Take-Two Interactive Suing the BBC over “Grand Theft Auto”
Rockstar and Take-Two Unhappy with TV Drama
The parent company behind "Grand Theft Auto," Take-Two Interactive, has filed a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Company over the upcoming television drama based around the development of the original title
"Grand Theft Auto," developed by UK-based developers Rockstar Games, has had their parent company file a lawsuit for trademark infringement regarding Game Changer," a one-off drama starring Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame playing the role of president Sam Houser, that investigates how the game was created.
Take-Two Interactive has filed suit against the BBC for trademark infringement based on their movie currently titled Game Changer as it relates to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto video game series. Rockstar Games
On announcing the drama, the BBC said it was "the story of the controversy surrounding the computer game Grand Theft Auto - arguably the greatest British coding success story since Bletchley Park.” Rumor suggests that the film will be based around the creation of the game and the controversy it caused for its scenes of violence and crime.
Rockstar/Take-Two Interactive’s main issue with the production is that fact they have not been consulted on the title nor have they had any input with what it depicts and how. Concern arises from the fact that it may be based on more fiction than reality.
While holders of the trademarks referenced in the film title and its promotion, Rockstar Games has had no involvement with this project. Our goal is to ensure that our trademarks are not misused in the BBC's pursuit of an unofficial depiction of purported events related to Rockstar Games. Rockstar Games
Rockstar claim to have reached out to the BBC in an attempt to resolve any possibly issues and garner and understanding of what is going on but insist that their discussions have had no meaningful resolution.
In response to the statement released by Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive, a BBC spokesman said: "We do not comment on legal matters." The production is due to air later in the year.
Grand Theft Auto V 10 / 10 Read our Review »
Release: 9/17/2013 [NA]
Publisher: Rockstar North
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
