Can I Sue You for Killing Me in Grand Theft Auto?

Miami attorney Jack Thompson, a long-time foe of the video game industry, has made murder accusations against the makers of Grand Theft Auto IV, an anticipated release in one of the most popular (and controversial) game offerings of all time (Gamepolitics via Fark).

The victim of the murder? Attorney Thompson himself. The only quirk here is that the murder occurs in a fictional video-game universe.

Thompson claims that he is the target of an assassination "mission" early in the game, and has filed a (somewhat odd) letter with a Florida court demanding that the game be changed prior to its release. (The letter ends, "Govern yourself accordingly, or else.").

Does a publicity-friendly lawyer have a right not to be parodied in a violent video game? Although the "right to publicity" argument might be weak in circumstances like this, in the Tony Twist case a hockey player parodied in a comic book did manage to win a $15 million judgment.