True Crime lawsuit shelved

Crime author Robert Crais, whose credits include such books as L.A. Requiem and Free Fall, has dropped his lawsuit against Activision and other parties involved with the action game True Crime: Streets of LA. Crais' lawsuit, which was filed just a few weeks ago, alleged that the game's lead character Nick Kang was essentially a rip-off of Elvis Cole, the ex-cop antihero that features in nine of his novels.

Crais had originally sought not only monetary damages but also to stop the game's release earlier this month. Activision reportedly responded to Crais' allegations swiftly and managed to convince him that the game doesn't actually infringe upon any of his copyrights. For more information on True Crime: Streets of LA, check out our previous coverage of the game.

Crais has posted a short entry on his Web site outlining the recent history of the lawsuit. He discusses Activision's response, and also why he dropped the legal complaint, among other topics.