so accusing the woman of being crazy and a liar is "toning it down" is it?

Yup, good old jack

petty petty jack

angry hatefilled and childish jack

i could go on.........



But seriously, what did jack hope to gain from sending the emails here? Clearly he knows we know he's a jackass, he doesnt need to prove it, his comments are doing that job for him.

That is pretty nuts. I was always a bit on the fence refarding Thompson and his shenadigans, but now I am a believer that the guys has a screw loose.
Gena seems to be articulate, reasonable and level-headed throughout this, whilst Jack comes off as some 15 year old flamer. Madness

Jack, take a break and try to think about what fights to pick, she's explained the legalities to you. Go find someone you can actually scare with your vague and unfounded legal inaccuracies.

This isn't at all surprising to me. If credit cards are indeed acceptable age verification by the FTC then Thompson has no legal leg to stand on. That he's been lying about that fact is hardly surprising either.

Mr. Thompson again I feel, as a Christian myself, that we are mandated to not bear (bare?) false witness.

I fail to understand why you seem to think that its alright to lie and diseminate false information about people you don't agree with. Aren't actions like those the very defintion of false witness?

Hey, that picture of him at the top of the article. What's the bet he's playing Counterstrike on that?

And... hold on, I can edit that picture. You know, put a cowboy hat on him and give him a big red moustache..

Additionally, who did he send the first e-mail to. It wouldn't surprise me if Zelnick and Feder are not part of the "designated contact person in Take-Two's Office of General Council." which would be a direct violation of paragraph 3 of their settlement.

Yep I've susses Jack out.

This is his ridiculous method of practicing law (no wonder why he lost all his cases and is being disbarred)

He's kicking at hornet's nests so he can point fingers during his disbarment, fortunately this wont work, and the more he does maybe, just maybe he'll look stupid enough that the general public will at last see him for what he is.

Jack is going down kicking and screaming, but he's going down, and thats what matters.


Bye bye jack! whats next for you? flipping patties at McDonalds?

Whether the "settlement" counts in the same manner, there are plenty of legal documents that exist that legally prevent individuals from making comments or taking certain actions. Documents which could be seen as violation the Freedom of Speech of individuals, yet are legally binding.

Certainly, Confidentiality Agreements and Non-Disclosure Agreements are such documents. And formal Gag Orders are also among them as well.

I also wonder if Ms. Feist also knows that John Bruce still sent out copies of those emails, even though he made it appear that he was communicating with her privately. So much for the "Trust Me" bit at the beginning of the tirade.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

Wow - anyone want to take bets on how long it will take wacko-jacko to show up? You know what strikes me as curious? He keeps calling Dennis all kinds of things - he calls him everything from incompetent to an industry stooge. But he keeps sending him material, why send emails with Take2 to someone he thinks is incompetent? What's up with that?

If using credit cards is a violation then why does alot of other sites from porn to ebay allow it? Also, wasn't there a time when certain senators were pushing myspace to use a credit card as verification for age???

You know, I really feel sympathy for his family. I wonder how many fights his kids have gotten into because they were teased about dear old dad?

I can't quite tell for sure...


But that looks like a pretty nice computer monitor Jack's got there :)

Why the hell are these Emails public?

Mr. Kanders,
If you think his emails are bad, you should see his legal documents, if you haven't already.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

@RJ

Okay, we all hate the man, but we don't have to bring his family into it. That's his tactic.

nightwng2000 « If you think his emails are bad, you should see his legal documents, if you haven’t already. »

I remember a few of them (made public by Jack himself). Those were a nightmare to decyfer.

I don't understand, if the FTC allows Credit Cards as age verification (they clearly do, thanks to the link from Gena Feist), why does Jack continually blame TTWO? When, if he has an issue with this age verification (and he has a point there), why doesn't he direct his ire at the FTC, or write his legislators? Isn't that typically how people deal with problems? From the source?

His ability to either fail at reading comprehension, or his apparent blindness to contrary evidence is astounding. If only he was as skilled at truth ...

Then TT would be hailed as heroes for killing off the last bastard in the "legal" system.

in before jack shows up and accuses denis of manipulating information sent to him.

and just when you thought he couldn't make himself look more like an idiot.

I find the idea that Jack Thompson asked someone if they are nuts to be hilarious.

Holy crap they need to put this on TV; though if Jack Thompson was a fictional character I'd have a really hard time suspending my disbelief, how could a real person be so thick-headed.

I particularly like the part where he says "You'll live to regret it (trust me)"; I didn't know real people talked like that, is Jack Thompson a super-villain (it's not the first time he's said that either)? Then later when he goes on the accuse them of threats was kind of like the punch-line.

I can't wait for next week’s episode.

Surely Jack's words in the email violate section of the settlement, in which Jack agreed not to threaten them, at all. i say he's violated his agreement.
also... imo, he's not so much a threat to gamers/ game companies any more, most of the people i know look upon hiim as a comic relief act.

So nice to know he hasn't found his marbles yet.

inb4 Thompson accuses me of having played Doom, of which I have not.

Age verification online is a new and hard to enforce area, in that sense JT is properly concerned. In most locations there is no law restricting the sale of rated games (or movies not calssified as pornography) so Take Two is in the right there and a lawyer should know that.

He has no real legal position for the lack of verification, but a conflicting personal point of view and a lawyer should know that. However the personal attacks against a staff member of Take Two shows just how much of a vendetta JT has against Take Two and will use scare tactics and risk breaking contracts to carry that vendetta out.

(This is all assuming the emails are accurate and JT sent them in so if they were editted to make him look more favorable then...just eep)

Wow...he's so bored that he's actually DIGGING for things to come up.

Baiting T2 into falling into a legal trap is pathetic, Jack. Take up a normal hobby - you know, fishing, reading novels, playing video games...just do something! I'm honestly getting tired of watching you continually getting shot down.

I am disturbed by the violence threatened toward JT. Even in jest, this is exactly the type of thing that he argues we will do.

@NecroSen

I was thinking that too. I've never tried to buy a firearm online, but I have taken an interest in accessing other *ahem* age-restricted content. I've never, ever seen any "age verification software" that didn't involve credit cards. And anyway, how would that even work? How does one write a program that can tell the biological age of the user? It boggles the mind.

