Earlier this summer the UK’s Daily Star fabricated a story claiming that the next entry in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series would be based on the July 2010 crime spree committed by ex-con Raoul Moat (pictured)across the NorthEast section of the UK and that the game would be named GTA Rothbury.
While the paper later apologized for the incident, and the piece’s author insulted gamers, calling them “grown (?!?) men who sit around all day playing computer games with one another,” the paper has been ordered to pay undisclosed damages to Rockstar and Take Two Interactive. According to the Guardian, Rockstar has accepted “substantial” libel damages as awarded by a High Court.
Rockstar’s Solicitor, Melanie Hart, stated, “The defendant now accepts that Rockstar Games never had any intention to create such a video game at any time. The story was entirely false.”
The Daily Mail’s parent company, Express Newspapers, was also ordered to pay Rockstar’s legal fees.
An Express Newspapers spokesperson said that the company “accepted that the allegations were untrue and apologised for the upset and damage caused.”
MCVUK still has a screenshot of the original Daily Star article available on its website.
Connect with us:
Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
October 4, 2010
Shout box
NyuRena: You nailed it James! Yikes..06/18/2013 - 1:56pm
|
james_fudge: With MS willing to share with the government, an always listening device should give everyone pause.06/18/2013 - 1:37pm
|
james_fudge: you can't turn off the Microphone on the Kinect and it has to be plugged in. It's not rocket science.06/18/2013 - 1:35pm
|
E. Zachary Knight: The Humble Bundle Guys just don't like me having money in my pocket do they? https://www.humblebundle.com/06/18/2013 - 1:12pm
|
E. Zachary Knight: CMiner, I know that my Android camera is off unless I am using an application that turns it on. Same with the microphone.06/18/2013 - 12:38pm
|
CMiner: Can you turn off the camera on an iPhone? Like, -really- turn it off, not just change a setting that -tells- you the camera is off?06/18/2013 - 12:13pm
|
james_fudge: when they make it a requirement, yes they are06/18/2013 - 12:10pm
|
CMiner: I just don't think Microsoft bears any more (or less) responsibility for privacy with its Kinect camera than do the makers of laptops or smartphones with integrated cameras.06/18/2013 - 12:00pm
|
Imautobot: The ability to operate the console without the camera is key. It's a peripheral, not directly integrated into the console, and yet it behaves as if it is. Thankfully I don't have kids, and won't have an Xbone either.06/18/2013 - 11:49am
|
CMiner: Oh, I agree that the decision to make the kinect mandatory/always listening is terrible.06/18/2013 - 11:48am
|
E. Zachary Knight: CMiner, and the easier the provider makes to do such things, the better. The fact that the XBone will not even funtion without it plugged in and turned on in some fashion makes a world of difference from a PC Webcam.06/18/2013 - 11:38am
|
CMiner: It takes steps on the user's part to ensure 100% privacy (unplugging, uninstalling, putting tape over it, not putting it in the kid's rooms, etc)06/18/2013 - 11:29am
|
CMiner: My point is that no webcam producing company can guarantee that no one will ever ever ever be able to access video from that webcam without your knowledge and permission06/18/2013 - 11:28am
|
E. Zachary Knight: Of course at that point, you are still opening up yourself to Windows zero day vulnerabilities and back doors that they are happy to share with the government before Windows users.06/18/2013 - 11:26am
|
E. Zachary Knight: Cminer, I don't because I wipe the OS and reinstall something more secure, Linux. Even still, just wiping the OS and reinstalling Windows fresh removes all the bloatware PC companies install.06/18/2013 - 11:26am
|
E. Zachary Knight: I agree that the Kinect requirement of the XBone has my civil liberty senses tingling. Just another nail in the coffin for me.06/18/2013 - 11:25am
|
E. Zachary Knight: Honestly, I wouldn't put anything with an integrated camera in my kids' rooms. You are just asking for trouble. Of course, I am not a fan of having tvs/videogames/computers in kids rooms in general.06/18/2013 - 11:24am
|
CMiner: In the case of integrated webcams on laptops, do you have the same concern that people at Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc might be spying on you?06/18/2013 - 11:24am
|
E. Zachary Knight: I love awesome indie devs. Incredipede is free if you run linux! http://www.incredipede.com/linux.html Thanks @ColinNorthway You're the best.06/18/2013 - 11:23am
|
Imautobot: More creepy is that the Xbox Camera can see in the dark. Now we're in Buffalo Bill territory.06/18/2013 - 11:21am
|
Comments
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
It is good that the Daily Star has been effectively fined over this false story. They should check there facts. I personally would not like to see the original journalist handed the fine, as I do believe that the paper has to except responsibility as it decided to run with the story, but I do hope that his name is somewhat blackened.
