Take-Two Interactive and Jack Thompson have reached a settlement in their conflicting lawsuits that will prevent Thompson from suing or otherwise attempting to restrict Take-Two’s game sales in the future.
In response to a threat by Thompson to sue in order to block sales of Rockstar titles Manhunt 2 and Grant Theft Auto 4, Take-Two preemptively sued Thompson in an attempt to prevent him from trying to have the games declared a public nuisance under Florida law.
Thompson immediately filed a counter-suit, claiming that Take-Two had violated federal racketeering laws, as well as accusing several game media outlets of participating in a conspiracy against him. In a later amendment to the suit, however, Thompson dropped the racketeering claim.
In settling the suits, Thompson has agreed that he will not sue or threaten to sue to block the sale of any game published by Take-Two, and that he will no longer fire accusations at Take-Two or its partners and clients that they are “committing any wrongdoing” by selling the titles. In exchange, Take-Two has agreed to dismiss its suit against Thompson, as well as drop its attempt to have Thompson declared in contempt of court.
Jack Thompson is a vocal critic of the videogame industry who has become notorious over the years for his outrageous and often paranoid statements and behavior. Take-Two’s Rockstar division, and its Grand Theft Auto franchise in particular, has been one of the most regular and high-profile targets of Thompson’s lawsuits and legal maneuverings.
Thompson’s antics have led to legal difficulties of his own; in February, as a result of numerous grievances filed against him, the Florida Bar filed disbarment proceedings against him over allegations of professional misconduct.
The full text of the settlement is available here. (PDF)
