Pay up or be terminated: Arnold Schwarzenegger sues Russian bot firm for $10 mln over ‘Arnie android’ doppelganger – report
Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking a Russian robot company to court for its robo-replica of the Hollywood hulk. The firm needs to fork over $10 million — or Arnold might ‘be back’ for more, TMZ reported.
The firm Promobot flaunted its prototype ‘Arnie android’ at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. The machine features Schwarzenegger’s likeness and voice.The company’s co-founder Oleg Kivokurtsev even exhibited the Schwarzenegger robo-clone during an interview with CTV news.
In a statement to RIA Novosti, the company argued that it had never intended to use Schwarzenegger’s name or appearance in relation to the robot, and that the prototype was now in the US and would be “recycled.” Promobot stressed that it was doing everything it can to “clarify the situation” and “prevent misunderstandings” that could lead to a legal battle.
The company's press service also claimed that it had not yet received the actor's lawsuit.
Videos show the Arnold look-alike interacting with humans and answering questions in his classic Terminator voice.
.@Schwarzenegger’s creepy robot figure wants to be your friend! Arnold you down to be friends with it? pic.twitter.com/8ULXeFPbGq
— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) March 3, 2020
According to Promobot’s website, the bot — which is only a shoulder-up recreation of Arnold — costs around $25,000 and can be customized to look like “any human on Earth.” It’s capable of more than 600 facial movements and expressions, the firm claims.
Arnold and his legal team claim that Promobot used the humanoid repeatedly at public events to market the Robo-C, and even asked the former Austrian bodybuilder to pose for a photo with the bot while he was giving a talk in St. Petersburg in 2019 — a request which he refused.Despite his objections to the device, the company continued to use the ‘Arnie’ prototype, the suit alleges, according to TMZ.
Apart from the $10 million, Schwarzenegger is reportedly demanding any profits made from the robot, plus punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.
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