Take-Two & Rockstar have asked that their lawsuit against the Pinkerton Detective Agency be dismissed as the defendants have withdrawn their cease & desist letter which was sent late last year. The original letter was sent in response to the use of the Pinkerton Detective Agency throughout the plot of Red Dead Redemption 2, something which the agency claimed was done without permission and was done to make the agency out as villains. In response, Rockstar claimed that they "could not use copyright law to own history" and made a complaint against the agency in January.
Now they have made a motion to dismiss the complaint as an amicable agreement appears to have been reached by all parties involved in the dispute. While not all of the details are known, a spokesperson for Take-Two said this when speaking to gameindustry.biz:
"Take-Two can confirm that the present day Pinkerton Consulting & Investigation company has withdrawn its claims against Red Dead Redemption 2, and Take-Two will not continue legal action against Pinkerton. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a work of fiction set in the late 1800s that references historical entities active during that time."As of right now, it seems like that will likely that this will be the end of it with all 3 companies involved backing down. The legal spat started because Red Dead Redemption 2 focuses on a band of criminals who are hunted by Pinkertons throughout the course of the game, and on several occasions interact with two of the agents. The modern day version of the agency saw this as a way of tarnishing their unimpeachable reputation and sought not only a financial damages claim but also ongoing royalties from the sale of RDR2 as compensation.
What do you think about the legal situation surrounding RDR2? Do you think that the Pinkerton Detective Agency was in the right to do what they did? Let us know what you think down below.