Slashdot Log In
Rockstar Finally Wins a Lawsuit
Posted by
Zonk
on Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:48 PM
from the about-time dept.
from the about-time dept.
Eurogamer is reporting that Rockstar Games has finally won a lawsuit. It's an important one too, involving a strip club's objection to its appearance (in satirized form) in the streets of San Andreas. From the article: "Rockstar conceded that its artists worked from photographs of real life LA locations - including the Play Pen - when designing the game, but argued that they 'changed the names, building designs and overall look and feel of the locations... To make them fit the virtual, cartoon-style world of San Andreas and the series' irreverent tone.' Rockstar also referred to the lawsuit MCA Records successfully defended over the song Barbie Girl, when the judge ruled that trademark rights 'do not entitle the owner to quash an unauthorized use of the mark by another who is communicating ideas or expressing points of view.'"
Related Stories
[+]
FTC and Rockstar Settle Hot Coffee Dispute 295 comments
kukyfrope writes "The FTC and Rockstar/Take-Two have reached a settlement surrounding the 'Hot Coffee' mod for GTA: San Andreas that will serve to prevent future incidents. The FTC has stated that Rockstar and Take-Two must disclose all content to the ESRB when rating games, or face an $11,000 fine per violation if undisclosed content is discovered. 'Parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system. We allege that Take-Two and Rockstar's actions undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers,' commented Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection."
[+]
Your Rights Online: Suit Blames Videogames for Homicides 623 comments
An anonymous reader writes "Family members of three victims of a shooting by a 14-year-old have filed a $600 million lawsuit against the makers of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. From the article: 'The $600 million lawsuit names several companies and Cody Posey, who it alleges played the game ''obsessively'' for several months before he shot his father, stepmother and stepsister in July 2004 ... The plaintiffs accuse the corporate defendants -- Sony Corporation of America, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. and its subsidiary, Rockstar Games -- of a civil conspiracy, saying they should have foreseen their entertainment would spawn such copycat violence.'" It may or may not be a coincidence that Jack Thompson is the plaintiff's attorney.
[+]
Rockstar's Road To Ruin 59 comments
Via GamePolitics, an exerpt from an upcoming Wired print magazine article on Rockstar's slide from grace. The article outlines a number of the problems we've discussed here on the site, such as their numerous lawsuits, the 'Hot Coffee' scandal, and stock-option problems. At four pages it's only a teaser for the longer article in the magazine, but it's still very much worth taking a look. "The irony is thick: The company that defined virtual criminality is now associated with the real thing. Rockstar and Take-Two executives declined to answer questions for this article, but their rich and troubled story is revealed by official documents and former employees. It seems the blokes forgot that in life, as in Grand Theft Auto, there are repercussions for the choices you make."
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
If.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:If.... (Score:2, Funny)
2. remove all identifying and distinguishing characteristics
3. ???
4. profit!
Re:If.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:If.... (Score:2)
Re:If.... (Score:1, Troll)
Imagine you spent all night writing an award winning speech on dumb things people do with computers. Then i take a picture of you with this speech in hand, change the orentation around a little and put it in a game i made with the intent of people shooting objects at it. Of course there would be little value to this picture ge
Re:If.... (Score:2)
Re:If.... (Score:2)
It is a matter of who is making what is a success. If your work makes my projecect apealing to other, you need that recognition.
A challenge (Score:1)
Re:A challenge (Score:1)
In this situation, including this was mearly adopting public information and using it as filler in the game instead of centering the game around it. If rockstar would have marketed it as Mygame-check out the strip club, they probably would have lost the suite seeing how they kept so many simularities.
If rockstar relased a game called "porn nights" were you play an old aged former on
Judge Morrow gets it (Score:5, Insightful)
"Defendants' use of the Play Pen trade dress and trademark bears some artistic relevance to the game, and does not explicitly mislead consumers as to the source or content of the game."
Very nice.
Re:Judge Morrow gets it (Score:1)
Re:Judge Morrow gets it (Score:3, Interesting)
"Rockstar, Judge Morrow said, was therefore entitled to claim a First Amendment defence."
Take that you wankers who claim that video games aren't expressions protected under the First Amendment.
Re:Judge Morrow gets it (Score:3, Funny)
Why does a strip club have a "trade dress"? You'd think that would be an oxymoron...
Yet another frivolous lawsuit. (Score:3, Insightful)
Then again, they had no chance of winning. They didn't have the "thinkofthechildren" edge that most successful lawsuits against videogames require in order to win.
Re:Yet another frivolous lawsuit. (Score:2)
Re:Yet another frivolous lawsuit. (Score:1)
"They didn't have the "thinkofthechildren" edge"
I can't blame the club for trying (Score:5, Funny)
Then the pizza isn't free... (Score:2)
Re:Then the pizza isn't free... (Score:1)
Rockastar! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rockastar! (Score:2)
Re:Rockastar! (Score:1)
Re:Rockastar! (Score:1)
(groan)
Re:Rockastar! (Score:1)
I know the italian stereotypes, but I still don't get it.
Photos? (Score:2)