Schwarzenegger sues to terminate slot machine plan

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2001 | 9:36 a.m.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is suing a gaming company for $20 million for allegedly marketing slot machines that feature his voice and likeness as the "Terminator" without his consent.

The lawsuit filed Sept. 7 in Superior Court in Los Angeles claims International Game Technology did not ask for the action hero's permission to make the slot machines and then advertise them at a convention earlier this year.

The Reno-based company has been licensed by Canal Plus in France and Creative Licensing Corp. in Los Angeles to market a "Terminator" slot machine, said IGT spokesman Rick Sorensen.

"Since we are very protective of our own property rights, we are extremely cautious of the property rights of others," Sorensen said. While the slot machine "might have been in development, it was never released," he added.

The lawsuit says Schwarzenegger is "particularly circumspect to avoid using his name, likeness or image for certain industries such as gambling."

Schwarzenegger has agreed to appear in commercials endorsing the national railway system in Austria and DirecTV in Japan but has turned down numerous offers for other products, said attorney Marty Singer.