 50 Cent stormed onto the music scene in 2003 |
Rapper 50 Cent has sued an internet advertising firm for $1m (�486,000) for an online promotion which allegedly shows him being shot. In court papers filed in New York, the star claims viewers are encouraged to target him, with a successful shot resulting in a cloud of red.
His lawyer Peter Raymond said the advert does not use 50 Cent's name, but "the character is intended to be him".
The musician was shot nine times in a rap feud seven years ago.
Permanent injunction
Mr Raymond said that New York company Traffix Inc used his likeness without permission and suggests he endorses the game and the goods that are marketed with the promotion.
"For all those reasons, he is personally offended," said Mr Raymond, who added that 50 Cent - real name Curtis Jackson - learnt about the advert after his management team saw it on networking website MySpace.
He is also seeking a permanent injunction against the use of his image without his agreement.
The company's lawyer, Ezio Scaldaferri, said he had yet to see the legal documents and declined to comment.
The rapper, whose hits include In Da Club and Candy Shop, defended claims that his 2006 film Get Rich and Die Tryin' glamorised the use of guns, while a poster promoting the film was pulled in the UK after complains that it was offensive.
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