Screenwriter sues Midway for copyright infringement

Los Angeles (CA) - William L. Crawford, an unknown Hollywood screenwriter, is suing Midway Games because he claims the publisher lifted the story for the game Psi-Ops from a screenplay that he wrote.

Crawford says that he attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2001 to show off his script, and alleges it was there that Midway learned of his screenplay and stole the story for its 2004 game Psi-Ops : The Mindgate Conspiracy.

The plaintiff’s screenplay, also titled Psi-Ops, was submitted to the US Copyright Office in 1998. Midway’s submission is dated 2004.

On imdb.com, Crawford’s only listed writing credits are an episode of Star Trek : Deep Space Nine and a 1992 movie called "Psychic", which received a 1.5/5 rating from TV Guide. In the Midway suit, he’s seeking $1.5 million in damages.