Nice one, Kharne!

I think the card discussion might be a question of wording- what Jack says in his email is:

"You also know that the use of a bank card as an age verifier is a violation of all bank card agreements, right?"

Two things spring to mind- the term "bank card agreements" implies that while the FTC might well give the OK for bank cards as age verification, the contract that Take-Two have signed with whomever handles the rockstargames.com store's CC transactions- or the card holder's agreement- might say that you can't do it, which presumably would override the FTC. He also stops short of saying it's illegal. Given that other sites use cards for age verification, this is unlikely, however.

Secondly- a "bank card" might be different to a "credit card", in that a *bank* card might only let you take money out of your account, (or even just use a cashpoint but not buy things directly) while a *credit* card allows you to borrow money from your credit company- and verify your age with it.

The latter is more likely- we have this distinction in the UK, and it would make sense for both cards to have different rules from one another- and there is, of course, an outside chance that Jack's right on this one as the US might have different rules to the UK ones I'm basing this on, but it's still information worth considering.

/b

Goosey,

From the FTC:

Access Verification

At a parent's request, operators must disclose the general kinds of personal information they collect online from children (for example, name, address, telephone number, email address, hobbies), as well as the specific information collected from children who visit their sites. Operators must use reasonable procedures to ensure they are dealing with the child's parent before they provide access to the child's specific information.

They can use a variety of methods to verify the parent's identity, including:

*

obtaining a signed form from the parent via postal mail or facsimile;
*

accepting and verifying a credit card number;
*

taking calls from parents on a toll-free telephone number staffed by trained personnel;
*

email accompanied by digital signature;
*

email accompanied by a PIN or password obtained through one of the verification methods above.

Operators who follow one of these procedures acting in good faith to a request for parental access are protected from liability under federal and state law for inadvertent disclosures of a child's information to someone who purports to be a parent.

"As you should be aware, credit cards cannot be used to verify the age of buyers. Kids have credit cards, and they use parents’ credit cards. You have then got to be kidding me."

Sure, some kids might have credit cards. And if a parent is responsible enough, they'll remove the game once they see the credit card bill, the game itself, etc, IF they deem that it's inappropriate for the child. As for using the parents' credit cards, that whole process could stop right there, at the parents' wallets.

The more obvious thing here is that clearly, the parents aren't as concerned as you are, seeing as how video games don't turn people into hardened criminals.

Didn't his psych eval state that he would curtail the ad hominem attacks? Guess not. I'm sure the rest of the evaluation was on the up-and-up, though.

i couldnt help but make that edit that blackice mentioned. :P

That's nice, but which edit would that be? (I have huge holes in my memory.)

this one: http://www.geocities.com/dm_stormwind/jt-cowboy.jpg

(bleh, doesnt seem to want to let me use html tags to show the pic)

God that was funny! Everyone, you have got to see that!

Can we really trust someone who cannot spell to try to stick up for "the children"? (I don't believe what he does help children in anyway.) Not only is he a moron, but he also doesn't have the common sense to hit the spell check button before sending off his treat of an email.
Kudos to Gena for having the patience to deal with this man/boy/baby. I would've got so mad at the computer screen for letting me read such stupidity, I would've kicked my laptop.
I truly wish, for all the past, present, and future gamers, that Take Two takes him on in court, and whoops his ass.
(Jack, in case you read this, that's not a threat.)

@Lumi

Or, possibly, a firing squad?

M rated games are like R-rated movies. All that matters is the purchase, and all that someone needs to purchase it is a legal guardian/parent who allows it.

Even then, it's not 'illegal' for a minor to purchase it. No one's going to go prison for buying or selling it like that, it's just more of a retailer rule. They have the final say on whether they will sell a game to a minor.

Wow. Just wow. Jack is even more pathetic then I thought.

@ Chuma

This may sound cruel, but I don't care if his actions eventually lead to his financial ruin that hurts his family. I don't even care if his kid gets beaten up at school because he's a 'Jack' ass. It's not my fault, nor would it be Take Two's. It would be a direct result of Jack's idiocy, so I would blame no one but him. We must be held responsible for our own actions, and that includes the results of bad decisions.

Don't worry, though. I'll bet his wife divorces him when it becomes obvious he's on the verge of losing it all. Then, his fall would be complete. All because he doesn't like a form of media.

By the way. I'm NOT condoning beating up his son. I would still hope that any little hellion that decided to assault him would be punished properly. It's just that I'd realize it was a direct result of his father's actions. Whatcha wanna bet he would, too?

@ WarOtter

That seems a little.... extreme. Even for a guy I hate. ALOT! (see my comments to chuma)

@Gameboy

Oh come on! how is that extreme!? True, i'd rather kill him through torture rather than cripple him, but hate is something that should be expressed!

Oh, Jack, you can't sue me for this. You don't know who I am.

Goosey,

"Credit cards may be appropriate to ascertain parental consent for a child’s actions,"

So we agree then? I'm lost as to your issue, I guess. Jack has inadvertently started a good discussion, once again through no fault of his own. Aristotle has sent an letter to the FTC stating valid concerns, but still, the FTC rules are explicit - currently a Credit Card is implied parental consent.

This is by no means fool-proof, and for alcohol, tobacco, or firearms online sales, further age/identity verification is warranted and required under the FTC. But you aren't seriously comparing video game purchases to these things, right? Second Life, or other MMO's are a different issue altogether, having a very real risk of child predators. But buying a rated M game has no such risks.

The real question, and the one Jack with never ask, is: Is stricter regulation of M or R rated content needed for online sales? I say no. For AO or NC-17 or Un-rated or, perhaps, MMO's, maybe.

http://pics.livejournal.com/prraak/pic/0000197f

:)

"You’ll live to regret it (trust me), so enjoy it while you can."

Wow, that sure sounds like a personal threat to me.

This will only lead to bad things for Thompson...if this behavior continues and is then made public than he will continue to lose all the credibility he has with the sheep who actually believe him.

It would be amazing if gamers would file a class action lawsuit for slander and harrasment against thompson...with all the inflammatory remarks and insults I could see a win.

