Humvee maker suing Activision over trademark infringement in Call of Duty
Automotive firm says series success came "only at the expense of AM General"
AM General has filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, claiming the publisher has taken advantage of its Humvee and related trademarks in the Call of Duty games.
The firm claims Activision has earned millions of dollars thanks to the inclusion of Humvee vehicles in various Call of Duty outing, as well as licensed content such as toys and books.
It is demanding compensatory, punitive and triple damages from Activision, although a figure has not been given.
The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan's US District Court on Tuesday night, according to Automotive News. AM General claims it has been attempting to resolve this dispute for more than a year.
An Activision spokesperson has said it does not discuss pending litigation.
AM General owns the trademark for Humvee and HMMWV, which stands for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. It claims both have been used in Call of Duty games and merchandise without permission.
The Call of Duty series has sold more than 250 million units to date, with revenues well over $15 billion. Last week's Call of Duty: World War II generated more than $500m in its opening three days.
But AM General claims the franchise's success came "only at the expense of AM General and consumers who are deceived into believing that AM General licenses the games or is somehow connected with or involved in the creation of the games."