ZacKing

BINGO! Give that man the cigar. And proof of it all is that the name never got changed - just the costume. Just look at the immediate reply to my post here and very very easy to see why the concern some have about abuse is legit.

I'm glad you asked. No I was not a GM and I didn't say I was but I am most certainly capable of drawing upon first hand experiences. I had several friends and SG mates who this happened to when live. Feel free to disbelieve it. best example I remember is my SG mate who had a kinetics toon named Wonderous Woman. Character was genericed several times and from the responses from the CS reps was for "copyright infringement". Costume and bio had nothing to do with Wonder Woman at all and going by what is being tossed about here, it should never have even been considered. anyone can clearly see there was no similarity. So either someone was being a troll and kept reporting them, there was an automated system of some kind to fuzzy search for specific keywords or other players kept legitimately reporting it. My experience says it was the former. in any case, it was auto reset without review. and this wasn't an isolated case. But again, reading responses like yours I can see where the concern some people who express concern about the policy comes from. I'll take the homecoming team word that they have it under control and give them the benefit of the doubt. let's be honest though - the system just like it was on live is open to abuse.

This is an absolutely fair and legitimate concern that seems to be getting hand waived away as "not going to happen". This is a volunteer staff with limited time and limited resources. Just look at the amount of threads expressing "concern" over the numbers of copycats in the game and the attitudes of those chomping at the bit to report them and you'll have an idea of how many reports are going to get flooded in. To be concerned that a small staff is simply not going to have the time or desire to spend their time every day to review every report in every little detail is legit. That is not a personal knock on anyone, and not calling anyone on the staff lazy. it's just practical reality. They should be working on maintaining and developing - not dealing with looking at characters that some "overly concerned" person thinks is "too close for comfort." This is going to be just like it was on live - reports come in and the toon is auto-renamed and costume auto-reset first, ask for forgiveness later. I also find it hilarious that it would even be suggested that people with no problem with others making cosplays are going to "jam up the system to prevent getting reported". Read their posts, most if not all of them had said they don't and will never report anyone. proof is in the pudding. And saying "griefing didn't happen on live ever" is not true and impossible to try to claim, unless anyone here was a Cryptic or Paragon dev or CS rep that has access to the old data. I am glad to hear that the people sending the reports are going to be subject to review. That is a great comfort in keeping the obvious care concerned trolls in check.

See my post above.

Oh I know I used "irony" over what it really is. putting the word hypocrite in a post seems to result in an eventual report flag no matter what, so I made a choice. And let me say by including it here I'm not directing it at anyone in person. Another word I will call it is sad. very sad. Several self proclaimed forum champions here used every disingenuous excuse for care concern and fake empathy they can come up with other than google search law to claim the moral high ground because cosplay is "stealing". everything from "looking out for everyone" to "hurting real people who need copyrights to make a living" and "taking food out of their mouths" to "hurting people who have children to support". Its beyond incredible. The law applies to everyone equally. trying to all of a sudden be worried about Marvel suing the game because of infringement, calling it "illegal" and theft", calling the people who make cosplays "shady" and "uncreative" while in the same breath having no issue or concern whatsoever playing on a pirate server a pirated game from code stolen from the rightful owner by a group of people who in fact kept it hidden from everyone for years speaks volumes about the real motives of the anti-cosplay crowd. The chances of legal trouble due to theft of the game is far greater than Disney giving a hoot. Let me be absolutely clear - this is in no way an attack or dig at anyone at homecoming. If any of you take it that way, I apologize it isn't my intention. Safe to assume everyone hates NCSoft equally here and I think we can all understand why homecoming did what they did and their reasoning behind it. Malice or self profit wasn't their intent and given the circumstances, I believe most of us if not all would have done the same thing. But lets all be honest - theft is theft no matter the victim. Like it or not, NCSoft has rights and NCSoft has employees who have families to support and whatever other excuses were used to justify not liking cosplayers. So please, stop with the obvious dishonesty and stop insulting the intelligence of people about what the selfish personal motivations are. We're all hypocrites no matter what side of the fence we are on with this issue. Rules are rules so either accept it now or move to another server because there are others out there. Me? I will never report anyone I see who has a cosplay toon unless they are a complete jerk griefing people. I'm here to have fun and enjoy myself the way I want and let others do the same. Thank you to homecoming for taking these steps toward making the game and server legit. Hopefully everyone can stop bickering long enough to help the folks here toward that goal.

