Thompson Warns Midway over Mortal Kombat Armageddon, But...
Thompson Warns Midway over Mortal Kombat Armageddon, But...
October 27, 2006
This whole user-created content thing is so confusing to some folks, apparently.GamePolitics was cc'd on cease-and-desist letter sent by Miami attorney Jack Thompson to Midway, publishers of the recently-released Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. The letter reads, in part:
"It has today come to my attention that the newly recently Mortal Kombat: Armageddon contains an unauthorized commercial exploitation of my name, photograph, image, and likeness within the game."
"You are commanded to cease and desist immediately from the distribution of this game because of this unauthorized, illegal content..."
"It would appear that your company has done this at least in part because I sued you all in the Paducah school massacre case and further because I appeared on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 when your company came out with your profane, violent, and idiotic Blitz: The League."
However, Thompson seemingly fails to take into account that the depiction of him to which he is referring is not part of the published game, but rather user-created content. A utility known as Kreate a Fighter is included with the game and lets players make their own combatants.
The creation of the Thompson character is detailed at Gaming Target, which describes the various settings and rationales behind the design of characters depicting Thompson, Hulk Hogan, Silent Bob and others. Documentation for the Thompson character says:
Jack Thompson is all legs and is a deadly mid-range opponent.
Jack's personality meshes perfectly with many of the Kreate A Fighter options. He fights with the Aggressive Shotokan stance as it gives him that puffed out self-important look... His projectile is a big fireball known as the Chi-Blast because he's always spouting flames on the Internet...
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Posted 01/06/09 at 07:34pm
DeepThorn: Okay, was my comment that out of line that I scared everyone?
DeepThorn: Okay, was my comment that out of line that I scared everyone?
Posted 01/06/09 at 04:12pm
DeepThorn: Dero, I swear she told me she was 18.
DeepThorn: Dero, I swear she told me she was 18.
Posted 01/06/09 at 03:07pm
HarmlessBunny: @PHX Corp: No surprise. Jack's favorite desperation move: Image-laden filings that make zero sense! Guarunteed to piss someone off, and provide hilarity to us
HarmlessBunny: @PHX Corp: No surprise. Jack's favorite desperation move: Image-laden filings that make zero sense! Guarunteed to piss someone off, and provide hilarity to us
Posted 01/06/09 at 01:54pm
Derovius: What did you call my little sister?
Derovius: What did you call my little sister?
Posted 01/06/09 at 01:38pm
DeepThorn: 'Security' additions, which means it protects the music, which you bought, and have the right to use. It doesnt stop illegal activity, and even copying the music onto 2 back up CDs isnt illegal. Giving one to your little sister is border line.
DeepThorn: 'Security' additions, which means it protects the music, which you bought, and have the right to use. It doesnt stop illegal activity, and even copying the music onto 2 back up CDs isnt illegal. Giving one to your little sister is border line.
Posted 01/06/09 at 01:36pm
CK20XX: What's it gonna take for JT to get arrested? It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad.
CK20XX: What's it gonna take for JT to get arrested? It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad.
Posted 01/06/09 at 12:12pm
PHX Corp: Look on JAABLOG at his recent court filings he's starting to post pictures again http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DB5ODRNE
PHX Corp: Look on JAABLOG at his recent court filings he's starting to post pictures again http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DB5ODRNE
Posted 01/06/09 at 11:51am
CMiner: It's the same as the controversy over Sony's rootkits in their music CDs, as far as a separation of the issues of cd content and the security additions.
CMiner: It's the same as the controversy over Sony's rootkits in their music CDs, as far as a separation of the issues of cd content and the security additions.
Posted 01/06/09 at 11:27am
Vake Xeacons: But there does need to be a limit on DRM. I mean, CD check's okay, but spyware? That's an invasion of privacy!
Vake Xeacons: But there does need to be a limit on DRM. I mean, CD check's okay, but spyware? That's an invasion of privacy!
Posted 01/06/09 at 11:00am
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM isn't an aspect of the game. Unless you can make an argument that Securom is an intregal part of Spore that the game would be an incomplete experience without.
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM isn't an aspect of the game. Unless you can make an argument that Securom is an intregal part of Spore that the game would be an incomplete experience without.
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:57am
insanejedi: It's asking the government to regulate aspects of a game. Their just going to use this as a backdoor to regulate other aspects.
insanejedi: It's asking the government to regulate aspects of a game. Their just going to use this as a backdoor to regulate other aspects.
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:53am
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM = trade practice, Violence in games = speech. I'm not seeing the similarity here.
Krono: @insanejedi: DRM = trade practice, Violence in games = speech. I'm not seeing the similarity here.
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:40am
insanejedi: Guys, Regulation of DRM is fudementally the same as regulating violence in games...
insanejedi: Guys, Regulation of DRM is fudementally the same as regulating violence in games...
Posted 01/06/09 at 10:13am
sortableturnip: He's in full swing now, asking for all expenses paid by the Florida Bar.
sortableturnip: He's in full swing now, asking for all expenses paid by the Florida Bar.
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:51am
sortableturnip: @ Simonbob: isn't it better to read the comments, LOL wise?
sortableturnip: @ Simonbob: isn't it better to read the comments, LOL wise?
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:41am
SimonBob: You could've mentioned it's close to the bottom, although it's good to know he's actually got an okay golf swing.
SimonBob: You could've mentioned it's close to the bottom, although it's good to know he's actually got an okay golf swing.
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:41am
PHX Corp: @Sourtable T JT's brain acts like a cookoo clock, It never stops Cookooing
PHX Corp: @Sourtable T JT's brain acts like a cookoo clock, It never stops Cookooing
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:23am
sortableturnip: In his latest filing, JT claims he is still admitted to practice as an attorney in the Southern District of Florida: http://jaablog.jaablaw.com/2007/09/04/pardon-our-appearance.aspx?pg=3&view=threaded
sortableturnip: In his latest filing, JT claims he is still admitted to practice as an attorney in the Southern District of Florida: http://jaablog.jaablaw.com/2007/09/04/pardon-our-appearance.aspx?pg=3&view=threaded
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:13am
SimonBob: Or the falsified usernames of gaming company CEOs. :P
SimonBob: Or the falsified usernames of gaming company CEOs. :P
Posted 01/06/09 at 09:07am
Alevan: Yeah, he doesn't use the shoutbox... then again, he doesn't like to confront his problems head on. He hides behind the "law"
Alevan: Yeah, he doesn't use the shoutbox... then again, he doesn't like to confront his problems head on. He hides behind the "law"
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
BWAHAHAHAHA
Seriously though. It would have taken LESS time to look up the fighters available in the game on midway's website or wikipedia or something than it would have taken to write a C&D.
Verify first. Threaten later.
Remember when they had that contest to out grief the police chief?
This is all just so familiar . . . :)
Ahhh, his fave words!
I love create a charecter modes, especially when you make someone you hate just for the purposes of beating the crap out of them :)
His weapon should be a giant placard with the definition of assault on it. You can use it to taunt but not attack or defend. Alternately, the weapon could be a bullhorn with no batteries.
His special move would be summoning a team of fighting "experts" who actually don't know how to fight; instead they accidentally run over Jack and he loses half his health.
He has no finishing move, although he can automatically lose at anytime by randomly shooting himself in the foot.
The issue is that, like many other old fuddy-duddies, Jack still doesn't seem to fully grasp what "user-created" means. The last games these people have played (assuming they have ever played any) were stuff like Galga and Pac-man, where such content was unheard of. Hell, a lot of politicians still talk about Hot-Coffee as if it were something you could access in the pause menu.
I'm not really sure how to make a template. The template I used used to be online, but I can't seem to find it. Jack might have threatened the person who posted it.
Wouldn't you know it? Just after I posted, I found it...
http://awel-cruiz.livejournal.com/
Andrew Eisen
Sincerly,
Teh World LMAO.
