Home Gaming Rockstar’s suing The BBC over GTA drama

Rockstar’s suing The BBC over GTA drama

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Yerablowhardarry

The BBC is busy making a docu-drama that tells of GTA developer Rockstar’s rise to fame and their battles with disbarred anti-game lawyer Jack Thompson. Called “Game Changer” the TV movie stars Danielle Radcliff as Rockstar’s Sam Houser, and Pill Paxton as the GTA-hating lawyer. Take Two wants none of that. They’re suing the BBC over what they believe could be trademark infringement.

“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 said in a statement to IGN.

“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. We have attempted multiple times to resolve this matter with the BBC without any meaningful resolution. It is our obligation to protect our intellectual property and unfortunately in this case litigation was necessary.”

According to The Beeb, Grand Theft Auto’s story is “arguably the greatest British coding success story since Bletchley Park”.

“Its triumph was down to a bunch of British gaming geniuses who had known each other since their school days, and at the heart of it all was GTA’s creative mastermind, Sam Houser. In autumn 2013 its latest iteration – GTA 5 – earned $1bn in its first three days, becoming the fastest selling entertainment product in history.

“But the violent gameplay coupled with its outstanding commercial success leads to fierce opposition: from parents worried about children immersing themselves in such a violent world; from politicians, alarmed at the values they say it encourages; and above all from moral campaigners, who fight passionately to ban it. At the vanguard of this crusade is the formidable campaigning lawyer Jack Thompson, a man determined to do whatever he can to stop the relentless rise of Grand Theft Auto.

“Game Changer tells the story of an extraordinary chapter in the history of this iconic game, and reveals the major impact it has had on our cultural landscape.”

The BBC is known for fudging up the facts a little though – which is probably why Rockstar and the publicly-funded company are at an impasse.

The irony of it all, of course, is that they’re trying to censor a film that is about them triumphing over censorship. It’s also a little hypocritical; GTA has made hundreds of millions of dollars satirizing the media, TV and film and telling faux stories about celebrities.

Of course, nobody needs Rockstar’s permission to tell the story – but when it is eventually out, it may have to replace names, places and people with fictional ones, and likely won’t be able to show any footage of any of the games.

Last Updated: May 22, 2015

61 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief's Adventure

    May 22, 2015 at 09:40

    • sananmahar

      May 23, 2015 at 15:30

      sdvsdvsdv

      Reply

  2. Ottokie

    May 22, 2015 at 09:40

    When did gaming become such a fickle “superstar”…It used to be about the games people!

    Reply

    • Blood Emperor Trevor

      May 22, 2015 at 09:42

      When it got money. Lots and lots and lots of money.

      Reply

    • Thinus Swart

      May 22, 2015 at 09:45

      Simple. Ever since 2009, when the gaming industry has surpassed global revenue figures vs. the entertainment industry.

      When there’s money to be made, or especially in this case, lost, you become fickle 🙂

      Reply

      • Kromas,powered by windows 10.

        May 22, 2015 at 09:47

        Money Corrupts. Insane amounts of money corrupts insanely. 😛

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief's Adventure

          May 22, 2015 at 09:48

          I’d like to test than.

          Any eccentric billionaires out there want to donate to me for SCIENCE?

          Reply

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 22, 2015 at 09:49

            I would donate you TO science…

          • Captain JJ Browman

            May 22, 2015 at 09:51

            Me too

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 22, 2015 at 09:51

            But two people can’t donate the same person! Oh Gods! It’s attack of the clones! Someone kill Jar-Jar!

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            May 22, 2015 at 09:52

            I thought he meant he wants to be donated to science as well.

          • Captain JJ Browman

            May 22, 2015 at 09:53

            No. You thought wrong.
            Let’s not have a repeat of the last time you took something like this the wrong way, please. I still have scars from those needles.

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            May 22, 2015 at 09:54

            Me… wrong? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh you!

          • Captain JJ Browman

            May 22, 2015 at 09:55

            LOL

          • Captain JJ Browman

            May 22, 2015 at 09:52

            Oh, I’ll kill Jar-Jar with a smile. You donate Admiral.

          • Lord Chaos

            May 22, 2015 at 09:57

            Drinking so early in the morning Admiral?

          • Kromas,powered by windows 10.

            May 22, 2015 at 10:00

            Here are some real world examples.

            Eskom: “Let us rather gain massive profits by not using our capitol to repair/maintain/build power stations for 10-20 years.

            Telkom: “We have the money to stop anyone from usurping our old infrastructure with something that works”

            ANC: “Let us double tax gauteng roads “for maintenance” through a shell company and let us build these useless power draining systems by borrowing taxpayers pension money”

            Zuma ” Build me a multi-million rand house and shove all the documentation in the “security upgrade folder””

            Etc etc etc.

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 22, 2015 at 10:03

            Show us some mercy!
            Show us some mercy!

            *(Edit. This is so not what I typed! I said something about Kromas getting it on with his lady wife and talking about budgets and what not! Second time Disqus does this to me! I hate you disqus! You disqust me!)

    • Hammersteyn

      May 22, 2015 at 09:47

      Ever since it started making billions

      Reply

  3. Blood Emperor Trevor

    May 22, 2015 at 09:41

    I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re only suing the BBC now because they wouldn’t tell the story the way Take Two would prefer.

    Reply

    • Kromas,powered by windows 10.

      May 22, 2015 at 09:48

      And BBC can’t afford any heavy lawsuits anymore after they let their golden goose go to Netflix.