Mike

I can't speak for all states, but Maryland residents operating the web and/or software that enter "contracts" thru a push of a button are binding. If you claim thru a checkbox that your age is 17-or-older in MD, you'd better be 17-or-older or you become responsible for the content you're "exposed" to. The check-box/button option admits that the control of the internet content is ultimately the responsibility of the end-user. When that comes to minors, that means the parents. Even so, since the ESRB is an industry practice, age-verification for M-rated games is merely a bona-fide attempt to match the end-user with appropriate content. Failure to comply has no ramifications, save those of industry self-regulation, and this argument is moot.

However, the decision to effectively render private communications public by forwarding to Game Politics is reprehensible at best, but also shows which party is making the most effort to abide by their end of the settlement, and that would be Take Two.

*pictures not picures. We need an Edit button.

[...] Read more about it over at Game Politics. Game Politics: Take Two Warns Jack Thompson Over Manhunt 2 [...]

Yeah, lets see here. He started a chain of emails accusing the company's VP of being a liar, nuts, and the like. Nice harassment.

@gameboy

While I find some of the implications disturbing - and actively agree with others, I must admit that "Jack Thompson, Wal-Mart greeter", would be delicious schadenfreude indeed.

@chuma

I've also had some concerns for his family after seeing some of the stunts he's pulled. I imagine you're right that his children receieve some real flak over his antics.

@ BlackIce

Nothing disparaging was said about his family; I've no reason to believe they aren't relatively decent human beings. On the contrary, the sentiment expressed was concern for them, considering that their father's words and actions can't be helping their social standing or acceptance in school, or elsewhere.

You know, if I used my parent's credit card to buy ANYTHING my ass would be throughly tanned.

Messages from this Thompson guy read like immature flames on some message board. I wonder how he passed the BAR?

God, what a childish jerk.

Hey, JT. Why not take up the online age-verification crusade? The FTC guidelines may indeed be a bit lax, plus there is all kinds of inappropriate things sold online.

You made too much of an ass of yourself over videogames. Perhaps you can get a fresh start with this. Just remember to be polite and mature. I know its hard for you to do, but you should be able to muster up the disipline to do so.

@Lumi

I was talking to RJ about leaving his family out of this..

guy is an ass

Dennis McCauley apparently doesn't own a telephone, which is an invention that's been around even longer that a DualShock controller. He might want to use it next time. If he had this time, he would have learned that:

There is no "erosion" of the settlement between Take-Two and me. This is just an example of Take-Two's regretting that it signed an agreement that allows me to continue to beat on Take-Two, to the FTC, to public interest organizations, and elsewhere. If Take-Two's genius lawyers at Blank Rome thought I was going away, they miscalculated, and failed to put into the agreement constraints on what I am doing. Wouldn't be the first time Blank Rome screwed up.

Oh, relatedly, you all might find the following interesting, re The Florida Bar. Hooah!
John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law
1172 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 111
Coral Gables, Florida 33146

August 31, 2007

John Ellis “Jeb” Bush
Segovia Tower
Coral Gables, Florida 33134 Via Hand-Delivery This Day

Re: Your Upcoming Deposition in Bar v. Thompson

Dear Governor Bush:

I hope this letter finds you and your family well. We’re glad you’re here in Coral Gables and pleased that you seem to be enjoying your hiatus from the hurly-burly of elected office. You’ve earned it.

While you were Governor, I was busy getting the Howard Stern Show off terrestrial radio (Howard Stern: “This lunatic lawyer in Miami got me off the air!”) for comments like “Ever bang any famous nigger chicks? What do they smell like? Watermelons?”). Along the way to that success, I got Stern first off all Clear Channel stations in February 2004 and then off Beasley Broadcast Group’s WQAM-AM here in Miami as well as off its Ft. Myers station. Beasley, by the way, owns and operates a number of “Christian radio stations” and has given a lot of money to the RNC. Real “family values” folks, huh?

While I was securing these successes, Stern and his Infinity/Viacom radio group were, of course, actively violating 18 USC 1464, which prohibits the airing of indecent material on the public airwaves between 6 am and 10 pm (See FCC v. Pacifica, in which the US Supreme Court held constitutional this prohibition because of the presence of kids in significant numbers in the broadcast audience).

My successful efforts against Stern included a $3.5 million Consent Decree between Viacom/Infinity and the FCC by which both agreed that Stern’s shows were indecent in violation of 18 USC 1464, and the FCC acknowledged that I was part of that Consent Decree as one of the complainants. I was happy to help. I had no client in any of that. I was a Christian acting on the requirements of my faith and meager gifts He gave me.

In the midst of that success, I wrote you, as our Governor, about the role that your friend, Al Cardenas, former Florida GOP Chairman, and his Tew Cardenas law firm were playing in desperately trying to keep the Howard Stern Show on the air despite my efforts. Cardenas’ law firm was very aggressively doing what it could to target me, I believe in violation of state and federal laws, for harm because of my First Amendment-protected efforts against the Stern show. Al and his firm couldn’t defend the content of Stern on WQAM, so they engaged in their “shoot the messenger” strategy. Dumb.

Al Cardenas, inadvertently proving my point, then filed, along with his law partner Larry Kellogg of Tew Cardenas and Caroline Beasley, CFO of Beasley Broadcast Group, what is known as a SLAPP Florida Bar complaint, against me in retribution for my writing you, the Governor, to alert you to a) this criminal broadcast activity (18 USC 1464 is a criminal statute), and b) Al Cardenas’ and his firm’s role in it. Kellogg foolishly said to my lawyer at the time that what really precipitated the SLAPP complaint was my letter to you. Dumber.

SLAPP, by the way, is an acronym for strategic litigation against public participation, and this “shoot the messenger” strategy by people like Al Cardenas has become such an encroachment upon First Amendment petition rights of citizens that several states have “anti-SLAPP “ laws, including Florida.

