Comments on: Great Moments in Licensing

By: Tackling a Boss Monster « Nerf the Cat

Tackling a Boss Monster « Nerf the Cat — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:09:50 +0000

[...] The new Siege of Mirkwood trailer is up and available and deals with the Lieutenant of Dol Guldur – the lack of a name stems from licensing issues, according to Zubon. [...]

By: Brian 'Psychochild' Green

Brian 'Psychochild' Green — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:04:21 +0000

I didn’t intend to be insulting, it was intended to be a bit of light-hearted snark. I apologize if it was interpreted as more harsh than intended. I did forget the proper smiley face above, unexpected given my over-use of them. ;)

I barely read any of the other comments before writing my own; I mostly checked to make sure nobody else had pointed out the problem before I did. I think your new title is much better, so you’re now officially smarter than Julian again in my book. ;)

I will say this about the topic in general, not just about your post, Zubon: it is tiresome when people criticize intellectual property laws without really understanding them. Not to say that they’re perfect (software patents are questionable and Mickey Mouse-protecting copyright extensions need to stop), but the only thing that even gives big companies like EA pause from ripping off M59 are intellectual property laws. Without them, small companies simply could not exist.

If only someone had written a book about (business and) legal issues in game development!

By: Ravious

Ravious — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:52:17 +0000

Well I guess I should’ve been more accurate: Steamboat Willie. But yeah colloquially I hear it sometimes called Mickey Mouse Copyright.

By: Zubon

Zubon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:38:56 +0000

Mickey Mouse is an interesting one. The earliest Mickey Mouse works are now in the public domain, but Mickey Mouse remains a Disney trademark, so you could not use his name or likeness to advertise them. Or something like that; copyright law is tricky, and Disney can afford to wait you out in court. One story of re-printing old Mickey Mouse.

By: Zubon

Zubon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:34:20 +0000

Since there were unauthorized editions of The Lord of the Rings published within Tolkien’s lifetime, for which he was never properly compensated, this is probably one of those cases where ensuring that his heirs kept the rights is proper and encouraging to authors facing similar problems. We can argue the details of the copyright regime, especially the length of copyright, but some protection beyond the life of the author is definitely promoting the good of the author and the public.

By: Ravious

Ravious — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:49:22 +0000

It “protects” authors who are trying to make works now, and uhhh Mickey Mouse. /sarcasm

By: unwize

unwize — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:35:01 +0000

The palantir that features in Volume 1 is meant to be Osgiliath stone, but in Unfinished Tales it is described as being really huge, much too large to be carried.

One of the Turbine devs explained that since the size is only mentioned in UT, they had to represent it as the same size as those features in LotR.

By: Zubon

Zubon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:07:38 +0000

1. Fixed typo.
2. No need to be insulting.
3. You seem to be attributing to me intent from the commenters. “Great Moments in Licensing” would perhaps have been more apt, you’re right.
4. No one wants anything be EA.

By: Stabs

Stabs — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:28:26 +0000

Phew!

Lucky you didn’t typo Big Bird or Sesame Street would have sued!

By: Stabs

Stabs — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:26:34 +0000

I just wonder just exactly how does all this protection actually benefit the author?

He died in 1973.