Core moves to defend Lara

Fire International publishes 'cheat' software which allows Playstation and Nintendo users to win games more easily. Fire was due to launch new software for Tomb Raider III entitled TombMaster, which Core alleges infringes its Tomb Raider trademark. The cartridge has been renamed since the writ was issued. Managing director of Fire International, Jason Cooper said: "Although we do not necessarily agree that we have infringed any trademark, we have undertaken not to use the name."

The 'cheat' cartridges are designed by a subsidiary company called Future Console Design (FCD). Managing director of FCD Wayne Beckett believes there is an established legal precedent for such action. "Cheat cartridges and their derivatives have been involved in a long line of litigation cases since they were introduced in the late eighties," he said.

Insisting it is acting only to protect its trademark, Core's lawyer, John Rubenstein, told ZDNet UK News: "What concerns us is people jumping on the bandwagon of Tomb Raider...We don't want them to stop marketing anything legitimate."