Selena Gomez Sues Smartphone Game For Stealing Her Image

Published: April 16, 2020 9:44 AM /

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A publicity shot of Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez is suing the makers of a mobile fashion game for stealing her likeness. The lawsuit is worth $10 million and alleges that the makers of Clothes Forever - Styling Game stole Gomez' image without her consent.

According to the suit, the defendants - Chinese gaming publisher Guangzhou Feidong Software Technology Co. and British developer MutantBox Interactive Limited - "never requested, consulted, or informed Gomez" regarding their use of her image in the game. If asked, Gomez wouldn't have consented to the inclusion of her image in Clothes Forever due to "unsavory practice[s]" regarding predatory microtransactions. Gomez' lawsuit alleges that Clothes Forever - Styling Game's use of her image constitutes a gross violation of Gomez's rights of publicity.

Selena Gomez as she appears in Clothes Forever - Styling Game
Image courtesy of GamesIndustry.biz.

Clothes Forever - Styling Game is a fashion-based smartphone game available via the Apple App Store (it doesn't appear to be on Android devices). It offers players the chance to "live out all [their fantasies]". The game also boasts the presence of models and celebrities like "Kardashian, Gigi, Beyonce, Taylor, and more", all of whom will be asking for the player's fashion advice. Whether or not those individuals have been consulted regarding their appearances in the game is unclear, but it seems unlikely.

The lawsuit specifically mentions microtransactions in the game which allow players to spend as much as $99.99 to unlock new features. The suit goes on to say that the game is a "bug-riddled mobile game" that is "currently rated a measly 3.5 stars out of 5 by users". Oof. Those are pretty damning words. Clothes Forever - Styling Game doesn't actually appear on MutantBox Interactive's website, so how successful this lawsuit will be remains to be seen. It's likely going to be pretty hard for the defendants to find a way out of this one. We'll let you know more about this as we get it.

Have you played Clothing Forever? Have you encountered Selena Gomez in the game? Let us know in the comments below!

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Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph