Assassin’s Creed 3: Copyright Lawsuit Brings Full Wrath of the Internet
It may have taken him five years to file his claim, but science fiction author John Beiswenger, has launched a full scale copyright lawsuit against Ubisoft for the ideas behind the Assassin’s Creed series. Most notably the idea of a protagonist exploiting the idea of genetic memory and manipulating historical events. Beisenger is convinced that Ubisoft illegally took the ideas from his book “Link”.
Beiswenger is looking for $5.25 million as compensation, and there is a very real danger that the release of Assassin’s Creed 3 will be delayed. Naturally, the thought of delay to the beloved franchise has seen the full weight of the internet’s wrath. With angry fans taking to Amazon and other forums to slam Beiswenger and his novel. This internet bombing has grown to such an extent that Beiswenger has enlisted his lawyer to make a statement defending the author’s right to make a copyright claim and also imploring fans to respect copyright law, stating that unless copyright laws are upheld they become debased. Beiswenger’s lawyer also reminded fans that writing negative reviews, and personal threats will have no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of the lawsuit. What the Amazon bombing have actually shown is the despicable way that the internet can be used to bully people. It is up to a court to decide whether or not Beiswenger has legitimate grounds for a lawsuit. The law is not subjective and we have these laws for a reason. They protect Ubisoft’s property too.
Screenshot from Assassin's Creed 3 (Credit: Ubisoft)
Obviously we all hope that this issue can be settled without any delay to the title. It would also be nice not to have the gaming industry associated with the kind of person who believes sending another person death threats is an appropriate way to behave in a civilized society. (AS)
- Share article with other networks
