The release of GTA 6 may be compromised by a lawsuit filed against developer Rockstar and publisher Take-Two. Where someone like the Florida Joker had previously only threatened a lawsuit, there is now a party that has effectively started a lawsuit because GTA 6 uses their image and likeness without permission.
It concerns a crocodile from Florida who claims that one of the alligators in the GTA 6 reveal trailer is based on him without permission. This would not only have violated his right to privacy, but would also have caused him emotional damage.
Miles Scales, the crocodile’s lawyer, says that his client had always lived peacefully in the swamps of Florida and always minded his own business, until he suddenly became a mascot for a violent game like GTA 6. “We demand the immediate removal of his image and likeness and request substantial damages,” it said.
Rockstar or Take-Two have not yet responded to the lawsuit, while experts are divided about its chances of success. For example, the jurisdiction of the crocodile is being questioned here and there, while elsewhere people are asking what impact this case can have on general animal rights in a digital age.
If the crocodile wins, there is a real chance that other animals will suddenly file a lawsuit and Rockstar will then be in danger of having to pay out of pocket in damages, while GTA 6 itself could also be in danger.
Tags: Lawsuit jeopardize GTA release
