed One Billion Dollars.
22.

Booker T. has never authorized Defendants to make copies of his G.I. Bro Works,

including the depictions of the characters “Book” or “G.I. Bro.” Booker T. has never authorized
Defendants to make derivatives of his G.I. Bro Works, including the depictions of the characters
“Book” or “G.I. Bro.” Booker T. has never authorized Defendants to distribute copies or
derivatives of his G.I. Bro Works, including the depictions of the characters “Book” or “G.I.
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Bro.” Booker T. as never authorized Defendants to reproduce his G.I. Bro Works, including the
depictions of the characters “Book” or “G.I. Bro,” in any form. Booker T. has never entered into
any agreements of any kind with Defendants; in fact, to his knowledge, Booker T. has never
personally had any contact with Defendants.
23.

Defendants have infringed Booker T.’s copyrights in the G. I. Bro Works by

violating Booker T.’s exclusive rights as a copyright owner, including the following:
a.

Defendants have made copies of the G. I. Bro Works by creating, or
causing to be created, the videogame character “Prophet” in Call of Duty:
Black Ops 4.

b.

Defendants have made derivatives of the G. I. Bro Works by creating, or
causing to be created, the videogame character “Prophet” in Call of Duty:
Black Ops 4.

c.

Defendants have distributed, or caused to be distributed, by sale or
otherwise, copies or derivatives of the G. I. Bro Works by distributing the
game Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

These infringing activities have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in sales of infringing
copies of Booker T.’s G. I. Bro Works. Booker T. therefore brings this action to protect his
rights under federal law.
Count 1: Copyright Infringement
24.

Booker T. complains of Defendants for copyright infringement, and incorporates

paragraphs 1 - 23 above by reference.
25.

The creation of copies or derivatives of Booker T.’s G. I. Bro Works and the

distribution of such copies or derivatives by Defendants has infringed and continues to infringe
Booker T.’s copyrights in the G. I. Bro Works.
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26.

In the alternative, Activision Blizzard has or has had a direct financial interest in

the infringement of Booker T.’s copyrights in his G. I. Bro Works by Activision and MLG, but
has failed and continues to fail to prevent Activision’s infringement of Booker T.’s copyrights.
Activision Blizzard is therefore liable for vicarious infringement of Booker T.’s copyrights in his
G. I. Bro Works by Activision and MLG.
27.

In the further alternative, Activision has or has had a direct financial interest in

the infringement of Booker T.’s copyrights in his G. I. Bro Works by MLG, but has failed and
continues to fail to prevent MLG’s infringement of Booker T.’s copyrights.

Activision is

therefore liable for vicarious infringement of Booker T.’s copyrights in his G. I. Bro Works by
MLG.
28.

Defendants are each jointly and severally liable for all of their profits attributable

to the infringements, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 504(b).
Jury Demand
29.

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 38, Booker T. respectfully demands

trial by jury on all issues so triable. Pursuant to Local Rule CV-38(a), Booker T. is filing a
separate document making this jury demand.
WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Booker T. Huffman prays that Defendants
be cited to appear and answer, and that upon final trial have and recover from Defendants as set
forth above, and that he have such other relief as it may show himself to be entitled.

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Dated: February 12, 2019

Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Patrick Zummo
Patrick Zummo
State Bar No. 22293450
LAW OFFICES OF PATRICK ZUMMO
Two Houston Center
909 Fannin, Suite 3500
Houston, Texas 77010
(713) 651-0590 (Telephone)
(713) 651-0597 (Facsimile)
pzummo@zoomlaw.com
Timothy Micah Dortch
State Bar No. 24044981
POTTS LAW FIRM, LLP
2911 Turtle Creek Blvd, Suite 1000
Dallas, Texas 75219
Tel: (214) 396-9427
Fax: (469) 217-8296
mdortch@potts-law.com
Attorneys for Plaintiff
Booker T. Huffman

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