No one is suggested direct copies aren't illegal. some here have gone to great lengths to say any kind of copy even if it is meant as comedy should get banned and try to sell it as care concern when they just don't like people who aren't creative enough for them. It's ok to think people aren't creative, just say so and don't try to hide it. It's funny so many people are frightened about illegal clones and getting sued by someone while playing on a pirate server running stolen code. Where is the concern for NCSoft and their property and trademark rights? Sort of ironic to be ok with theft so long as you don't like the company.

Trademarks need to be protected so having assets to go after is not always required. Could Disney sue? Sure. server could also get struck by a random meteor. tons of websites out there for tons of games with mods or 3D models or art prints for free or even for sale. Guaranteed these companies know they are there and don't bother with them. look at all the sellers on Amazon selling Marvel and DC stuff. They all have a license? Amazon has more money than God. Disney doesn't bat an eye.

Don't need to assume what other people intend to when they post that they're jumping for joy over it.

This is like the opposite of what you whined about in other threads on the topic. Posters on here are making it fairly clear they are doing the happy dance now that they have the "official" ok to report others. Griefing is going to occur, just like it did on live. Good luck to them fielding all of the incoming "infringement" reports. It's going to be genericize first, answer questions later. if they feel like they want to.

It's either ok to make cosplays and/or homages in the game or it isn't. pick one and stick with it.

Running an unauthorized server using code that was stolen from the owner is legal? News to me.

That Marvel lawsuit was settled because Marvel had no case and didn't have the money to lose on it. Quite clear they were IP mining to try and make some money any way they could.

Probably got tired of listening to whiners bitch about it. Policies don't work if they aren't enforced. Seems to me the code of conduct isn't being enforced at all given the pollution of offensive names and characters in the game. I bet everyone has a policy. 99.99% of never enforce it. Go on Amazon and search for spiderman or mickey mouse tshirts. No way all those sellers have a license or permission.

That doesn't seem to be the case from what I see. game is polluted with these. Watch the help and LFG chat for a while. Toon names there are really gross.

What about offensive characters designed to look like and named stuff like "Bloody Tampon", "Afro Booty", "Engorged Member", "Ex Crackwhore" and such? Those things are kosher? Very surprised this kind of stuff is allowed on these servers.

Degree is lost on you too it seems. But feel free to keep doing illegal things and breaking rules yet telling others they shouldn't. That's not being quasi hypocritical. it's the real deal.

I said it was not infringement in my opinion meaning I would not be an anal retentive hypocrite and report someone for it. Not difficult to understand. Guess the concept of degree of severity is lost on you.

If you can't make the distinction between making a cosplay toon in a video game and real life physical violence I don't know what to tell you. Never once have I said making copycats is not illegal. Of course it is and people shouldn't do it. But some do and it is in a freaking 10 year old video game. This is what keeps you up at night? And for those on their high horse to sit there and say its ok for them do illegally use someone elses property but it is not ok when someone else does it is hypocrisy. Says a lot about the kind of person they are.

You're trying to compare someone making a cosplay to a real life stabbing? really? Better suggestion - mind your own business and let others mind their own business. Problem solved for everyone.

I know BS when I see it. Bottom line is you are illegally using NCSofts property each and every time you log into the game. Yet have the audacity to sit on a high horse to dictate to others what they should and should not do is hypocrisy.

Complete BS is a more appropriate word. You're ok breaking the rules or doing something illegal so long as it is something you like. No credibility as far as I'm concerned. You have and are breaking the rules or law or whatever just like everyone else.

^ hit the nail solidly on the head.

So you have never watched a pirated movie, drove too fast, took a drink when you were under age or anything else even remotely illegal. Give us a break.

Fun fact for you - this kind of thing happens every single day and nobody cares. Go anywhere like Las Vegas or LA or NYC and there are cosplayers taking money for posing for photographs and not forking over a penny to the copyright holder. You ever been to vegas? There are more Elvis impersonators than there are tourists. Lisa Marie is not batting an eye.

heh of course not.