The dispute between data-mining site PokerTableRatings and PokerStars has taken a new turn, as the player directory tries to fight back demands from the world's largest poker site.

The controversy started last week when PokerStars issued a legal threat against PokerTableRatings, alleging that the service was infringing intellectual property rights by offering detailed insights into the site's personal player data.

PokerTableRatings lamented PokerStars' actions, but eventually caved in to the demands and promptly removed the site's search function for all PokerStars players.

However, in a new turn of events, the service is now seeking to re-introduce the search function for PokerStars player data by offering an opt-in function that will work around PokerStars' demands.

Instead of automatically offering data insights, PokerTableRatings will now ask players to accept to be included in the site's offering, a spokesperson writes on the company blog.

"[PokerStars representative] Lee Jones recently stated that players who wish to share their results should have that right, as well as the right to privacy if they so choose. We think we can work within this stipulation," the spokesperson writes.

The new opt-in service has already been on the drawing board for PokertTableRatings for a while, the spokesperson claims, but the process will be speeded up significantly as a result of PokerStars' claims.

"We have held this idea in our minds for quite some time. Unfortunately a service like this isn't something that can be developed overnight. It has taken several months of planning and development to flesh out he concept for such an endeavor and it signals a dramatic change to our operation. Though we're not quite ready to unveil this new feature to the public yet, the recent action taken by Stars has forced us to kick this project in high gear," the statement adds.

The opt-in function for players is not an entirely new concept, and is already used by other data-mining sites like SharkScope, which offers detailed data access for tournament and sit & go players.