Has EA Been Caught Stealing Designs From 40K?

[Urgat]

Aren't the designs linked to the IP though? It's not because EA owns the rights to Beepbeep the Happy Flying Toaster that they can use it for all their games either. You don't even know the extent of the rights given for Final Liberation and so on, so you're all really talking out of your ***.

[Bombot]

EA might be big, but I expect GW can afford the legal bills to fight this case. If EA don't have some licence to use these designs, then surely they'll struggle to put up a reasonable defence. The designs are blatant copies.

[blackcherry]

Could EA stall till GW run out of money to sue though? Its not as if its the first time something like this has happened and the bigger corporations usually win through time and money.

That is pretty much an exact copy though. I wonder if it was an accident of someone just ripped the design and hoped no-one would notice?

[carlisimo]

That is pretty much an exact copy though. I wonder if it was an accident of someone just ripped the design and hoped no-one would notice?

Probably. There aren't many Epic players anymore.

[theshoveller]

Also, let's not forget it's been relicensed.

I don't know my Gork from my Mork when it comes to these sorts of things, but one would imagine putting it out to tender again kind of suggests the previous license has expired?

It's not true in the Starfleet Battles example.

[Mr Ogre]

I'd imagine should GW go for it, EA might try and palm the blame off onto the concept artists.

Remember that cool pencil drawing of Kharn the Betrayer? Yeah, that turned out to be plagirism. If memory serves, the artists, not GW was on the chopping block?

[AFnord]

I can't see GW going after EA. I mean legally, it looks like they have a very good case, but has GW ever (legally) gone after any other company bigger than they for any reason?

Was there not some dispute between GW & Blizzard over the name "Steamtank" in Warcraft 3?

[Bloodknight]

I wonder where they found these ancient designs... maybe Final Liberation? Edit: ninja'd.

Probably not, to create that picture you'd have to know the epic model.

This is what the Bonecruncha looks like in FL (yeah, I have that ancient thing on my computer and still play it sometimes), it's not detailed enough:

[Charax]

Statement from EA:

"Games Workshop and EA are aware of the IP issues around the artwork in question, which have now been resolved. The artwork was internal EA concept art that was unintentionally released publicly. No Warhammer 40,000 tanks have ever made an appearance in Command and Conquer Tiberium Alliances, and never will. Games Workshop and EA continue to have a strong relationship working together on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the new free to play game Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes which just entered open beta."

[Urgat]

Lol, and these unrelated concepts (3D models) accidentally ended up in a C&C TA backscreens.
Translation:
EA: "GW, we accept to remove them because we don't have a case, but you shut up or we won't be happy. It was obvious all a misunderstanding, you hear?"
GW: "Deal!"

[x-esiv-4c]

GW would never go up against anything bigger then themselves.

[prowla]

They were probably being quiet about it and waiting for EA to publish it, splitting up and then sue for their pennies.. and now you rumor-mongers have ruined it

[Urgat]

GW would never go up against anything bigger then themselves.

EA certainly have received a complain if they've pulled those tanks.

[Olith]

GW would never go up against anything bigger then themselves.

Of course they would. They have to defend their trademarks and copyrights.

[The Orange]

Seems to be a bit blown out of proportion. Probably some artist got lazy and stole a tank design, or possibly even meant it as a tribute/homage/Easter egg. As Urgat said earlier, all EA would have to do is pull the design, right? A C&D from GW would probably be more then enough, but I doubt GW could make a case for some sort of loss of profits or IP damage due to a game that's still in beta.

I just noticed as well that the symbol they use for "The forgotten" could be compared to Nurgles symbol too, though not a direct copy or anything.

[Eumerin]

Also, let's not forget it's been relicensed.

I don't know my Gork from my Mork when it comes to these sorts of things, but one would imagine putting it out to tender again kind of suggests the previous license has expired?

A subsequent licensing of that IP only matters if the previous license was an exclusive license to that IP. For instance, iirc at one point Activision had an exclusive license to all Star Trek properties for video games. They were the only company that could publish video games that used elements of the Star Trek IP. In contrast, the license for miniatures for The Lord of the Rings is not exclusive. There are currently two different miniatures companies that make gaming figures based off of the LotR IP. One set of figures is the set made by GW for their LotR Strategy Battle Game and their War of the Ring game. The other set of figures is the set of Clix figures that were released earlier this year. Both sets are fully licensed and therefore legal, and neither license contains an exclusivity agreement that *only* allows the company with the license to make the figures. As a result, the IP owner (I'm assuming the Tolkien estate, in this instance) could also grant rights to other companies that were interested in making gaming figures using the Lord of the Rings IP.

So once again, without actual knowledge of the license agreement, all that anyone is really doing is speculating.

[The pestilent 1]

I just noticed as well that the symbol they use for "The forgotten" could be compared to Nurgles symbol too, though not a direct copy or anything.

You mean the squared off Bio-hazard symbol?

Edit: Ea themselves are claiming that it was concept art never meant for public release, and more of a spring point for their own designs.
- Given EA and GW have worked together of late (wrath of heroes, etc) it's not entirely unlikely that someone thought they were cool and rendered them up for the base point of new stuff.
Whether you Believe EA or not is up to you I guess.

And yes. Shockingly GW defends it's IP whether you are a massive super company, or a tiny little one with Original ideas, do not steal!


http://kotaku.com/5901887/ea-says-wa...quer-after-all