He made up the story, but what was worse was that he was completely unrepentant over it, in journalism that is the worst thing you can do. The fact that he was so childish over the matter just showed what a hack he was. I hope all publications think twice before employing him or paying for his "stories".
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Well, now I want a copy of Red Dead Redemption even more.
As for the author, well, I doubt he's an author with them any more.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
First off, yes, congratulations to Rockstar for finally defending itself.
Though, "The defendant now accepts that Rockstar Games never had any intention to create such a video game at any time. The story was entirely false.” Just now? I think they should give them some credit, the Daily Star did write a redaction and apology within a week:
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/07/26/daily-star-apologizes-fabricating...
Overall I'm surprised at how well they've been dealing with this thing, other than publishing the thing in the first place. But that makes it all the more upsetting that the dumbass who actually wrote the story is seemingly getting off scot free. He should be fired and never be able to get a job in the industry again. This is disgraceful.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I don't know about the Daily Star, but I if did something stupid that cost my company libel losses plus legal fees, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't even bother with cardboard boxes. They'd just roll my desk with all my stuff out the nearest window. And I'm on the second floor.
This guy being fired after this (if he hasn't already been) is almost a given. Companies just don't usually announce HR decisions like that, for CYA. As far as never getting another job in the industry... Nobody who actually looks at his background as an applicant is ever going to hire him as a writer. After the screaming liability of "I caused my company to lose a ton of money in a lawsuit," he'll probably have problems finding jobs in other, completely unrelated industries.
But, then again, that's what happens when you're an idiot.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I think you overestimate the journalistic standards of the British press. If he's fired (and even that's not a given), he'll find some other rag which will scold him and tell him to be more vague the next time he wants to make up a story.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
About damn time there were some consequences for all the cheap shots taken at us.
Here's to the rag known as the Daily Mail going down the tubes.
EDIT: Sorry, that's Daily Star, not "Mail". Though they are the same thing, really.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I´m very glad they won. I hope this inspire many other companies that are being slandered by oportunistic pricks like the Daily Star.
I´m so buying a Rockstar game this week, lol (probably not).
------------------------------------------------------------ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
It's Jerry Lawton who should have to pay this totally out of pocket. Daily Star should have verified it, sure. But Lawton was the individual who made the false claims.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
http://www.facebook.com/nightwing2000
Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I don't know how the law goes in Britain, but in the US, that would qualify as a work of corporate authorship; Lawton may have technically written it, but for all legal purposes the publisher wrote it.
There could hypothetically be a clause in the contract saying the author has responsibility, but it would be simpler just to fire him.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Personally, I would rather see the jerk who wrote the article lose his job.
Now, if only the entire industry had half the stones R*/TT has, then perhaps they would be better suited to fight that California law.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
He cost the publication he works, or posibly worked for thousands, so he probably has lost his job.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
This kind of thing should be career/business ending. I hope the damages were REALLY high.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Moreover, even the Daily Star reproduced the press release published by The Guardian : http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/156810/Paper-sorry-for-Moat-game-c...
Meanwhile, Jerry Lawton tries and tries hard : http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/155632/Raoul-Moat-the-play-Lotto-f...
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Finally, FINALLY, some game makers who have enough balls to defend their creation against libels all by THEMSELVES.
But what happened to the paper author ? Has he been sued too ? Because he would be the first one to deserve it.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Congrats on winning the case Rockstar!
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/