Unfortunately for both you and for me, the pendency of one remaining count in the blunderbuss Tew Cardenas/Beasley SLAPP Bar complaint against me remains, and we are supposedly going to trial on that. The Bar, signaling how flimsy is this count, has offered to dismiss it with prejudice. The Bar should go ahead and do that right now, but The Bar refuses. People have agendas here, the overarching one of which is that The Bar, now headed by new Florida Bar President, Miami lawyer Frank Angones, seeks to punish and pathologize my faith-based conservative activism. Frank should know better, as a Pedro Pan refugee from Castro’s anti-free speech regime, but Lord Acton’s aphorism has apparently clouded Frank’s judgment.

What I do know, Governor, is that I get to take your deposition about all this. You were and are in the middle of what Al Cardenas has foolishly done. You are, of course, listed as a witness for me on two separate witness lists—one for discovery and the other for trial in the Bar matter.

You are there on those lists, really, because Al Cardenas never heard, apparently, what Winston Churchill said when asked, as an accomplished watercolorist, what the hardest thing about painting was. Said the great man: “Knowing when to stop.”

Al Cardenas, in order to protect his and his firm’s lobbying and political relationship with you and with your brother, filed this SLAPP Bar complaint against me. Al even swore in that complaint, interestingly, that Beasley/WQAM had no nexus to the pornography industry. Al swore that at a time that a radio show that Stern himself called “pornographic” was on WQAM. Al swore that at a time when WQAM was running ads on its air in the middle of the day for men’s strip joints with “full friction dancing,” with WQAM actually doing station appearances at these porn clubs. Fascinating what Al Cardenas will swear to. It is not known if Kendall Coffey was there for the station promos.

I have filed a federal lawsuit, now before US District Court Judge Adalberto Jordan here in Miami, that alleges that this Bar complaint stunt by Tew Cardenas is an effort to chill my First Amendment speech and to protect that firm’s relationship with you and the Bushes. That is also one of my defenses in the state disciplinary proceedings, so I get to depose you and inquire about all of that and more. You can thank Al Cardenas for the opportunity you and I have to meet again.

I should, then, like to know what dates and times you are available in September for your aforementioned deposition. I think you should set aside four hours for the exercise. I should also like to know if you want me to have you served with a subpoena, or if your lawyer, whoever it is, will agree to do this by service of the subpoena on him/her or simply by agreement. Also, I want to accommodate you and do this in a location most convenient to you. I know this whole thing is not convenient for you; but it certainly is not for me either. Your friend, Al Cardenas, is trying to rip my law license away from me in order to protect his relationship with the Bush family. Al declared a war here, at children’s expense, by the way, and you are, in a sense “collateral damage.” As I say, blame Al, not me.

Just a few more things: The Judge presiding over this matter as the Bar’s referee is Circuit Court Judge Dava Tunis. Small world. As you may recall, you appointed her to the Circuit Court bench after she served on your task force looking at violence against women. It is ironic that Judge Tunis’ rulings in the Bar matter have served a) to protect the criminal stalking of one of my clients who was in Judge Tunis’ courtroom yesterday with me, and b) to protect a law firm and a radio station that featured a Stern program that described, in graphic detail, how female amputees could lubricate their “stumps” and place them into the anuses of men in order for the men to achieve orgasm.

Al Cardenas apparently thinks stumps in anuses and other porn is appropriate fare for kids on the radio during the day.

How a judge can continue to issue rulings that protect that kind of thing, while coming to public prominence concerning the targeting of women, is ironic. But that is not the only irony here.

My designated reviewer in these Bar matters has been Ben Kuehne. He is a Bar Governor who has received a “target letter” from your brother’s Justice Department for allegedly laundering Medellin cocaine cartel money. These are the people who sit in judgment of me, and these are the people, not I, who have determined that I must take your deposition.

Finally, should your lawyers argue that you are somehow shielded from this discovery, I think they will find that is a bunny trail not worth their going down. A sitting President was recently deposed in a sexual harassment case, and surely you, as a former Governor, are not shielded from the judicial process, especially not when a lobbyist tried to protect his relationship with you by unleashing the state on me.

Again, I’m sorry about this, but Al has made this all unavoidable. Please let me know quickly as to the dates and times and location for this skirmish in what some have called the “culture war.”

Oh, one more thing. I know you know our mutual friend, [redacted]. You can call him [redacted] to confirm that all of the above is true. [redacted] got Al Cardenas the Dade County State Committeeman’s post years ago.

Warm personal regards, Jack Thompson

PS: Enclosed is my Tyndale House book, Out of Harm’s Way, which explains what this is all about. Note the quotation by Stern on the cover of the book. As one Christian to another, enjoy it!

Copy: Al Cardenas
Sheila Tuma, The Florida Bar
Referee Dava Tunis
Media
U.S. District Court File, 07-21256, Southern District of Florida

Jack Thompson,

You do realize that you threatened to sue Take-Two over their age verification first? Kind of ironic when you whine about yourself being threatened.

Also, you show very little respect to the person. At least Take-Two's response to you refrains from insulting you. Show a little respect. Isn't that the Golden Rule? Treat others as they wanted to be treated?

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Mathew 7:12)
http://www.scripturestudies.com/Vol6/F6/f6_nt.html

Dennis McCauley "forgot" to publish my email in which I noted that my 15 year-old son's credit card was used to enable him to buy Manhunt 2. That's some age verification system Take-Two is using, isn't it?

Note that she does not rebut the fact that credit cards cannot be used as age verifiers, and that to do so violates bank card agreements.

I find it hilarious that JT still thinks comparing Video Games to Tobacco and Alcohol a valid argument. Two completely different matters and yet he thinks he has the upper hand. More importantly, does anyone know if JT has been harassing other sites like GameStop or any other big gaming company about these things, or is he just being a hypocritical loud-mouth?

How can Jack Thompson lie so boldly. Gena pointed him right to the FTC, The Freakin' FTC's, website where it says that they can use a credit card for age verification. Yet he still says it is not a valid way of age verification.

This guy is total nuts.

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative approves of SSN and Driver's License info for age verification. Again, no better than credit card info...

They also want credit history questions, and copies of actual documents, but again, not hard for a savvy teen. Also easily broken by a system that uses a mish-mash of databases to "verify" you.

