In a bit of a reversal of normal conventions, a game publisher is suing a city, and not the other way around. Today Take-Two announced that they would bring suit against the Chicago Transit Authority for removing advertising concerning GTA IV without providing any explanation as to why.

The original contract, valued at $300,000, called for the CTA to run GTA IV poster ads on the sides of buses and on transit displays throughout the city for six weeks running from April through June. Take-Two is suing for the reinstatement of the ads, as well as at least $300,000 in monetary damages.

Take-Two alleges that the CTA caved to pressure to remove the ads after a Fox News report questioned the decision to run the campaign following a rash of violent crime in Chicago. The publisher further claims the cancellation of the ads to be a violation of their free speech rights, especially considering that the CTA has allowed R rated movies and albums featuring Parental Advisories to be advertised in the same space.

As of the time of this writing, the CTA has not made itself available to comment on the allegations.

We will continue to provide updates on the story as they are made available, as this represents an odd change in the gaming vs. government dynamic. If the Take-Two suit is successful, it would be quite the precedent, and could drastically change how business is done in the future.