NEWARK, N. J. -- A U.S. Army bomb disposal expert has sued the movie distributor and director of "The Hurt Locker" and Playboy Enterprises Inc., claiming they used his life story and experience in the Iraq war without his consent.

Sgt. Jeffrey Sarver was the inspiration for the movie, which got nine Oscar nominations for its depiction of the personal and professional pressures on members of a bomb disposal unit in Iraq, according to a fraud complaint he filed Tuesday in federal court here.

The movie closely matches a 2005 Playboy Magazine article about Sgt. Sarver that misappropriates his story without his consent and also includes untrue and defamatory details, according to the complaint. It names 13 defendants, including director Kathryn Bigelow and distributor Summit Entertainment LLC, saying they never asked his permission to use his story in a major movie.

The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. It alleges misappropriation of name and likeness, fraud, defamation, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Washington correspondent Daniel Malloy writes the "Pittsburgh On The Potomac" blog exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.