Curse

Str0b0 · Apr 10, 2006, 01:56 AM // 01:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racthoh

Rodgort is Trogdor spelt backwards from the Homestar Runner website. Why aren't they suing?

I hope you aren't serious. First off that would be a god awful precedent to set if they won. Basically it would allow anyone to sue anyone just because their name or copyrighted logo or phrase used the same letters. Anagrams are perfectly legal even if they are a simple reversal of words. copyrighted artwork though is another thing entirely. If anything they could sue and they have a good case considering that that game looks like crap. If nothing else the use of their icons in that game is detrimental to the GuildWars name by associating a superior product with an inferior one. If it was me I'd sue them right out of business or sue for a cease and desist order on all their business activities. It's sad that people can't think for themselves and have to steal other's work. Concept artists work hard even on those images which appear so tiny on the screen. There were probably several drafts and reworks and revision for that one icon alone. that represents a lot of hard work that someone else has just stolen. It's all fine and good to say," Oh it's just a little picture." , but it's more than that. I personally hope this does go to the point of litigation and I hope this game or company or whatever gets put so far in the hole that they will be albinos before they pay back what they owe.

Phaern Majes · Apr 10, 2006, 04:22 AM // 04:22

Really, let them have their fun. If you really want to punish them just get everyone here to log onto their servers at roughly the same time. I'm sure you'd eat up their bandwidth and crash their server.

Rebirther · Apr 10, 2006, 05:22 AM // 05:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaern Majes

Really, let them have their fun. If you really want to punish them just get everyone here to log onto their servers at roughly the same time. I'm sure you'd eat up their bandwidth and crash their server.

lol had to check the link using on a contained drive! spyware doctor gave me a load of pops regarding it blocked a suspicous download and prevented me from going onto it.... hum whats that all about?!

anyway i had a look at it.. lol its just wrong.
also the quote above. everyones all in on having fun but that is copyright infringment, regardless of how the content is used. without permission given can lead to a lot of legal issues.

dargon · Apr 10, 2006, 05:43 AM // 05:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by hidden_agenda

I could be wrong, but copy-righted material are owned in perpetuity. This is why properties like Conan and Lord of the Rings are still making ALOT of money for their corresponding estates.

I believe that you are think about design patents (I think) which used to last 15 years (it's now 10). There is also an utility patent which last 19 years.

Your wrong, copyright has to be renewed. Mickey Mouse and company should have entered public domain years ago because originally, you could only renew once. Disney corp, amoung others got it changed such that it con be repeatedly renewed and thus kept it out of the public domain. However, the moment you create something, you have copyright over it with or without going to the trouble of registering it. Registering it just gives added protection in that you have physical proof of roughly when you came up with the creation.

dargon · Apr 10, 2006, 05:48 AM // 05:48

While I hate frivilous law suits, ANet really does need to pursue this. I'm certain a letter is all it will take for an amicable solution between them. The terms of use with regards to ANets graphics for fansites, etc spells it out pretty plainly.

-----------------

GuildWars.com Terms of Use
I am interested in creating a Guild Wars or ArenaNet fansite. What is your policy regarding copyrights and trademarks? May I use ArenaNet and/or Guild Wars content, i.e., images, text, animations or sound files, on my web page?

Yes, you may use our content — that is images, text, and video or audio files — within the following parameters:

* The content must be used in a noncommercial context for private, personal use only

* You must include all copyright and other notices associated with the content

* You acknowledge and agree that no title nor any other form of ownership to the content has been or will be transferred to you from ArenaNet nor from anyone else

* You agree that you will not alter, disassemble, decompile, reverse engineer or in any other way modify the content

* You agree that ArenaNet has the right to request removal of our content at any time, for any reason

You may not use our content on sites that contain or link to sites containing:

* Hacks or cheats

* Pornography

* Inflammatory Content

* Unlawful content

* Objectionable content, as determined by ArenaNet

May I use your art or images for items, such as clothing, toys, or other game-related goods?

Our art assets — be they concept art, in-game screenshots, verbal content, or renders — are all copyright materials. Their use is strictly prohibited unless approved in advance and in writing by ArenaNet.

