Take-Two Sues Chicago Transit Authority Over GTA IV

[Andy Chalk]

Take-Two Sues Chicago Transit Authority Over GTA IV

Grand Theft Auto IV [http://www.take2games.com] following a Fox News report criticizing their placement.

According to a Reuters [http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0541723720080505]report, the lawsuit claims the transit authority violated Take-Two's free speech rights and contractual obligations by pulling the ads "within days" of their appearance in late April. Take-Two said the advertising was removed from buses and other transit-owned properties with no explanation. The ad campaign was originally scheduled to run for six weeks.

The suit seeks a court order to force the authority to run the ads as initially planned, as well as minimum monetary damages of $300,000, the value of the original contract between the publisher and the CTA. The ads were pulled after a local Rockstar [http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6353524&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1]game with a wave of crime that had gripped the city, which included more than two dozen shootings over the span of a single weekend.

There has been no word yet on whether Take-Two will bring similar action to bear on Miami-Dade County, where the transit authority decided to pull the ads following a complaint from notorious Take-Two-hater Jack Thompson. According to MDTA [http://gamepolitics.com/2008/05/06/miami-dade-transit-officials-explain-gta-iv-ad-ban-decision-sort-of/].


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[Melaisis]

Nice to see them finally throwing their hefty weight around a bit.

 

[Skrapt]

I think it shows that Fox news is trying to launch some war against gaming, there was only seemingly one sane person in that video that simply said 'it's the job of the parents to censor what their kids do, not the governments' and I agree, how did Fox manage to link an advertising campaign with violence anyway? Does this mean that I can blame my local theaters production of Romeo and Juliet for any murders that may happen?

 

[monodiabloloco]

AAH! We are getting a threat to be sued by that maniac, Thompson! Take down those ads. I don't want to deal with that guy's bullshit.

AAH! We are getting sued by Take-Two!

 

[Cousin_IT]

If they pull the ads without reimbursing Take2 afaik T2 sre fully within their right to sue & should win without question; although whether theyll get their money back & the ads back up I dunno, though id be happy with either (though it is a lil late now the games out)

 

[mitsoxfan]

I think it shows that Fox news is trying to launch some war against gaming

Correction: Fox News is trying to Wage a War on civil liberties. Except the ones that have to do with guns, Christian-based religions or anything that benefits Big Oil and Walmart.

But, I digress (now that I've gone political. How convenient...)

Just seems a bit odd to me that this is a story, though. Rockstar had a contract, both Chicago and Miami-Dade are/were in breech of that contract, so a lawsuit seems par for the course.

But hey, what do I know. Let's take down those ads and put up some for a Robb Zombie movie, or a Liquor Ad or something. That's much less detrimental to society than an evil video game.

 

[pasquinelli]

well, there has never been a rash of violence in chicago during the summer before, so clearly gta is to blame. it would be a different story if this kind of thing happened every year.

 

[Cousin_IT]

I agree, an inoffensive advert with some cell shaded pictures of inconspicuous looking foreigners must be to blame :rolls eyes: