Midway sued over Psi - Ops

[TollBooth Willie]

This is a couple of days old, but kinda interesting.

Last month, William L. Crawford III filed suit against Midway, alleging that the publisher swiped the plot and characters for its game from a 1998 screenplay he wrote, also called Psi-Ops.

"The premise for the Psi-Ops screenplay is government soldiers with paranormal abilities, or 'Psi-Agents,' that fight terrorists that also have paranormal abilities," according to the lawsuit. It mentions a number of characters, including a foreign-born pyrokinetic with a troubled past; a cool and menacing mind control specialist with a slender masculine build, black hair, trench coat, and sunglasses; and a rogue Psi-Agent who establishes his own underground terrorist organization using other Psi-Agents.
The suit goes on to describe Midway's game premise as American soldiers with paranormal abilities--also called Psi-Agents--fighting terrorists who also have paranormal abilities. It then describes the game's characters in the same terms as the screenplay, including a foreign-born pyrokinetic with a troubled past; a cool and menacing operative with the power of mind control, a slender, muscular build, black hair, and sunglasses; and a rogue Psi-Agent who established an underground terrorist organization using other Psi-Agents.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/psiops/news.html?sid=6167348

[Seppo]

looks like everyone's getting sued now, even Jack Thompson a while back.

[Stigmata]

Owned.

[Qonfused]

Seems like they have a pretty valid case.

[Jintor]

I would say that that concept is... actually... fairly generic in pop culture...

But i wouldn't stake my case on it.

[Steve]

But he's not just saying they stole the concept, but specific details.

[Jintor]

Oh, well, in that case Midway's boned. :D

[Steve]

I'm just not sure how these cases are fought.

How do you prove that you wrote X script way back when instead of just a few days ago for the specific purpose of suing?

[DEATHMASTER]

Bah.

[Dumb Dude]

Uhh....a little late much? Didn't Psi-Ops get released like 3 years ago?

[Stigmata]

I'm just not sure how these cases are fought.

How do you prove that you wrote X script way back when instead of just a few days ago for the specific purpose of suing?In this case, probably the dates for "Last Changed" and "Last Accessed" on some computer-based text documents.

[Kyorisu]

Ah digital? fat chance that can all be faked.

[Raxxman]

you ALWAYS mail yourself a copy of the script by recorded delivery and don't open it.

Word to the wise kiddies, if you have an idea you'd like to patent or a script you want to get made, always mail yourself a copy via recorded delivery. This is an accepted method of proving time of concept and has legal precedent.

However the plot line is very generic (as most games are) the character description fits dozens of game characters. And Psi-Agent for an Agent with Psionic powers is hardly a creative strech. I'd also question how Midway would of gotten a hold on a script that clearly didn't actually get very far.

Besides his film sounds like a rip off of Scanners.

[Samon]

And I thought the plot in Psi-Ops was due to horrible writing.

[Mechagodzilla]

Yeah, Psi Ops was fun to play, but had the most atrocious in-game plot I have ever encountered in my life.

It would come as absolutely no surprise to me if the dudes were so inept that they would even fail at stealing an effective plot.

[Dalamari]

Who cares, nobody played that shitty game

[Ol'Master]

you ALWAYS mail yourself a copy of the script by recorded delivery and don't open it.

Word to the wise kiddies, if you have an idea you'd like to patent or a script you want to get made, always mail yourself a copy via recorded delivery. This is an accepted method of proving time of concept and has legal precedent.


Snopes begs to differ (http://www.snopes.com/legal/postmark.asp)

[Raxxman]

I live in Britain.

Point still stands though as it takes a while to get a patient and it's not like it will harm a case.

And as for never finding a case where it was used, might be true in the US, but I'm sure it's been used several times in the UK.

[juggalojosh]

For all of you that are a bit skeptical about this whole situation I do have some actual facts about this, check it out for yourself.

Here is William Crawford's website (The guy that is suing Midway).

http://www.mindshadowonline.com check out the 'area 23 history' section, it has a lot of info.



and here is a PDF of the basic comparison's of both his screenplay and midway's version of it:

http://www.mindshadowonline.com/press/PressRelease.pdf

(Pretty interesting how Midway just happened to write the same thing, word for word three years after William Crawford had presented it at the Electronic Entertainment Expo of 2001, which in fact, Midway reps had attended and the material presented to them personally)



and here is a PDF on the OFFICIAL COURT COMPLAINT:

http://www.mindshadowonline.com/press/Psi%20Ops%20complaint.pdf




Please do check it out for yourself and see that the man really does deserve more than he is asking for.

