Tough-guy actor Chuck Norris has delivered a legal blow to the Penguin Group and the author of a satirical book titled The Truth About Chuck Norris, to prevent the book's distribution.
The suit, filed in a Manhattan court Friday, seeks unspecified monetary damages for trademark infringement, unjust enrichment and privacy rights.
Norris says his image is being spoiled by the book — written by Ian Spector — which he says includes false information about him, is sometimes racist, and depicts him as unlawful.
The book's preface refers to meetings between the action star and Spector, an undergraduate at Brown University, and also thanks Norris for "playing along."
The book uses "mythical facts" that have been circulating on the internet since 2005 that poke fun at Norris' tough-guy image and super-human abilities, the suit said. It also says the book's title would mislead readers into thinking the facts were true.
Some of those myths listed, according to court documents: Chuck Norris's tears cure cancer, he can charge a cell phone by rubbing it against his beard and "Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits."
The 67-year-old Tae Kwon Do master says he never authorized Penguin or its Gotham Books division to use his name, image or likeness in connection with commercial sales of the book, published Nov. 29.
Norris, a six-time undefeated World Professional Middle Weight Karate champion, blasted to fame in the 1970s and 1980s as the star of such films as The Delta Force, Lone Wolf McQuade and Missing in Action. He starred in the TV series, Walker, Texas Ranger.
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