Copyright infringement

[d4verman]

I saw "Than0s" on Mercy island the other day. Looked just like "Thanos", too. 

[Neopatch]

So my nickname is Neopatch and it has been for the last 25 years since The Matrix was released.

If I create a Neo themed character and name him Neopatch, did he risk being genericed or is it only Comic characters that are at risk ?

[PeregrineFalcon]

1 minute ago, Neopatch said:

So my nickname is Neopatch and it has been for the last 25 years since The Matrix was released.

If I create a Neo themed character and name him Neopatch, did he risk being genericed or is it only Comic characters that are at risk ?

Any IP holder, not just Marvel or DC, can sue for infringing on their copyright or trademark. So Yes, a Neo knock of character is at risk for being genericed.

[Sovera]

2 hours ago, Neopatch said:

So my nickname is Neopatch and it has been for the last 25 years since The Matrix was released.

If I create a Neo themed character and name him Neopatch, did he risk being genericed or is it only Comic characters that are at risk ?

 

Neopatch doesn't mean anything. You'd have to make a Neo knockoff (though tbf that's just sunglasses and a trenchcoat) and maybe a bio related to the Matrix.

[Neopatch]

15 minutes ago, Sovera said:

 

Neopatch doesn't mean anything. You'd have to make a Neo knockoff (though tbf that's just sunglasses and a trenchcoat) and maybe a bio related to the Matrix.

 

Not going for the bio, but clearly it's the black trenchcoat and sun glasses ... and searching internet for that brings : all the main actors from Matrix but also actors portraying Blade, Halston and even Eric Draven with his black painted eyes 🙂 

[Player2]

9 hours ago, AndrewM said:

It IS a big deal, and Disney are neither here nor there. Marvel's own legal people have historically been notorious for jumping from a great height in size 15 hobnailed boots onto anyone and anything that they believe is infringing on Marvel's IPs and the Marvel 'Brand' -think worst case scenario where Marvel IPs are concerned and then keep well away if you want a quiet life. Hell, even the word 'marvel' included in a character name has been known to set them off (it's why Alan Moore's version of 'Marvelman' became 'Miracleman' back in the day, shortly after it began its original run in Quality Communications' 'Warrior Magazine'. Ironically the creatives in the Marvel bullpen had just raved about the strip in print, and even before the ink dried the company lawyers had jumped on Quality and its publisher, Dez Skinn, over the character name).  Personally I'm tempted to have a quiet word with anyone I see blatantly infringing IP -and then -being chickenshit- immediately realising my 2 cents-worth is almost certain to be taken the wrong way by the player stops me saying anything.  But I beam hard thoughts at them telepathically to try and prompt them to spontaneously modify the toon away from such blatant IP infringement.

I recall something about the Kick-Ass movie having done something with the MARV studio logo because they were worried about Marvel coming after them.

[biostem]

3 hours ago, Neopatch said:

If I create a Neo themed character and name him Neopatch, did he risk being genericed or is it only Comic characters that are at risk ?

I'd say if he looks like Neo, and his backstory involves him being some sort of resistance fighter from outside The Matrix or such, then yes.  Change the look and backstory, and you should be fine.

[Sovera]

14 minutes ago, Neopatch said:

 

Not going for the bio, but clearly it's the black trenchcoat and sun glasses ... and searching internet for that brings : all the main actors from Matrix but also actors portraying Blade, Halston and even Eric Draven with his black painted eyes 🙂 

 

No bio (or unrelated to the Matrix), Neopatch as the name and trenchcoat and sunglasses should be fine, but I'm not a reputable source to be quoted.

[biostem]

Here's a question somewhat related to the topic:  Are we allowed to directly create and/or reference characters and/or events from the SCP Foundation, given its open-source nature?

[PeregrineFalcon]

11 hours ago, biostem said:

Here's a question somewhat related to the topic:  Are we allowed to directly create and/or reference characters and/or events from the SCP Foundation, given its open-source nature?

All of the SCP stuff is open source so yes, it's technically allowed.

 

However, if it gets reported you'll have to try to explain it to a GM in a way that they'll understand. If you're not successful in that they may decide to generic you anyway.