Take-Two Sues Chicago Transit Authority over GTA IV Ads
May 7, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV advertising is visible everywhere on television, websites, magazines and even outdoor signage. Although there doesn’t seem to be any escaping the marketing barrage, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) decided to remove any ads for the game from its busses, train system and other spaces.
As a result, Take-Two Interactive sued the CTA and sales agent Titan Outdoor LLC, accusing it of pulling ads without an explanation and violating contract and free speech rights. Take-Two is seeking monetary damages of $300,000 - the value of the original campaign agreement - and that the ads be reinstated.
According to Reuters’ reading of the suit, the transit advertisements were removed following a report by Fox News that questioned the ads in light of a recent wave of violent crimes in Chicago.
This is not the first time that Chicago Transit Authority has advertised for the Grand Theft Auto series. In 2004, the CTA ran ads for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, recalled a Chicago Tribune blog. At the time, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich criticized the CTA for the ads, resulting in the removal of all posters.
Gov. Blagojevich has been a long-time opponent of the accessibility of M-rated video games to the public. In August 2005, the Illinois State Legislature enacted the Sexually Explicit Video Game Law (SEVGL) which required all retailers take specific measures for its mature games.
More than a year later, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly ruled the law as unconstitutional. Judge Kennelly also ordered Gov. Blagojevich to pay the legal costs of the video-game industry, which at the time amounted to over $510,260.
After nearly a month of non-payment, Gov. Blagojevich was ordered by the courts to pay the amount of $520,000, which included interested.
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