I've been refused access to some ID verification-protected pages because it insists that I currently have a student loan. I haven't had one in years. So I have to lie about my credit history in order to verify that I'm "me"...

@coward

Careful, that's what got JT banned the first time in Livejournal after calling us, and me specifically, one of those in a reply to one of my comments.

Please try not to sling that word around.

Having an age gate or other opt out is considered the minimum due diligence online. Short of issuing everyone a government controlled electronic ID (scary shit), it is the only solution. With the credit card, they can check the details of the cardholder.

As to the kids using the parent's card, that is between the cardholder and the user. The parents will see the statement and more than likely see a package in the mail. Furthermore, you don't make payments online with a bank card. Your bank card must double as a credit card for that to work. I have a Bank of America Visa card, and all my online transactions are handled by Visa and directly debited (credited, man accounting class confused me) from my account.

As for what breach Feist is accusing Thompson of, it is knowingly making false statements about the company.

@Cyberskull

"Furthermore, you don’t make payments online with a bank card. Your bank card must double as a credit card for that to work."

Not true. There are websites, specifically ones like HMV...which will just tank your bankcard/debit and you can pay like that. You pay and they ship like it's no big deal. They might have verification for certain things, but other then an account and an address, you can order whatever you want with certain banks.

I wasn't aware that banks allowed those under the age of majority to have their own account.

Personally, I think that if a minor (say 13 or so) deceives both the age-gate, and has their parents credit card, I fail to see how the retailer is responsible for the kid's deception. I refuse to exculpate the kid.

in america a bank is allowed to open accounts for minors (almost always savings accounts)

"Jack, give it a break"
LOVE IT

Yeah. That Gena woman makes John Bruce look like the little girl he is.

(Cue Ned Flanders scream from Jack)

It speaks volumes to Jack Thompson's principles (or lack thereof) that he would voluntarily and willingly and in avoidance of legal action by T2 against him enter into a "leave me alone" settlement agreement with T2 and then, before the ink's dry on their agreement, turn around and persist in the very same conduct that T2's legal action and their settlement agreement was intended to curtail, and then, in response to T2's objections, claim that he isn't bound by the terms of the agreement because said agreement (the same one he entered into voluntarily and willingly and in avoidance of litigation) is void ab initio as against public policy (not to say that it isn't, just to note that this is Mr. Thompson's "defense").

The good news is that T2 and it's legal counsel are now once bitten and twice shy. I suspect that they no longer have much of a basis to assume that Mr. Thompson will ever actually honor the terms of any agreement with them. Which probably means that the next time they haul Mr. Thompson into court (and I think we can start counting days on that), they'll take him all the way to a more easily enforced court order rather than settle with him.

@Jabrwock

What, this one?

"The Bible doesn't promote killing innocent people, Grand Theft Auto does. Islam does. Islam promotes the killing of innocent people. The Quran requires the infidel, whether Jew or Christian, to be killed. ... That's a core essence of the religion. ... Muhammad was a pirate who killed infidels and who advocated the killing of infidels. Not a nice guy. Osama bin Laden is in keeping with his fine tradition."

If so, the word Racist Fucker and Ignorant Bastard comes to mind.

Hey, Jack's not a member of the BNP is he? Or, more likely, the KKK or the Hitler Youth? It's sad really. 40 million people died to get rid of Hitler and we still have Bastards like him in the most powerful country on earth(most powerful for the moment atleast..)

Scratch the Hitler Youth thing, Jack's too old for that. Maybe the Waffen SS is more likely.

My goodness. Why does he continue to get up every morning?

Oi! Blokes! WHO PUT UP THE LINK TO WIKIQUOTES?

I think that Jack needs to see a psychologist that the state appoints, not someone he just paid to say how "sane he is." The man is clearly a child throwing a temper tantrum when he does not get his way.

If he was right, and videogames cause people to go out and murder other people, then we would have millions upon millions of gun toting teenagers running around killing every "non gamer" in the world. But since the murders are usually comitted by individuals who are mentally unstable, he needs to go after the real problem; BAD PARENTAL SUPERVISION.

So I say this, crazy Jack, start suing bad parents. Seriously, I will get behind you 100%. Do you think I like palying an M-rated game like Gears of War and listening to some insipid 8-year old calling me the most racist, vulgar terms you can think of in a high-pitched voice? Hell no! I would love to find out who these kids are and then sue their parents and force them to follow the ESRB game ratings. I think most of the gamers over the years of 18 will agree with me. In fact, Jack, I will donate at least $100 a year to your legal team if you start going after the bad parents and not game developers.

As the constitution allows freedom of speech in this country, any other efforts are futile.

"As the constitution allows freedom of speech in this country, any other efforts are futile."

But parental rights are also protected. It would be even MORE of a nanny state if the gov started telling parents what they could and could not expose their kids too...

Jacko lying through his teeth again and showing he lives in a warped state of reality? Man someone change the channel, this show jumped the shark a few seasons back.

we need people like jack thompson and president bush.
make-a-the-world-go-round!

Remember when we (the gaming community) took Jack Thompson as a serious threat? I think it was when Penny Arcade fronted the I'm OK! award money that Thompson promised and refused to pay up that people started to ignore him en masse.

Jack, I know for a fact you read these comments.

Jack, you are an immature man-child. You don't do this for moral or ethical reasons. You just like hearing yourself talk and believing you have power over other people. The only people paying attention to you are your deriders and a scant few who have been tricked into thinking you actually care about children. It is only a matter of time before your perversions become apparent to even your supporters, and the whole world is turned upon you.

You are clearly a master of some dark charisma; why don't you put your legal and humanist skills to use in the service of Christ's will instead of this constant, inane, self-aggrandizing idiocy?

Don't waste your time. Sake is terrible.

Reading this makes me think again and again that this is the single greatest ARG ever.

jaysus, Thompson is completely insane.

