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According to Game Industry the Red Cross wants to put a stop to game developers using its image in videogames. Right now no legal action has been taken to prevent its use, only a request has been issued. The Red Cross is an almost universal symbol in games, mainly used as a icon to be picked up for regenerating the player's health, and there are tons of games that use the symbol.
I guess what that means is up for interpretation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gameindustry.biz
I'll be sure to xerox this and send it to my colleagues once I'm done crying in my kleenex.
I'll drink a coke to that.
.......there are no words..
I am shooting the next medic in any WW2 game I play.
The Red Cross is only issuing a request because they don't actually own the rights to the Red Cross symbol. Johnson & Johnson does.
If any symbol, any symbol whatsoever, belongs in the public domain, its the fucking red cross. Unbelievable.
Jesus died so we could copyright that symbol!Quote:
Originally Posted by diffusionx
The Red Cross is more like a red +.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ammadeau
I can understand the argument. The red cross is meant to be a sign of aid or neautrality. Most (if not all) use it in a completely wrong context.
wooshQuote:
Originally Posted by gamevet
Bullshit.Quote:
Originally Posted by avatar
The red cross always regenerates health, regardless of which team you're on.
Not over my head. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Sqoon
It's not shaped like a Christian cross, which was implied by Ammadeau.
Switzerland has issued a press release demanding the evil Red Cross organization stop using the cross symbol as their branding logo.
If you can't use the words "Super Bowl" in your ads, on your store sign, or even on an outdoor marquee, then nothing surprises me. If I saw one more "Super Game" ad in the newspaper, I think I would've had to puke.Quote:
Originally Posted by diffusionx
Same for the Red Cross. Since when is a "+" owned by anyone? Nuts.
I wonder if they'll try to stop the reruns of M*A*S*H, too.
"...where the player is rewarded for using the emblem correctly."
I could have sworn when you pick up an emblem it replenishes health... that's not using it correctly?
Technically, no. But nobody cares so that's how it's been used for ages.
How long has this been going on?Quote:
Originally Posted by haohmaru
It certainly hasn't caught on in Ontario yet.
A few years now. This year, Coors Light held the rights and only the could use it in advertising or anything else. Ridiculous.
You havent been paying attention kedawa. Listen to how many commercials on the radio talk about winning tickets to "the big game" or super sunday.
Also, I say that games should change from Red Cross health packs to Red Cresent health packs. That should get us another 20 years of nobody bitching about copyright being abused.
Games have had this forever... speak up sooner. Unfortunately, the Red Cross won when it came to changing the packaging to the Sleepaway Camp DVD box set, but I think this is too big for them.
It's not that I haven't been paying attention, I just don't listen to the radio or watch much television.Quote:
Originally Posted by Error
I did see 'Super Bowl' on all sorts of signs and flyers for sports bars and travel agents, though.
I guess they want characters to pick up the health-pack, wait around for a week and then be given a virtual paper-pushing office job?
The NFL isn't going to sue over a flyer. They will sue over a radio ad.Quote:
Originally Posted by kedawa
All they have to do is change it to a green or blue cross, then they can't say shit
Blue Cross / Blue Shield is insurance.
Does that matter to a 5 year old?
I think the red cross is basically a Catholic symbol. It's called the "red cross of Jerusalem" when it has four little crosses near the big cross. I think bishops have the red cross on white hats. Rome should sue the Red Cross.
We're Canadian. They don't give a shit what we're doing up here yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by kedawa
This is far too debateable and a cross is an international symbol -- public domain. I don't know how much success The Red Cross are going to see out of an injuction or something along those lines to get people to cease using "their brand". If anything the game companies will just throw up a small disclaimer in the legal mumbo jumbo before the game loads saying that the symbol isn't representative of Red Cross nor does it have any affiliation with it, etc, etc.
Actually they do care. Thats why they go after Bars that show the football games, its also why theres an NFL Canada head office.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew
Give me a break.
This is as stupid as the WWF incident which resulted in World Wildlife Fund getting the exclusive rights to the initials. At least the WWE as they became known did make some good out of this with their "Get the F Out!" campaign. Still, they shouldn't have had to change their name over initials.
Do the medkits say the words "Red Cross" on them? No.
If it's that fucking much of a bother to them, let's just use a green cross or maybe a red box with a white cross for the medkit item in future games.
This is actually what's supposed to be done for any medical supplies that want to use it. They change the color of the cross.Quote:
Originally Posted by gameoverDude
Not only should the red cross stay in games, but publishers should start charging Red Cross for the advertising.
Well, it's a bit different from the WWF incident (which was mostly the Federation's fault and could have been easily avoided). I like seeing the cross color changed. A green cross seems to work well as a universal replacement.Quote:
Originally Posted by gameoverDude
This still makes me angry. Do I mind calling them WWE now? Not at all. Do I mind the fuzzy blurs over the "WWF" logo in every video of old material released these days? Yes, yes I most certainly do.Quote:
Originally Posted by gameoverDude
Agreed. It's especially annoying since the old 80s logo is just fine to be shown... they also censor whenever someone says "WWF" in the old footage, 80s or 90s.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grave
And as I said (to get back on topic), the Red Cross won when it came to Sleepaway Camp, so I am never surprised when stupid shit has to be changed.
There's been alot of talk about making a whole new unified symbol for the red cross organisation lately, making a common one for all the branches. (red halfmoon etc).
I used to be one of those redcross medics in the army, great fun with the immunity and all.
Is the copyright symbol copyrighted?
They've gotten away with some "WWF" mentions being said, but they're like eagles on the logo blurring, which they're at least getting better at. The reason they only have to blur the Attitude-era logo is because it definitely looked like "WWF", while the earlier logo was ruled to be fine, since it could be seen as "WF" as well. Had WWE just changed their name for shows outside the U.S., this all could have been avoided.Quote:
Originally Posted by TobalRox
In my mind, they should have just gone back to WWWF, or made it an angle wher ethey became WCW or ECW for a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeremy
WWF just sounds better to me.
The part that pisses me off most is that the Red Cross is taking money that should be used to save lives, and instead using it to pay some team of douchebag lawyers.
Anyway, if games need a new health symbol, then why not just use something that we already recognize, like hearts, or turkey legs?
Well, turkey legs were already mocked in the Tekken Force modes, so those are out. A heart works for some genres, while the already-used green cross works for pretty much any genre.
I don't think I've ever actually seen a green cross on a health item in a game, but I've seen it on real first aid kits, so I guess it makes sense.
I just think it would be funny to have beat'em up style health items in all games.