1. Wake up
2. Google "Jack Thompson"
3. Send harassing e-mail to anyone and everyone if the link titles bear the words "Jack Thompson" and "video games"
4. Eat breakfast
5. Gain respect in GTA: San Andreas
No, that would be beyond his character to gain respect even in the virtual world...
Paul
Awesome.
Praise for Midway for nifty features in their fighters.
And beer for the person(s) who made the JBT fighter.
The hilarity here speaks for itself, no further need to mock JBT.
Don't talk about the man's children, man. They're innocent in this matter. No one is able to choose their Dad and Mom.
Okay, that was mean, but that has a better chance of being successful.
im waiting for the GP headline "jack thompson found dead, suffocated with head upown rectum"
Sombody should school jack onuser created content, not that he would listen as he is an arrogant loud mouth but in most professions it helps to have at least a small idea as to what you're doing.
Poor old Jack, he thinks its the companies that dislike him, most of the them couldn't care less. The only people he's really managed to annoy, apart from Blank Rome and numerous judges and Louisiana politicians, are ordinary, everyday people.
Great work. LOL
Priceless.
I didn't actually say anything about his kids (if he has them...I don't know anything about the man's personal life aside from that he's married) that wasn't hypothetical. I was merely saying God help us if they turn out to be jackasses like him.
@Everyone:
Thompson will probably still try to sue Midway under the claim that they purposefully put in the pieces to build him in the game.
And if he somehow manages to win the day, Jack has no victory pose because, let's face it, he's never won.
What next? Will he sue Bic if one of us draws a crude drawing of him using one of their pens?
Or maybe, just maybe, he'll try to snap back with some reason why Midway is somehow in the wrong here anyway. "They should know better than to allow people to create their own characters! They willfully enabled these gamers to make fun of me!"
Shouldn't they have dropped the chi-blast in favor of Sindel's Scream?
Jack: You are making me look stupid! I'm going to tell mommy on you if you don't stop! *begins to sob like a little girl*
I'd love to see Mr. Thompson have a go at Microsoft. Microsoft is windmill that tilts back.
IE:
You are commanded to cease and desist immediately from any and all litigation involving games, movies, television, music, and any other artistic pursuit. Your costant use of the legal system as a bludgeon is both unconscionable and frankly embarrassing. You have damaged the image of the entire legal profession. If you do not refrain from such behavior immediately we will be forced to file a class action lawsuit for damages related to the negative image of attorneys you have fostered in the community..
Sincerely,
Hoo-yah Daddy
I wouldn't put it past him.
Thompson is such a joke. Period.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d798WXdoxWg
Oh, and youtube as well for hosting this evil video.
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/thesims2/news.html?sid=6129609
Ah. It's always fun to come and read the things Jack has done. That man's funnier to me than stand-up Comedy. :-D
Seriously, you foolish moron. Learn the difference between what a player can create on a whim, and what the company put in on it's own accord.
That person will win fifty unclogged intertubes!
@ Howell2751: I'd like to see a SC3 Jack Thompson go against the SC3 Chuck Norris. Yes, I realize it's an old gag, but come on! It's too awesome to pass up!
Seriously though, how could anyone hope to have a case with this? It's just beyond comprehension.
Can someone link me to info over the Marvel/COH thing I heard Marvel foudn out its own artists and such were making characters on it and marvel gave up,also when did marvel pick NC soft for their MMO I thought they were working with someone else 0-o
Imagine, the real fight here is if we will be able to make mods and skins for our favorite games if possible.
Imagine Neverwinter Nights without the dungeon mastering? Half life without counterstrike....
user created content! CEASE and DESIST! Stop making fun of me or i'll sue and yo'll get such a pinch!
Do you have the formula for JT still or able to upload your save file? I was making my own version but I got bored with it and stopped working on it.
well he can whine...
Also, if you want a slightly cruder version of this commentary, go to :
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2379513
I bet I could make a JT variant in Soul Calibur 3, for crissake.