@ Mal F4cti0n:

Actually, its my opinion that Mr. Thompson obviously suffers from what the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (aka "DSM-IV") refers to as a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This disorder, I believe, severely impairs Mr. Thompson's social and professional functioning and explains, in part, what you refer to as "a child throwing a temper tantrum when he does not get his way." Individuals who suffer from NPD often feel rejected, humiliated and threatened when criticised. As a defense mechanism, they often react with disdain, rage, and/or defiance to any slight, real or imagined. Much like a small child throwing a temper tantrum.

its almost like he is attempting to bait take-two into violating their agreement. hes dancing around the line of breaking that agreement but he isnt crossing it yet. hes getting as close as he legally (in his mind) can so he can push their buttons and get them to fuck up by having take-two fail on their part of the agreement. its like a legal game of chicken only this one is one-sided. jack really is playing with fire here. literally.

@ Zerodash:

Mr. Thompson's letter doesn't actually state a formal complaint on which the FTC is required to take some action, I believe. On my read, its more "advisory" than anything else (which was probably intentionally done to squarely avoid a claim by T2 of settlement breach). I'd cast slim to nonexistent odds that the FTC will pick up Mr. Thompson's ball and run with it on it's own volition. It's not like they ain't got nothing better to do.

I personally am over Manhunt 2. I'm really sick of hearing about it, and lost all eagerness to want to play it. Jack Thompson really knows how to ruin games before they're even out.

John's opening words of "you'll live to regret it" makes him seem like an Austin Powers villain. John deserves to be warned, his actions were unbecoming of a person of his status as a Lawyer. Gena acted like John should have wich is to act calmly and respectfull and to get your facts straight beforehand.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Gena Feist.

As the TakeTwo correspondent to Jack himself she must have the worst job ever, someone want to send her a muffin basket? " -Chris

Hey, Dennis. would there be a way that GP readers could thank Gena for her maturity in this e-mail exchange, because she really does deserve it. Like Chris says, muffin basket, or something. Even if it's just a thank you note on behalf of GP readers.

@Phoenix, Filmmaker

You've got my support on the muffin basket thing. Just tell me this, Who the hell is Dennis?

@ Dr. Gash

"An e-mail exchange between the anti-game activist and Gena Feist, T2’s VP and Associate General Counsel."

It appears that she is a member of the legal department.

I'm buying TWO copies of Manhunt 2. Hell, I'll buy every Rockstar/Take Two game that comes out (for which I have a console to play it on).

Jack, you are such a joke; such a lame joke.

*bookmarks JT Wikiquote page*
I'm going to have some good reading this Labor Day weekend.

@BlackIce

Dennis McCauley, the editor of GamePolitics, thought everyone knew that.

Has it occurred to anyone that Thompson wants to be disbarred so he can then get attention of the mass media that he lost his livelihood and now can not provide for his family. He will make the media believe he has done all this for the children and get what attention he is craving. He is a lawyer.

@ Nefar:

I also don't quiet get Jack Thompson's apparent willing to try his cases in the court of public opinion. Is there actually a member of the public with a favorable opinion of him?

He almost sounds belligerently drunk, other than the fact that he can string together sentences....well....never mind I just through I'd reread his statements. Nope he just sounds like a belligerent drunk.

Im gonna use a standard stfu term i use on the daily basis here in the navy.

To Jack Thompson,

Shut-up and color.

@ Paul

Cause it's too damn ridiculous to ignore.

Will Take 2 PLEASE sue him and win already? Guy needs to be put out of his misery.

~Otaku-Man

Its like watching a cat fighting its reflection in a mirror.

Has it occurred to anyone that Thompson wants to be disbarred so he can then get attention of the mass media that he lost his livelihood and now can not provide for his family. He will make the media believe he has done all this for the children and get what attention he is craving. He is a lawyer



Has he ever actually done his lawyering to make money? I was under the impression that his wife (also a lawyer) is the one who actually does for-profit work.

@ point09micron:

Many, many moons ago, Jack Thompson did actually hold real world jobs. However, he tended not to last long in them. Couldn't "go along, get along." That's NPD for ya. More recently, he's been what he himself refers to (perhaps a bit too charitably on his part) as "a stay-at-home Dad."

Seriously, Jack needs to go to a doctor to check him out, i believe he has issues with his head that needs to be sorted out asap!

Actually, the oft-repeated "I'm the only Florida Bar-certified sane lawyer" is just Thompson's spin on the matter. The actual conclusion, as I recall, was to the effect of "Jack Thompson isn't motivated by any obsession with pornograhy but, rather, his Christian beliefs." Not quiet the same as being certified sane.

@ Zerodash:

My opinion on the worth of Dr. Wunderman's evaluation of Mr. Thompson:

There is strong evidentiary support for the assertion that Mr. Thompson has misrepresented his reason for referral and presenting circumstances to Dr. Wunderman. Indeed, in direct contradiction of Dr. Wunderman's statement with respect to the Florida Bar's current alleges against Mr. Thompson (see full Wunderman Report available at gamepolitis.com as a posting by Jack Thompson), I confidently state my assertion (based on my thorough review of all know places where current Florida Bar allegations against Mr. Thompson can or should be found) that he is not alleged by the Florida Bar to currently suffer any mental defect or incapacity that would render him unfit for the practice of law nor is he alleged by the Florida Bar to be in any way obsessed with anything. If I am correct in my assertions as to the proper understanding of the current allegations of the Florida Bar against Mr. Thompson and Dr. Wunderman's assertions on the same point are incorrect, then the conclusion necessarily follows that the very basis from which Dr. Wunderman proceeds to conduct his evaluation of Mr. Thompson (i.e., Mr. Thompson's "presenting circumstances") is, by virtue of him being incorrect about Mr. Thompson's actual presenting circumstances, fatally flawed. If so, any conclusion drawn by Dr. Wunderman from his evaluation of Mr. Thompson -- regardless of the specifics of that conclusion -- is, I would assert, also necessarily fatally flawed.

You can fairly think of Dr. Wunderman's evaluative process as being much akin to computing: Garbage in, Garbage out.

An Evangelical Doctor.. doesn't that contradict itself?

@lumi

It's good to know you didn't vote for him, but he's still in power. For the moment.

Looks like a violation of paragraph 1 and paragraph 2. He seeks to hinder the sale of the game online by invalidating an FTC accepted age verrification process and then is communicating with multiple members of the company with claims of wrong doing in that Take Two is skirting decency by taking advantage of the FTC allowance of credit card age verrification to sell the game to people who are under age. First off, why in hell do children have access to credit cards? Um, where are the parents with that one?