I am an alpha tester who is building a fansite for Guild Wars. Can I post images or content from within the Alpha version of the game?

All in-game images are the property of ArenaNet, and during the Alpha Test, all images will be released exclusively by ArenaNet or its parent company, NCsoft. Any alpha tester who releases images or our own content without our express permission will be considered in breach of his or her Non-Disclosure Agreement, and will be subject to removal from the Alpha Test and possible legal action.

Are there any legal notices and disclaimers that I need to have on my site when talking about your products?

Yes. You must include all copyright, trademark and other notices as appropriate. The following are the appropriate trademark designations:

Guild Wars™ is a trademark of NCsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

ArenaNet®

©2006 ArenaNet, Inc. All rights reserved. ArenaNet, Arena.Net and the ArenaNet logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Is there a preferred way to create my site's logo or masthead?

In order to avoid confusion between fansites and official sites, we request that you include some manner of designation within your masthead that indicates the site's status as a fansite. The site may be labeled a "news site," "fansite," "unofficial site," "community site," or other site titling variation that has been approved by our Community Relations Manager. In addition, the Title Bar on the browser should also reflect the proper designation to prevent confusion between official and unofficial sites.

Are there restrictions on what I name my site or what domain I purchase for my site?

ArenaNet would prefer that sites not closely mimic the names of our proprietary domains. Sites with names that closely mirror our own site names can cause confusion for our customers and may cause some to assume that the domain is officially sanctioned or professionally associated with ArenaNet.

Can I put ArenaNet or Guild Wars downloads on my web site?

Yes, you may. We allow the non-commercial mirroring of our downloadable Content, such as images, videos, demos, etc., as long as the content is not altered in any way. This permission may be rescinded at any time at the discretion of ArenaNet.

Can I translate your site into another language if there is no official site in that language?

It is essential that we maintain control over content integrity and accuracy, and for that reason we will be localizing our sites to many languages. In the meantime, in the interests of quality control, unofficial translations of our sites are not permitted.

Can I make add-ons or expansions for ArenaNet games?

No.

Can I sell a CD or any other distribution media containing content from ArenaNet?

No.

Can I resell my ArenaNet account?

No.

Can I write a story, book, poem, musical composition, etc., based on your game?

We appreciate the creative processes and the passion of our fans, but it is essential that we maintain commercial control over our product. Therefore, commercial productions are all sourced from ArenaNet and/or NCsoft.

However, we permit the use of our game world and our characters in literary or musical pieces intended for personal use only, such as those posted on or released through a non-profit website, as long as such usage does not fall outside the parameters established in the first item on this document. We do not permit the unauthorized use of our game world, our characters, or any other elements of our game in any form that involves profit or commercial benefit, such as novels, short stories, articles, screenplays, action figures, theatrical productions, or other adaptations of our game.

I have an idea for a commercial venture (play, movie, action figure, etc) involving the Guild Wars world. Shall I send it to you?

Unfortunately, ArenaNet cannot accept unsolicited ideas or submissions. As a result, we will not be able to review or authorize any submissions of this sort. We will not view e-mailed submissions and must return mailed submissions unopened.

Can I create and/or distribute hack and cheats for your games?

No. ArenaNet is 100% against hacks and cheats, and their use, attempted use or distribution will result in the closure of any individual game accounts that are associated with the hacks or cheats.

Where can I send suggestions for in-game content?

We are grateful for the enthusiasm of our fans, and appreciate the efforts and creativity that they use to develop concepts intended to assist with or expand upon our current and future titles. However, our company policy necessarily prevents us from accepting and/or reviewing any unsolicited ideas. ArenaNet will return any unsolicited materials without viewing.

One alternative for submitting ideas and suggestions is to post them on a fan-run Suggestions Forum.

Pillz_veritas · Apr 10, 2006, 10:41 AM // 10:41

Quote:

Hello Michael,

Thanks for getting in touch with the Guild Wars Support Team regarding the game you mentioned.

