Player2

Copyright protects specific works of art, whether it be writing, artwork, or even photographed images. You cannot reproduce or copy: The words of someone's published story (in that particular order, obviously not the individual words Using published and protected artwork in another context Photos, paintings, cover or interior art from comics, or any other specific image Trademark protects likenesses. You cannot copy someone else's logo, made up words, unique names, or likenesses. Things that are similar but different have to pass a standard that makes them legally distinct from the original. Unlike Copyright law, Trademarks must be defended if it can be assumed that the Trademark holder would be reasonably aware of the infringement. In the case of City of Heroes being sued by Marvel Comics, it is a computer game about super heroes and even if the game was relatively small potatoes in sales compared to Marvel's sales numbers, they should be aware of its presence in the market especially because of social media and fan crossover. Legally distinct means that Superman's iconic look can be recognized pretty easily... red and blue tights with red cape and S on the chest. Clark Kent, on the other hand, is not. While the character may be immediately recognizable, the names Clark and Kent --even in that combination-- could be considered commonplace names. Marvel Comics has used Clark Kent in their comics a couple of times, even as a reporter... talking an associate named Lois, and when trouble popped up he looked like he was trying to excuse himself for... reasons. One could not use a variation of Superman's costume (different logo, possibly just reversing the colors) and call him Clark Kent, however, because then you're associating the common name(s) in the specific combination that is associated with the iconic superhero look. One also cannot make a completely generic looking individual or even uniquely original character with the name Superman, because Superman is not commonplace word open to public domain use (such as anything in the dictionary). It is a specific made-up name combining the words super and man into one Trademark protected new word that only DC Comics has the rights to. The difference between Copyright and Trademark for our purposes is that we cannot recreate specific images of characters from comics art. No one is making the cover of Action Comics #1 or the big splash page of a fight scene from their favorite comic, which would fall under Copyright... where as Trademark protects the likeness in any form. If you make a Spider-man in red and blue with a spider logo that is as close as possible to the original that anyone can identify it on sight as Spider-man... then it doesn't have to mirror specific images from the comics or other works of art; just the fact that it looks like Spider-man is infringement enough. Copyright can still be an issue though if you choose to add published text word for word (or very close to it) in your character's background info, but substituting your character's name for the original source... then you'd be infringing on copyright. I see people treat the terms Copyright and Trademark interchangeably, talking about Copyrighted character this or Copyrighted character that. This looks like such and such Copyrighted character. Most people understand that it's a legally protected character that's being discussed, but there's an important distinction in that something could be considered public domain for Trademark but not necessarily Copyright. Maybe a company has gone under and its trademarks considered legally abandoned... or could become so if someone just starts using a trademarked whatever and no one is there to defend it (which means send out a cease & desist notice and/or sue the individual using it), but that wouldn't necessarily invalidate any Copyrights that haven't expired. In such a case, the likeness of the trademark could be used but not anything that specifically reproduces the original source. It's not exactly character specific, but the TSR logo from the old D&D game was considered abandoned by Wizards of the Coast... I'm not sure if it was because someone else just started using it first or if it was outright let go by the new owners of D&D, but after the TSR logo got re-used elsewhere, any claim to it WotC might have had was gone. I think the TSR logo has been under 3 distinct ownerships, with the second user not faring well and then someone else trying to make a go of it. But even if someone comes along and takes over a trademark and the old/new owner doesn't challenge it, that does not entitle the new holder of the Trademark free use of any of the old Copyrighted materials of the previous incarnation of TSR. All they get out of it is a recognizable symbol... a brand name... in a business field where it was very recognizable. I'm just irritated by casual interchangeable use of legal terms that people clearly don't understand but are afraid of causing problems. Be educated or don't, but if you're going to discuss the matter with any seeming of authority in the matter, then know which law(s) are being referenced and possibly infringed and why.

What's the rule if someone has been playing something for awhile and a new trademarked character appears in some medium that greatly resembles that COH character in appearance and/or name?

It is definitely not for me. Depending on how my build works out without it, I may stop playing my mind controllers altogether.

I'll be dropping telekinesis from my mind controllers, so I can relate.

I submitted a ticket for my character's lost dignity, but apparently no one can help me.

That guy IS a regen tanker after his trip to the hospital.

They could also work as a pattern on tights.

Is there any chance we could get the two Sybil under chest costume pieces added to Tops With Skin? It'd be nice to have some backless pieces in that wouldn't show out from under some of the Chest Details like the Barbarian and Talons pieces... Even Eden, one of the skimpiest tops in the game, wraps around on the sides to the back... And the Barbarian top strap doesn't match up with the straps here, and just looks extra weird:

If that were possible, then that would open up the options even more for every individual. Great idea.

Four years later, and you are getting your wish. 😎

Brilliant! Thank you!