I heard that he might make a movie if everything goes successfully.

Josh


PS: He had his screenplay copyrighted in 1998 when Midway had only registered theirs in 2004.

[Gargantou]

Way to go, first post on the site and you revive a thread that is over half a year old...:p

[Reginald]

OMG William Crawford or one of his cronies is posting on our site. Awesome.

[CyberPitz]

After reading the first page, I thought to myself, "I swear this was posted before..." Then I saw the date, and it clicked.

[Jintor]

Wrrrrrrrrry do we caaaaaare?

[Qonfused]

Who cares, nobody played that shitty game

Old statement, but Psi-Ops was a really fun game. Chances are you've never played it and you posted this for some reason that isn't too clear.

[Jintor]

Listen buddy, if I wanted awesome mind-bending action I'd go play Psychonauts.

[Qonfused]

Two wholly different games.

[TollBooth Willie]

I lol'd at the bump.

[Jintor]

Two wholly different games.

One more awesome than the other. :D

[CyberPitz]

One more awesome than the other. :D
I refuse to believe any game could be better than another D:

[juggalojosh]

I was stating some facts that I thought were interesting, if you read them I'm sure you would find them interesting as well.

I don't know how good or bad the game was seeing as how I have never played it, you are entitled to your own opinions about that, but as far as the lawsuit goes, this guy does have some pretty good points, and it looks as if though Mr. Crawford is right about this one and has a very legitimate case.

In fact, I think that if this does actually go to trial with a jury as requested, that there is no doubt about it, Midway is going to lose it.

Go ahead and take a look at the facts, they're pretty straight forward. All Mr. Crawford needs is a good lawyer.

http://www.mindshadowonline.com/press/PressRelease.pdf

http://www.mindshadowonline.com/press/Psi%20Ops%20complaint.pdf

Joshua

[Wanted Bob]

Who cares, nobody played that shitty game

Wut he said.

And yes, I tried this game and didnt like it...

[Jintor]

I was stating some facts that I thought were interesting, if you read them I'm sure you would find them interesting as well.

I don't know how good or bad the game was seeing as how I have never played it, you are entitled to your own opinions about that, but as far as the lawsuit goes, this guy does have some pretty good points, and it looks as if though Mr. Crawford is right about this one and has a very legitimate case.

In fact, I think that if this does actually go to trial with a jury as requested, that there is no doubt about it, Midway is going to lose it.

Go ahead and take a look at the facts, they're pretty straight forward. All Mr. Crawford needs is a good lawyer.

http://www.mindshadowonline.com/press/PressRelease.pdf

http://www.mindshadowonline.com/press/Psi%20Ops%20complaint.pdf

Joshua

So... you joined... a Halflife2 forum... specifically to post links... in a months-old thread... because you were interested?

...something isn't adding up here.

[Pesmerga]

I refuse to believe any game could be better than another D:

You're right, Big Rigs is totally on the same level as... Ocarina of Time.

[Stigmata]

You're right, Big Rigs is totally on the same level as... Ocarina of Time.

It is.

[juggalojosh]

So... you joined... a Halflife2 forum... specifically to post links... in a months-old thread... because you were interested?

...something isn't adding up here.

Lol, it all adds up, I joined a forum and input some factual information, the end.

How I found the forum, hello google.
;)

[Jintor]

But... why would you waste your time... telling people... who don't care?

I mean, you're obviously not a bot, but what the hell does it matter to you unless you have a stake in the case?

[TollBooth Willie]

In a nearly year old thread at that?

[Drackard]

Indeed, something isn't right.

[Eejit]

Spider-sense... tingling...

[Dalamari]

I played the Psy-ops demo on one of the OXM demo discs, used the Havok engine just like HL2. I remember it being a bit shit except for the fun telekinesis stuff.

Anyways, gg revive old thread gogogo

[Gordon-Shepherd]

Seems like they have a pretty valid case.

agreed.