Apple pulls an iPhone game due to Hollywood pressure

The developer of an iPhone game called SuperAgent, in which you play a shrewd, cunning - okay, totally dishonest - Hollywood agent, says his game has been pulled from the App Store. Apple removed the game after receiving a cease and desist letter from a real Hollywood superagent.

Ari Emanuel, almost undoubtedly the best-known agent working today, and the blueprint for Ari Gold in the TV series Entourage, apparently didn't like that the main character in SuperAgent was also named Ari.

According to the C&D letter, "The game uses the name 'Ari' for the main character, which clearly is a reference to Mr Emanuel, the co-chief executive officer of WME, one of the world's premier talent agencies." The developer, Oisin Hanrahan, responded that the success of Entourage has made Ari into a stereotypical name for an agent, independent of any reference to a specific person.

That argument makes sense, especially since your star client in the game is named after another Entourage character, Vince. It doesn't sound too likely that Hanrahan can afford to take on Emanuel and WME in court, though, especially with the revenue stream from his game effectively cut off now.

What do you think, Download Squad readers? Legitimate complaint, or a case of Hollywood sticking it to the little guy?

[via CNET]

Tags: agent, apple, ari emanuel, AriEmanuel, entourage, game, hollywood, iphone, news, superagent