50 Cent filed a lawsuit against an internet advertising firm, seeking at least $1 million dollars in damages over an infamous ad that appeared on various Internet sites titled “shoot the rapper.”
The rapper is suing Traffix Inc., the company that created an infamous advertisement featuring a caricature of 50 Cent smiling that offered fans the chance to click their mouses and “shoot the rapper.”
If the user succeed in shooting the rapper, the prize was “$5,000 or 5 ringtones guaranteed.”
50 Cent’s lawyer Peter Raymond told the Associated Press that 50 Cent is suing because he was a victim of gun violence.
They also used his named and likeness without permission, implying that he endorsed the “game.”
“For all those reasons, he is personally offended,” Raymond said.
The advertisements started to appeared on Myspace.com’s member pages shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings, including some of the victims pages.
Media watchdog groups were outraged at the ads.
“Imagine the outcry if Fox Television ran a 60-second spot that said, ‘Shoot the American Idol star — on our Web site — and win $5,000.’ This is no different,” said Peter Zollman of Poynter.org.