A SCOTTISH video game pioneer has been taken to court by his former employer accused of poaching its staff to start a rival business.

Aberdeen-born Leslie Benzies was the former president of developer Rockstar North, the firm responsible for the landmark Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series.

The 47-year-old developer had an integral role in the creation of the iconic series – but he now faces legal action from his former employers.

Rockstar North's parent company, Take Two Interactive Software Inc, issued a pre-emptive legal warning to Benzies' new game development company.

It accused Benzies – who set up his own studio at the old Leith Corn Exchange in 2017 – of wilfully infringing its intellectual property and soliciting its staff.

Benzies hired former colleagues for his studio, initially called Royal Circus Games and now renamed Build a Rocket Boy Games, which is currently producing its debut game "Everywhere".

But lawyers from New York-based Take Two have taken issue with the start-up.

In the letter filed with New York Supreme Court, Dale Cendali, an intellectual property lawyer at legal outfit, Kirkland & Ellis, accused Royal Circus Games of having "attempted to solicit Rockstar Games' (RSG) employees".

He stated: "It appears that Royal Circus Games may have targeted these employees based on knowledge of confidential personnel and business practices only available to it because of the former RSG employees' prior employment at RSG."

Cendali suggested Benzies and his colleagues had tried to deliberately hoodwink consumers into believing their new firm was affiliated with the video game giant.

The letter was addressed to Christian Poziemski, who until August was a director of Royal Circus Games.

Cendali added: "The choice of the Royal Circus Games trademark – which shortens to RCG and will presumably use an R design logo – is clearly intended to cause confusion with the RSG trademarks and mislead consumers into believing that there is an affiliation, connection or association between RCG and RSG."

But Christopher Bakes, a lawyer on behalf of Benzies, dismissed the allegations.

Bakes responded: "Do you have a particular basis on which to make this extreme charge?

"Do you presume that all new tech and entertainment hires are just ruses to get confidential information belonging to others?"

He added: "Please let me also remind you that your clients' companies are not feudal estates where worker movements can be controlled and harassed.

"Each employee was free to seek other employment and they did so."

This is not the first time Benzies has clashed with his former company.

The award-winning producer has been embroiled in a row over unpaid royalties with Edinburgh-based Rockstar since 2016, claiming he is owed more than $150 million.

The court case between Benzies and Take Two is ongoing.