      Reply

    • RinceTheElfRoot

      May 22, 2015 at 09:50

      It’s almost like you’ve already written an article on this your insight is so!

      Reply

      • Trevor Matrix

        May 22, 2015 at 09:50

        Huh? You been into the monkey piss allready?

        Reply

      • Blood Emperor Trevor

        May 22, 2015 at 09:51

        What madness are you blathering now? O_O

        I prescribe some fish & chips & a cold pint!

        Reply

        • Captain JJ Browman

          May 22, 2015 at 09:52

          A cold pint certainly does go a long way.
          More than a few cold pints, however, makes Rince go a long way

          Reply

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 22, 2015 at 09:58

            Oh lies. A half white wine is enough for you sailor…

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            May 22, 2015 at 10:00

            I think it prefers being called “mixed-race” wine. You racist.

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 22, 2015 at 10:01

            Eish. BROW Beaten once again…

          • Captain JJ Browman

            May 22, 2015 at 10:03

            More like Brow Brushed, really.

          • Captain JJ Browman

            May 22, 2015 at 10:03

            Arr?

        • RinceTheElfRoot

          May 22, 2015 at 09:53

          You can’t make me eat/drink that! Okay. Sounds fucking perfect right now actually…

          Reply

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            May 22, 2015 at 09:55

            I know. Don’t know why I mentioned it, because now I want it too. Fuck.

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 22, 2015 at 09:57

            Thanks. Day started off bad enough with pricks shouting at me because they saved their work to the server in the office and weren’t able to access it at home last night… Now I want a pint with salty vinegar tasty fish and chips 🙁

          • Captain JJ Browman

            May 22, 2015 at 09:58

            Sounds like you have really clever people there.
            You can deliver my fish&chips, right?

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 22, 2015 at 09:58

            You shuddup! YOU deliver to ME!

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 22, 2015 at 09:57

            *Fucking sounds perfect right now actually.
            Fixed it for you.

  4. Trevor Matrix

    May 22, 2015 at 09:42

    Hmmm. Wonder if Rockstar would come after me next? But seriously though. Should the BBC not have gone to Rockstar first, saying “People, we gonna make a docu-show of your here game. Here be the script so polish your knobs to it and let us know if everything is jam, ‘ey?”

    Reply

  5. Captain JJ Browman

    May 22, 2015 at 09:45

    I get where Rockstar is coming from, as little as I am fond of them. You have to protect your brand.

    Reply

    • Trevor Matrix

      May 22, 2015 at 09:46

      No the biggest Grand Theft Auto fan then?

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Browman

        May 22, 2015 at 09:47

        I loved GTA from the first time I played the old 2D top-down ones when they were first released. And I still do love GTA. But Rockstar as a company does not make very good decisions regarding their customers.

        Reply

        • Gavin Mannion

          May 22, 2015 at 10:17

          “But Rockstar as a company does not make very good decisions regarding their customers.”

          I’m lost… what has Rockstar done against their customers?

          Reply

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 22, 2015 at 10:20

            They held back GTA V for well over a year for pc. I know a lot of people who won’t buy it now, because it’s an old game that they’re charging a new price for. But to each his own.
            As a pc gamer it felt like a big “f-you” from them. But maybe I’m just oversensitive.

          • Lord Chaos

            May 22, 2015 at 10:42

            I still love it, at least it didn’t go for a ball of shit upon release

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 22, 2015 at 10:50

            I’m really glad it didn’t. Max Payne 3 was a mess on PC when it was released and I hear a lot of the issues still have not been fixed. Still want to get it though someday.
            Then there was Red Dead Redemption…no wait…
            Luckily got to play that on my PS3 :), though would’ve loved to have that in my Steam library.

  6. Hammersteyn

    May 22, 2015 at 09:47

    “Hairy Potter”

    Reply

    • Trevor Matrix

      May 22, 2015 at 09:47

      Still, his arse is prettier than your face…

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        May 22, 2015 at 09:48

        You seen his arse?

        Reply

        • Trevor Matrix

          May 22, 2015 at 09:49

          Of course! We played Quiditch all night!

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            May 22, 2015 at 09:52

            Well your snitch is certainly small enough for it.

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 22, 2015 at 09:55

            Well; this small snitch certainly worked for you the other night!

          • Hammersteyn

            May 22, 2015 at 09:55

            I faked it

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 22, 2015 at 09:57

            What she said?

          • Hammersteyn

            May 22, 2015 at 10:05

            You tell me 😛

          • Admiral Chief's Adventure

            May 22, 2015 at 10:06

            *grabs popcorn*

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 22, 2015 at 10:16

            Popcorn.

  7. WitWolfy

    May 22, 2015 at 09:48

    • Admiral Chief's Adventure

      May 22, 2015 at 09:49

      Oh you

      Reply

  8. Captain JJ Browman

    May 22, 2015 at 09:56

    Just solve it like you would in GTA.
    Walk in there and mow everyone down.
    Then drive around for 5 minutes and lose the cops.
    Can’t be too hard, can it?

    Reply

    • Trevor Matrix

      May 22, 2015 at 09:58

      What she said!

      Reply

  9. Wardonkey

    May 22, 2015 at 11:32

    Pill Paxton, is he the drug pushing black sheep of the Paxton family

    Reply

  10. Riley

    May 24, 2015 at 17:48

    ???????? that’s a full enjoy with lazygamer……….. ?????? JOIN FREE

    Reply

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