Legal threat over BBC's Grand Theft Auto movie

Rockstar Games is taking legal action against the BBC in response to Game Changer, an upcoming drama about the creation of Grand Theft Auto.

The 90-minute film stars Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar co-founder Sam Houser, and Bill Paxton as anti-game lawyer Jack Thompson.

"Take-Two Interactive has filed suit against the BBC for trademark infringement based on their movie currently titled Game Changer as it relates to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto video game series," said Rockstar in a statement.

"While holders of the trademarks referenced in the film title and its promotion, Rockstar Games has had no involvement with this project. Our goal is to ensure that our trademarks are not misused in the BBC's pursuit of an unofficial depiction of purported events related to Rockstar Games.

"We have attempted multiple times to resolve this matter with the BBC without any meaningful resolution. It is our obligation to protect our intellectual property and unfortunately in this case litigation was necessary."

Filming on Game Changer began in April, and it is scheduled for broadcast later this year.

The BBC described the drama's story as "arguably the greatest British coding success story since Bletchley Park" - the site of the United Kingdom's famous Government Code and Cypher School.

"Game Changer tells the story of an extraordinary chapter in the history of this iconic game, and reveals the major impact it has had on our cultural landscape," it said.

- Gameplanet.co.nz