Innovation
Uri Geller sues Pokemon
£60m lawsuit against Nintendo alleges that the company used his likeness without permission
Uri Geller, a self-proclaimed psychic, has stated that he plans to file a £60m lawsuit against Nintendo alleging that the company used his likeness without permission for its Pocket Monster, Un-Geller.
Geller claims that in addition to the similarity in names and the character's psychic powers, its villainous role in the Pokémon story line is damaging to his image.
Geller plans to file the suit in Japan as well as in the US Hiroshi Imanishi, a Nintendo Director, stated "None of the Pokémon characters is given a name based on the image of any particular person." He added that names are thought up "by sifting through the knowledge of our staff."