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Jack Thompson Threatens GTA IV Lawsuitby Matt Gibbs
Jack Thompson, the anti-video games violence attorney that you love to hate is at it again, this time reportedly sending an open letter to the CEO of Take-Two regarding the sale of GTA IV. Read in for what he had to say.
Writing to Paul Eibeler, CEO and President of Take-Two, Thompson said he intends on filing a lawsuit to prohibit the sale of Grand Theft Auto IV, which is currently scheduled to be released on October 17 this year, to minors. He writes:
Dear Mr. Eibeler:
Please be advised that I shall be filing shortly a lawsuit to prohibit, by injunction, the sale of Grand Theft Auto IV, scheduled for release by your company on October 17, 2007, to minors.
The lawsuit I filed against you all and some retailers, such as Wal-Mart, against the sale of Take-Two's Bully to minors was a dry run for what is to come. As it turns out, I was absolutely correct about the appropriateness of that lawsuit, as the National Institute for Media and the Family, headed by Dr. David Walsh, proved that Bully is a Mature game fraudulently masquerading as a Teen-rated game. You were able to dodge that bullet by having Take-Two employees lie to Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ronald Friedman.
There is absolutely no chance that GTA IV will be rated anything other than "Mature," so good luck in having your Blank Rome lawyers trying to persuade a court of law that it should be sold to minors, especially in light of the United States Federal Trade Commission's findings that 42% of the time underage kids can buy "Mature-rated" games.
If Take-Two does not, by written agreement, promise not to allow sales by retailers of GTA IV to minors by March 9, 2007, then I look forward to your winning MarketWatch's "Worst American CEO Award," which you won in 2005.
I will secure that injunction, and then all sorts of other wonderful things will fall into place.
Regards, Jack Thompson
Let's see how this one plays out, as with previous occassions surely this one will have just as much drama and bring just as much entertainment. Attorney at law and blogger at GamePolitics.com Norman Kent had this to say of Thompson:
"Jack Thompson is all hype and puffery, a lawyer who has not tried a case in this century or won one in the last two. The only thing he does when he goes to court is get himself thrown out, admonished or censured."
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hrbib21
2007-02-28 21:18:08
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Syrus: On second reading of your post, it sounds like we agree. |
hrbib21
2007-02-28 21:17:16
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Syrus: That isn't the point at all. Nobody wants children to have access to games they shouldn't. That's not in dispute and nobody cares about showing an ID. The issue is government intervention. It is NOT the governments responsibility to raise our kids. |
Syrus15
2007-02-28 21:08:10
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I think that JT is kind of right. I mean, this will have Xbox Live probably. Do we really want five year old kids to be playing, with their squeaky little voices, them being spoiled and crying and complaining because they aren't getting their way?
Or what about teamkilling people? Think about that? It happened on Saints Row, and I don't want it to happen here. Of course, for teenagers like at 13, I think we should be able to get the game, and he shouldn't have to go around trying to have some, as it is said below, "minor police" watching what we get. It is the parent's job.
So all in all, I think that if a parent lets a kid buy the game, go for it. I just don't think Thompson should go to such lengths to make it so that if you are under 18 you can't play the game period.
Seriously, everyone attacks companies these days, failing to realize it is the parents job to make sure kids play the right games.
Besides, in FL we have to show a fucking I.D. or have a parent to get an M rated game, E.X. Saints Row. And to trade-in games you have to give stores your Driver's License...
Let's all kill ourselves. |
DeliriumWartne
2007-02-28 14:28:53
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The game isn't for kids. Simple. But by petitioning the wrong people, with a childish, badly written and needlessly offensive letter, that point is COMPLETELY lost. With a fool like this at the head of the movement, it's going nowhere. |
sober bastard
2007-02-28 13:22:44
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the thing i don't get is why it's ok for crazy killer movies to be ok'd; but when it comes to games? they should make a jack t. character that you can visciously rape and kill in gta 4 just to spite that bottom feeder... |
mcantelon
2007-02-28 11:02:22
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Jack Thompson has his heart in the right place. Its too bad his mind is nowhere to be found. I agree that its a parent's responsibility to protect their children from the things that they feel are inappropriate. Some parents don't, and some parents do but have made a choice to allow their kids to be exposed to violent video games. Asking that a publisher "promise not to allow sales by retailers of GTA IV to minors" is the same as demanding that they not sell the game to retailers. They can't possibly make promises on the policies and sales practices of retail chains and other retail outlets. |
DeadOneWalking
2007-02-28 09:06:22
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Thompson does something stupid again! He actually wants games like GTA not not be made at all, that is his goal, like the dumb-ass he is. It can't happen because of freedoms that this country stands for.
What he should go after are the stores that sell the games to underage people! Not only that, if you look at the letter, it seems more like a personal attack from Thompson rather then a legal information letter. I bet if it goes any further then it is now, Thompson will loose either because it's not Take-Two's responsibility to prevent the sale to minors, or better yet because of the person attack from Thompson himself. |
Nate2583
2007-02-28 07:59:23
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I dont care whether its not sold to minors or not frankly thats how it should be anyways. Im just scared that they are going to cancel production of the game. Or just not sell it. Fuck you Jack Thompson |
Blasterpez
2007-02-27 23:57:46
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this guy should file the lawsuit before the game is in its final stages. does a dumbass lawyer really think this company is going to stop its sale after it invested millions of dollars into ads, programming, etc...? lawyers continue to amaze me. And as remix said, how is it the games companies fault that the retailers don't card, or the parents don't care? Its amazing how everything is someone else's fault. The more we empower the government to raise our kids by not paying attention, the more power they will take. |
remixFA
2007-02-27 23:41:10
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HR, you are also 100% right. It is the parents job to... parent. The government does not need to be in the position to censor what parents can let their kids watch/play. Big Brother is too big as it is. |
remixFA
2007-02-27 23:40:03
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how is it take two/rockstar's responcibility to make sure RETAILERS are not selling to minors??????? do they have to hire the "minor police" to stand at every register and make sure all people who buy games are IDed??? seriously, this guy needs to F'in get laid. |
hrbib21
2007-02-27 23:22:12
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Give it your best shot. Lawyers are the bane of our existence. Of course, this whole thing is predicated by the fact that too many parents don't bother to do their number one job: parenting. |
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| Grand Theft Auto IV |
| Publisher |
| Take-Two Interacti... |
| Developer |
| Rockstar Games |
| Game Genre |
| Action |
| Release Date |
| 2008-04-29 |
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