Kotaku Games Blog Sued By Jack Thompson

Reacting to Kotaku's coverage of comments Thompson made last week about the VA Tech incident, Thompson has sued Kotaku and their parent company Gawker media. He also tried to sic the FBI on them (getting as much success there as he did with the Penny Arcade gents). From GamePolitics' coverage: "Thompson's ire was apparently raised by Kotaku reader comments which the attorney maintains are threatening. He also alleges in the complaint that Kotaku and Gawker declined to remove the menacing posts. The messages in question stem from Kotaku's coverage of Thompson's claims that video games prompted last week's Virginia Tech massacre. The Gawker suit is actually an amendment to an action Thompson filed on March 13th against the Florida bar. On April 11th he amended it to include the members of the Florida Supreme Court. And now Gawker joins the list of defendants."

Re:Legal Precedent

[drinkypoo]

I prefer the Army of Darkness bit, "You ain't leading but two things right now: Jack and shit, and Jack left town." It even uses the name Jack. He hasn't left town yet, but suing the bar that accredits you is a good way to get a swift ass-kicking. If he is disbarred there will be parties at gamers' houses across the world, let alone the country. For good or ill, and whether the rest of the world will admit it or not, the American media has a huge effect damned near everywhere, and JT has been huge in our media.

How Jack's mind works.

[Niltsiar]

To all of us rational minded people, we may look at the comment that the kotaku reader left and think this lawsuit is very silly, but we're talking about Jack Thompson here. In his mind, games like Grand Theft Auto aren't games, they're training tools to teach potential future killers.

To us, we may see this user's comment that that Jack should be shot for attempting to exploit the tragedy as the hyperbole that it is. To Jack though, this is potentially a trained killer making a threat, which is ridiculous, but then again, so is Jack Thompson in general.

Re:Seriously, what is it?

[geekoid]

becasue they have grabbed onto an irrational idea, so you can not prove them wrong at all...ever. Not with science, logic, or mountains of evidence.

Hey, Jack,

[Tom]

If you are really serious about your weird pseudo-statistical theory, shouldn't you thank the VT shooter? After all, chances are that, it being a tech U and all, there were quite a few other gamers among his victims. Surely, if you are right, they would all sooner or later have gone on a killing spree. Right?

Re:You know the legal system is broken...

[VE3OGG]

Actually -- and it is rare that I comment on the American politics/legal sphere, but I'd have to say that the fact that such frivolous lawsuits are tossed around is indicative of nothing. Now what should worry you is if he wins said lawsuits. As I have mentioned to friends, I don't think the system is broken, I think it is the participants...

it's b0rken.

[eddy]

Sure it's broken. He's a vexatious litigant and a disgrace to the profession; he should be disallowed from filing lawsuits without explicit permission of the courts. That's it. Problem solved.

Re:Translation:

[Workaphobia]

In a way, Jack is difficult to dismiss, because the tools we normally use to do so are sarcasm and parody. But how on Earth do you parody a man who is so unreal, so orthogonal to the plane of right/wrong and coherence/absurdity? Fortunately, we are spared the burden of trying to find a way; his comments do more damage to his own reputation than ANYTHING another human being could possibly say.

Re:Rule him vexatious already!

[Sigma 7]

Well, I actually don't think he does this to "harass or subdue an adversary"...

The pettifogger follows that pattern:

http://www.vgcats.com/jack.php [vgcats.com] - Jack Thompson makes threats to press criminal charges for harassment - even though he initiated the conversation

http://kotaku.com/gaming/jack-thompson/penny-arcad e-vs-jack-thompson-131534.php [kotaku.com] - Jack Thompson requests a police investigation when Penny Arcade donates to a charity.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/legal/another-jackass-tho mpson-lawsuit-coming-202894.php [kotaku.com] - Jack Thompson in an infamous anti-T2 GTA case.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/jack-thompson/jack-bitche s-about-bullys-gay-sex-210938.php [kotaku.com] - Not satisfied with previous results, he repeats the same tactic hoping to get a victory.

The only way you can get away with pettifogging is if you have moles within the USA judicial system, as it is with one religiously fanatical organization. Since Jack Thompson does not have contacts on this level, he probably should cut losses by flipping burgers.

That, and I think he's gone insane actually...

Even if it shares the same characteristics, Arsehole isn't a form of insanity. Likewise, it isn't an excuse for being a massacre chaser.

Re:Rule him vexatious already!

[The13thSin]

Never said it was an excuse.

I'm still not convinced he's "just an asshole" (though I'm sure he is that as well), But I do believe he has a base of strong conviction about this issue... problem arises when someone isn't open to arguments anymore (which he had demonstrated) and uses any means to get what he wants, no matter how morally dispicable.

To me, it's obvious this man doesn't deserve a legal license, but I'm not one to easily dismiss his ramblings as being just an arsehole...

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There I go again... being too reasonable...