Midway Being Sued For Plagiarism
This definitely threw me for a loop, mainly because it seemed to come straight out of left field: a screenwriter is suing Midway Games because, according to him, PSI-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy was stolen from a story he pitched to the gaming industry.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of screenwriter William L. Crawford III, reveals that he visited E3 in 2001 to showcase the project, as well as setting up websites with details of the story and concept art.Crawford is seeking at least US $1.5 million in damages.
According to the Internet Movie Database, Crawford only has only had two actual scripts produced: one TV movie about psychics and a serial killer, and one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. However, the U.S. Copyright office does have an entry for a screenplay by Crawford under the name of "Psi-Ops", but no information regarding the plot is given.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you think the man would have noticed the game and alerted the media sometime before now? Seriously, it's been almost three years since I first popped my copy of PSI-Ops into my PS2.
Midway sued over Psi-Ops game [Games Industry.biz]
Boy of Tomorrow
Posted to Hot Stuff, Miscellany, Video Games on 14 March 2007
· Comments (6)
Other stuff like this: lawsuit, midway, mindgate conspiracy, plagiarism, psi-ops, psychic, screenplay
His writing credits don't inspire confidence in his talent. And why isn't he going after Second Sight, or Psychonauts, or even Advent Rising?
That was probably THE worst episode of DS9, so I hope he's not exactly proud of that writing credit. I mean, come on, Rumple Stilskin poping up on a space station?
"Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you think the man would have noticed the game and alerted the media sometime before now? Seriously, it's been almost three years . . ."
The statute of limitation on copyrights is three years after the claim accrues. See 17 USC 507(b) (2000). As Plaintiff and "master of the complaint" he did nothing wrong in waiting to file, if Wikiedia is correct when it says the game was released on June 14, 2004.
That's true, it was a horrible ep of DS9.
Thankfully Berman started ignoring it and Ira Behr made it brilliant ;)
Janeway would never have let this happen.
/duck
Maybe he noticed his scripts are crap and now he's searching for another source of income?
My honest suspicion is that he noticed the game had a similar title to what he was pitching and decided to sue. Had Midway gone with the original ESPionage title, I doubt they'd be having this problem right now.