Just when I think Jack can't get any more insane, he pulls a stunt like this and tops himself.

Jack, regarding the issue of the credit card. Yes, kids can get a hold of their parents' card and buy something they shouldn't have. But why is that the fault of the manufacturer or retailer? Answer: IT'S NOT! It's the fault of the parents. You know about responsible parenting, right Jack (You should, seeing as you have a son and all)?

And what is Take-2 doing that other online retailers aren't? What if some 12-year-old kid uses his dad's Visa card to buy a copy of the Unrated version of Saw III online? Would you start reprimanding Lions Gate for distributing the film and Amazon.com for selling it to him? I SERIOUSLY doubt it. But as soon as games are involved, you get litigious with all the wrong people. Hell, you'd probably send an email to Visa, too, for making the card!

You want a double standard that applies only to games, Jack. If Take-2's method of Age Verification is flawed, that other sites using it must be flawed as well. How about a site that sells firearms online that also uses the same credit card age verification as T2? Last time I checked, it is still NOT a felony to sell M-rated games to minors (partially thanks to you, BTW) but I'm pretty certain it is illegal to sell guns to a minor. Why don't you go bother them first, than come back to us?

Oh, and making these emails public when you're correspondence with T2 was supposed to be kept private? Do you understand anything about your settlement or did you just get tapped in the head as a child one too many times?

I dare you to respond to this Jack, but I know you won't because you're a gutless coward who can't stand being proved wrong, and even if you did, you'd just be your usual stubborn self and claim your lies are true despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Apologies to the length, all, but sometimes you just gotta vent.

@A-wel Cruiz

Now that deserves a medal. Dennis, send one muffin basket to Miss Gena and one Distinguished Service Cross to A-wel Cruiz.

I can't believe he hasn't showed up in this thread yet. Hunting for Jacko in his threads is like the Gamepolitics version of "Where's Waldo" for me. First person to catch him doing a jack-in-the-box wins a prize!

Can we stop with the bad puns? Funny as some of them are (Jack Ass), they really don't help that much.

@BlackIce

Um, I'm pretty sure God himself could descend from Heaven and say, "Look, Jack, I'm getting pretty tired of coming down here. Relax, unclench, take a laxative, you have a family, spend time with them; Get a career instead of this circus-puppet-show thing you have going. The disciples are throwing a Halo3 release party and if I have to miss it because of you, so help me, I'm totally going to rain frogs on you."

And assuming he was still capable of powers of speech, he'd probably accuse god of being a "game industry stooge". No one can run him off from here, less he decides to leave on his own account. Well, maybe Dennis.

I also support the muffin basket idea. As it turns out (go go Google maps!) my studio is only a short walk to R*/T2 corporate. I could go deliver something myself on behalf of thankful gamers and developers =)

You can thank the bible-thumping blue states for that >_


lol wut?

Republicans = red
Democrats = blue

Closing the italics

@GP

Pity she didn't care to comment. I suspect there are more then a few out there who would've liked to hear what she'd have to say.

im starting to think that maybe jack thompson doesnt exist. like he is some hallucination that my mind has created, like in silent hill 2. we as gamers find people with behavior like thompson to be the most annoying thing that we could be presented with and now our subconsious emotions pulling the strings here and are making us see stuff that isnt there. i mean, how could someone that stupid possible exist and actually think they can be taken seriously. i refuse to believe its reality. all those video interviews or newstation interviews are made up too. jack was never in them at all. fox news was probably interviewing gary coleman or something.

@jonc2006

Don't go there. Please don't go there. I'm already confused.

I've got tickets for two second-row, just off the center-aisle seats in Judge Tunis' courtroom for the week of Jack Thompson's trial. Any bids?

Well, it looks pretty simple to me that Jack is breaking Paragraph #2, and that T2 is willing to use Paragraph #11 to make him stop.

I was wondering how long it would take him to break his agreement. And as a side note, I'm calling it at 4 Months and 9 Days. Everyone should check their betting pools if they've got money riding on when it would happen. Otherwise, just be happy that Jack did last more than 1/3 of a year without messing up the agreement.

@BigCityGas:

Yeah tell me about it... only to me it's more like a semi-daily comic. (Since his antics are usually LOL-worthy anyway...)

Wow, I'd reply to more but that's 200+ posts before I even got here... and what's the point? Ah well.

@lumi

What I hate is the fact that the UK is standing behind these idiots in charge of America. Month after month there are reports of American troops knowingly killing British soldiers, Jesus, how do you mix up professionally trained troops with rag tag Iranian funded mental cases? And yet the American government shields the morons responsible from UK inquests.

On topic: Jack Thompson is a psycho, there's no other way to describe him, it's about time someone revoked his right to practice law since there is no way in hell he is fit to be a lawyer, he's obsessed with Take 2 and that's not a trait a lawyer should have

After reading Jack's letters the first time, the need to re-read them with carnival music playing was overwhelming. Seriously Jack has his foot in his mouth and after numerous attempts to swallow it it appears that he has finally succeeded in doing so. However it could be a while before Jack realizes this.............if he ever does. Props to Take Two for not letting Jack push them around, and I feel sorry for Gena she actually has to deal with the Schmuck. Heres hoping that she gets a raise.

For once, I think Jack Thompson is in the right with this one. Whoever is at Take Two with this matter should be slapped with a lawsuit for even trying to argue with Mr. Thompson. Manhunt 2 is an abomination that should never see the light of day, and whoever helped design its horrible gameplay should be struck down by Zeus himself. Putting such a violent game upon a Nintendo console and even letting children mimic its actions is reason enough to incur my gods' rage.

@BigCityGas

"Who gives Thompson real attention anyway?"

That's the sad part. We are an educated minority; the vast majority of the non-gaming, VOTE CASTING, uneducated public simply hear "now we're going to hear from school shooting expert and activist against youth violence, Jack Thompson. Jack, can you tell us why this terrible tragedy occurred?"