Could we get some options to substitute for the police radio and newspaper contacts that might suit different character origins/backgrounds a little better? Like, they would work the same way and lead to the bank mission, and they would be mutually exclusive so you couldn't run them all and then do back-to-back-to-back bank missions or whatever. They'd still use the same mission lists for each zone and could even still direct the player to the detectives or villain brokers for said bank missions. Some ideas to replace the police radio and newspaper animations as contacts: The Internet - Use the smart phone texting animation to see what's going on locally via social media. Eventually, you get a private/direct message that the local detective/broker wants to see you about something big going down. The Informant/Snitch - Use the cell phone animation to take a phone call from someone in the know that will direct you toward local missions. Instead of the usual assortment of missions, you're told that the local detective/broker has been putting out requests asking you to come see them. The Psychic - Using the animation for Scramble Minds, a mysterious psychic communicates with you and directs you toward missions that require your attention/could profit you. After completing the requisite number of missions, the psychic tells you to visit the detective/broker. Crystal Ball - Using the casting animation from the Sorcery pool, a crystal ball (like the globe from the Floating Heads costume options) manifests and shows you local happenings and yada yada yada. I like the radio missions, but I am just sick of hearing and seeing that police radio everywhere and think it would be cool if we could opt out of it while still being able to do those missions.

After a discussion in another thread, I think what I want most of all is dedicated magical-themed powersets such as Arcane Blast and Arcane Defense (support), possibly Arcane Manipulation, Control, and Assault later on. Not different animations or effects on existing powersets... new, different powers that may share some similarities with existing powersets but still different and unique to itself.

Jargon Psychic Blast / Pain Domination Corruptor

Me too! I made Cousin Psyche, whose costume was identical to Sister Psyche except for face and hair. Generic'd. I inquired with Cuppa Jo, pointing to the fact that no dev uses Sister Psyche as the representative, and even though my character looked different and should be identifiably not the signature hero... it's still their trademark/copyright. I got an immediate response of no, that should be fine, and not long after my character's costume and name were restored. I guess it was an over-ambitious GM who tagged me. But it was good to get my Cuz back.

Unfortunately, I think the frisbee thing is a little too specific to Captain America that the legal difficulties it could pose for anyone using it with a patriotic themed character could be a challenge to the Captain America trademark stuff. This happened with the Fighting American comic which was pretty much a Captain America knockoff, shield and all. The character's look and story were different enough that the lawsuit didn't end the comic, but afterwards Fighting American could no longer throw his shield. Yes, it could be used by non-patriotic themed characters... but that faces the same scrutiny as allowing the name Thor (public domain mythology) into the permissible names pool. Sure, it may be legal for anyone else to use (as long as they aren't publishing a comic book by the same name, which Marvel owns the rights to)... but why worry about whether or not anyone who gets the name will end up using it to make a Marvel knockoff instead of their own version of Thor?

Two more that I've cut loose... Hot One Litter Lass

If Batman and The Tick had a child...

I love the new server status window on the main page, but it is maddening to see the servers showing in green after waiting for them to come back from maintenance only to finally be able to log in and then be booted right off with the message: Could you maybe add an additional light at the top of the servers to indicate when they are active but restricted for whatever reason? Like, yes this one that one and the others are green, but the Stability Testing light is on so we know it's still a no go. Just remember to turn it off and on while going through your testing status so we know when it's good to try logging in again.

Whether it would be cool or not, I'm almost certain it isn't a viable idea. I remember maintaining 2 accounts back on Live, and the secondary account had one level 50 and was where I dabbled with new ideas and so lots of low level characters that came and went. When I decided to close down the secondary account, I contacted the dev team to ask if there was any way to move a character from one account to another so I could keep playing that 50, and I was told that it wasn't possible. Of course, maybe the were lying to me out of spite, cruelty, some twisted desire to make me maintain two accounts, or some other reason... but I doubt it.

You asked if anyone else had this issue and I said that I thought I did. I didn't mean to imply that you had the same problem I did.

Telekinetic Blast - some powers would like Gravity Control's Propel but have their own list of random objects the game uses instead of just one big list of everything. The weakest attack has the smallest objects, and the most powerful has the biggest. Throw in Lift (from Mind Control), Mass Levitate (Psionic Melee), and Repulsion Bolt (Force Field) for diversity... so you can throw enemies around as well as throwing objects.

I thought this happened to me recently. I made a Irresistible except when I deleted and re-rolled, I forgot that had misspelled it with ible instead of able at the end because the correct spelling was already taken. I went around in circles trying to figure it out before I remembered.

I just can't quit the costume creator game... This first one is me making an ice themed character without ice powers, just the cryogenic aura and creative license. Pretty Cool Spines/Fire Stalker Then I play on the wild side with a nature-theme... She's small. Like really small, plus normally hunched over with the Beast Run stance. Child of the Wild Savage/Bio Armor Stalker And finally, let's not make nothing but sneaks... Big and noisy is what was called for. I was inspired by the Hellions' Girlfriend From Hell, but this troll is less villainy. She can (usually) control her bad attitude and uses her Superadine-enhanced physique on the side of good as a vigilante. Troll Girl Stone Melee/Invulnerability Brute

Released into the wild for you Everlasting wonders: Amazon Girl Glory Hammer Kissable Public Defender Quicky Violenza