In an ongoing effort to stop players who cheat in Grand Theft Auto Online, Judge Louis Stanton of Manhattan has handed Take-Two Interactive a major victory. The publisher was awarded a preliminary injunction that prevents a Georgia man from selling programs that allow players to cheat in the game. Take-Two Interactive originally filed the Grand Theft Auto lawsuit on March 23, 2018, as David Zipperer’s Menyoo and Absolute cheating programs allegedly cost the company $500,000 in revenue.
Take-Two can successfully argue that its copyright of Grand Theft Auto V was infringed, as a result of which the Grand Theft Auto brand was damaged, potentially hurting sales. After all, players wouldn’t want to play a game where the odds are stacked against them. According to Stanton, the injunction would allow Take-Two to invest more in video games, benefiting players and the company overall. Zipperer would not need to pay Take-Two damages that he could potentially not afford as he was unemployed.
Zipperer filed an unfair competition claim, which was dismissed by Stanton. Take-Two expressed its intention to continue taking legal action, where necessary, to protect its property.
Despite it being originally released in 2013, Grand Theft Auto V is still regularly being bought, thanks in no small part to the continued support of Grand Theft Auto Online. With the game continuing to get more players, it makes sense that Rockstar and Take-Two are figuring out ways to make the...