We can't ignore Jack because the masses don't know that they should. We have a responsibility not to let him get away with the garbage he tries to spew.

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

For those who can't see the pdf of the settlement, here's what Salen's talking about:

Thompson shall not communicate on his own behalf with (i) any Take Two Entity... in which he (a) accuses, claims, or asserts that any Take Two Entity has engaged or will engage in wrongdoing based on the sale or distribution of any game designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by any Take Two Entity, or (b) accuses, claims, asserts, or contends that any such person or entity has engaged or will engage in any wrongdoing base on or arising out of such sale or distribution, or (c) threaten any kind of action against such person or entity base on or arising out of such sale or distribution. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit in any way Thompson's right to criticize the content or distribution of any such game.

Translation: Thompson can bitch about MH2 all he wants, but asserting that they don't use age verification can easily be construed as accusing them of wrongdoing, and therefore in violation of the agreement he signed. He also agreed that should he violate the agreement, TT has the right to sue him again. And if Thompson believes this to not be the case, then he signed a legal agreement in a court of law in bad faith. Which I'm sure will look REAL good when he goes back before the judge...

@ Gregarious

No one (or very few) is arguing that the content is unsuitable for children. The argument rests on whether or not it is:

A) Constitutional to restrict this form of speech to a minor
B) Promoting violence within children (empirically verified)
C) Better to use an industry standard (ESRB+parents) that costs the tax-payer nothing or a establish criminal penalties to enforce restriction instead.

@ lumi

I think I remember hearing that Bush enjoys the occasional Game Boy time. Or at least he did at some point.

Everyone please ignore Gregarious. I smell a troll.

@ lumi

I had the same experience when I was a kid. For I time, I could get into R movies fairly easily.

However, it became more difficult as I got older, and now when I go to even a matinee I see clerks checking tickets at the door inner theatre itself.

My point was more about comparing apples to apple and oranges to oranges. If Yee wants to compare R movies to M games, then do that. He implies that a parent taking their child to an R movie would be ridiculed, humiliated, and kicked out for his indiscretion. That is simply not the case.

Plus Yee's post is from two years ago and the FTC and since indicated that the ESRB's system is working better and better.

@ JackDon'tKnowJack

I know - I just think its annoying when people argue tangential things rather than the core argument.

Gregarious' subjective opinions of a game's suitability for children cannot be used to establish policy as would appease almost no one.

@ Gregarious:

They are obvious opinions. Opinions cannot be slanderous. Only facts can (and only "untrue" facts, at that). Were you Jack Thompson's study-buddy in law school?

@A-wel Cruiz

I agree. I've stated my reasons, I will say no more.

@Apex Slug

"If Yee wants to compare R movies to M games, then do that. He implies that a parent taking their child to an R movie would be ridiculed, humiliated, and kicked out for his indiscretion. That is simply not the case."

What's really funny is that while he extoles the virtues of movie theatres restricting kids from entering R rated movies, he COMPLETELY ignores the fact that kids are twice as likely to be allowed to buy an R rated DVD than an M rated video game.

The video game retailers are cleaning up and have gotten their voluntary enforcement up to the level of theatre owners, which Yee has praised as the "gold standard". But movie & music retailers have done nothing. Yet he still bashes on the VG industry.

So.. now what?

@Gregarious

its not about the game anymore. it never really has been in my opinion. i really could care less about the game but what i do care about is censorship. you stamp down "banned" on something and you open pandoras box. soon after that, someone wants something else banned because it doesnt fit their standards, and they begin to throw out "banned" on another game. and then someone else wants another thing banned because they dont like it. and then another, and another, and another. what you end up with is a real shithole of a problem because all of a sudden you realize that someone wants something YOU want banned.

@BlackIce

"So.. now what?"

Now... We DANCE!

*cue polka music*

@Jabrwock

Ohh. I don't like polka. I'm gonna be a weinee and harrass the guy who invented it waah waah.

Can we do the Mexican Hat Dance instead? Da da da da, da da da..

I was under the impression that Dennis was pulling fake Jack Thompson posting (and with my thanks because I often encounter thorny attribution issues in my study of Mr. Thompson which a fake posting-free forum would tend to obviate). Is Dennis also pulling Jack Thompson-faked postings?

@documatic

(You didn't see my many rants against the fucker, but he is a nazi)

@Matteo

He's blithering about the ability to buy "M" games from TT directly, through their online store (which is actually run by Yahoo). They ask for credit card info, and state:

"Some items for sale on this website are not yet rated or are intended for mature audiences. You must be 17 or older to purchase items rated RP or M. By ordering such items, you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age."

If you lie about your age, you are in breach of contract, and must give back the game (in exchange for a refund I suppose). State laws support such "clickthroughs" as proof of age, because some forms of contract are legally binding even on teens.

That and it's a violation of the agreement you signed with the credit card company to allow anyone but the cardholder to use the card. So it's 100% the parents' fault in violation of contract if the kid uses it to buy a game...

@A-Wel Cruiz:

Dennis, I’ll take that DSC medal. Send my muffin basket to Jack. He’s earned it.

Why, so he can get sued for harassment? I think he'll take a pass on that one, but thanks for offering.

@JackDontKnowJack:

Love the handle (speaks the truth!) but anyway...

"Were you Jack Thompson’s study-buddy in law school?"

Jack had friends? I mean real ones, not imaginary. Sorry the whole notion makes me LOL, that's all.

@Gregarious

and another thing: if you honestly feel that these games are aimed or sold to kids or whatever then you need to ask yourself what the source of the money these kids use to buy these games is. dont lie to me or to anyone else here because there is only one answer to that and if you dont like it, tough shit: the parents. you give a kid $60 or so for a game without monitoring how your kid spends it then you have no right to point the finger at the industry or the retailers whatsoever.

give a kid a fair amount of money and let them do whatever the hell they want with it, what do you expect to happen? you think they are gonna blow it on ice cream and disney movies? hell, you dont care. why should they follow rules that dont exist? if your kid has a job and makes his own money, then you should be teaching him to respect the fucking law.

@DarkTetsuya

Give the muffin basket to me. I'll forward it to that woman (Gena something) who has to reply to JT's e-mails.