We will use the information you have provided to investigate whether a violation of the rules has occurred. All information related to the outcome of that investigation will be discussed only between the responsible website and game personnel and Customer Support. If it is found that the website has operated in an inappropriate manner, our privacy policies nearly always prevent us from divulging decisions or actions that we have taken. Therefore, you most likely will not hear back from us. But please be aware that we take all such reports very seriously, and pledge that we will do our utmost to research and resolve any issues.

We appreciate your support of Guild Wars and your interest in keeping the game world and the interests the game safe.

Regards,

The Guild Wars Support Team

Hmm so it seems they are folowing up on it.

Xenrath · Apr 10, 2006, 11:04 AM // 11:04

Completely pointless. This will have zero impact on GW sales, in fact you've just given those other guys free advertising. It's not like a couple of glowy hands in a prayer position is exactly unique... it could easily be argued GW is a rip off of many other games too; most games are based off something else, quite a few have similar elements to them.

Try reporting the ebay companies selling gold, that's much more important and relevant.

All Hail · Apr 10, 2006, 12:15 PM // 12:15

Doesnt matter to gw at all. But Outwar sucks. Thats basically all you can say for it. Its been around for a long time , but I think that skill system is fairly new. I used to play before it became gay, back when I was an internet noob.

Pi_Numurian · Apr 10, 2006, 12:17 PM // 12:17

tht must suck

Cymmina · Apr 10, 2006, 12:40 PM // 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrath Of Dragons

Last updated: Wednesday 31st December 1969 07:00:00 PM

i think theres a 15 year limit on copyright stuff without it being renewed anyways

That's the unix epoch. It's usually what you see when you try to perform a date operation on 0 or a non-existant date.

studentochaos · Apr 10, 2006, 01:26 PM // 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racthoh

Rodgort is Trogdor spelt backwards from the Homestar Runner website. Why aren't they suing?

HOLY %#$@!!! You must be good at word puzzles to catch that one.......

Edit: I know he isn't serious, but you have to admit that he has to have a keen eye for that.

Former Ruling · Apr 10, 2006, 01:39 PM // 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by studentochaos

HOLY %#$@!!! You must be good at word puzzles to catch that one.......

Edit: I know he isn't serious, but you have to admit that he has to have a keen eye for that.

or he just read one of the 5000000000 posts on this forum that mention it :\

Asplode · Apr 10, 2006, 03:11 PM // 15:11

It'd be rather ironic if Outwar had contacted ANet previously and had legitimately been granted permission to use the images in question, and all this arguing had been for naught. :P

Fantus · Apr 10, 2006, 03:15 PM // 15:15

Anyone who bothers with like ONE stolen icon obviously has too much time at their hands. Copyright is a good thing, but if it's applied too strictly you can't create anything anymore since you ALWAYS build on other people's work in a way.

Count to Potato · Apr 10, 2006, 03:32 PM // 15:32

Sue them!

Ietwat · Apr 10, 2006, 03:41 PM // 15:41

I've played outwar a time ago but i was kicked out, due to fraud with some points :P But i can say they stole the icon from Guild Wars because since the last update in the skill page at Outwar they updated it with some new images and such.

But I think the picture was user submitted, so there is no reason to be worried or ArenaNet will take some action

Former Ruling · Apr 10, 2006, 04:06 PM // 16:06

Cant sue.

The Image is detentively different than the Guild Wars one.

The White shading in the middle is larger on theirs, and the greenish shading on the outside has rather different shading ascepts than the guild wars one.

Just enough the same to notice its the same, but just different enough where Anet couldn't persue anything legal.

Trippy · Apr 10, 2006, 05:22 PM // 17:22

beter goed gejat, dan slecht bedacht... that's what we say here in Holland.

Phaern Majes · Apr 10, 2006, 05:39 PM // 17:39

Well translators suck, but I think its trying to say, that it means: Its better to over evaluate, then to ignore it? Could be wrong........

Anyways, I know copyrights should be respected, but it is just one image. Really I think the best thing you could do, is notify whoever owns the copyright. If they want to make something of it they will. If not then its obviously not a big deal.

emopunky · Apr 10, 2006, 05:44 PM // 17:44

...and why did you make a thread about this... GO OUTSIDE! AHHHHH