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Tecmo Wins Naked Kasumi Case
An anonymous reader writes "The Japanese supreme court has upheld a ruling that software company West Side's 'naked Kasumi hack' for the PS2 version of Dead Or Alive 2 violates Tecmo's copyrights. West Side has been ordered to pay around 2 million yen in damages."
Thats what, $10 american?
Link to patch?
Basically, anything that changes the original form of a 'piece' is considered violation of copyright. I have even read a case where a school dressed up a statue and the artist sued the school and won. That being said, I need to figure out where to get this hack.
The first thing any mentally balanced /.er would do if they've never heard about this hack before, is to search for screenshots. To save you the trouble, click here and scroll towards the bottom. It's basically the same as the Sims blur removing nudity hack: Barbie doll anatomy whoopdeedoo. Bloodrayne 2 will probably have a naked mode built in.
Does this ruling mean that everybody's now free to sue Gameshark for violating their copyrights?
Not exactly work/school safe, but here's what's apparently worth ¥2 million.
Request: ECM unit, 1000 km fullerene cable, 1 tactical nuclear weapon. Reason: Birthday party for foreign dignitary.
http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/international/games /news/26063.shtml
And I quote (posted 9th of March, 2002):
"The case, which pitted Tecmo against Japanese software company Westside, involved a tool included in one of Westside's CDs that let users hack up their DOA2 save games to alter the characters' clothing."
This was just the appeal.
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Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
Is there not a parody law in japan? I understand that certain factors determine if it is infact a parody, such as booble.com using googles trademark to make money in a deceptive way.
Of course, that's just me.
This sig no verb.
There is more to it then just beeing pissed of about an unauthorised modification. The age rating is based on the fact that no actual nudity is in the game, there is always the danger of the game beeing reclassified as AO (Adult Only). That would be the death of the sales for the game, no major chain is going to stock it, and they can only advertise in "specialist" magazines.
The new Leisure Suit Larry game (as crap as it is, let all the people who worked on it suffer a painful death) went through a few hoops to avoid the AO rating.
Don't know the accuracy of the write up, but you have got to love the line "Tecmo finally has the promise of reparations for what it has always viewed as a violation of Kasumi's dignity" if it is true.
Come on Tecmo, the game is built around the fan service and you know it. Some people might differ, but I say the main reason that the game sells is the bouncing breasts and skimpy clothing. Without the fan service the game itself probably wouldn't have lasted as long as it has.
So are you going to go after fan artists now? Start making arrests of groups at Doujin conventions? There are also games involving your characters in sexual situations. Doesn't sound like you are doing much to protect the "dignity" of your IP, can't someone think of poor Itagaki's children! All he did was give them big bouncing boobies and put them in semi-revealing costumes, but he is a decent man protective of his daughters and would never have them appear in the nude!
Anyway, here is hoping people make some great hacks for DOA: UE or what ever it is called. Tecmo's legal threats *really* put a stop to all those DOA:BV hacks. Maybe they should just give up and do the porn game that they really want to make, then people wouldn't feel the need to do these hacks.
I really don't see stuff being reclassified. Has any of the DOA games been reclassified as AO? DOA:VB has had these hacks out for a while, and it still is rated mature from what I can tell.
Same thing can be said about PC games, lots of those have easy to use nude hacks and those that do haven't been reclassified. The Sims and The Sims 2 are still rated teen, despite the popular nude hacks that remove the blur and the in game restrictions.
I don't really see any threat unless they purposely put in the nudity in themselves. If they have a cheat code or purposely put in a way to get nudity (i.e. something like collect all the coconuts you find), and don't disclose it to those giving the game its rating(T, M, etc), then they have something to worry about.
The only other thing that they could worry about is a bug removing some textures, which probably won't get them in too much trouble since it seems they don't put AO type details on their charter models.
I guess this Japanese company just repackaged the game with the Gameshark hack builtin and started selling it. Clearly illegal by any stretch of anyone's imagination, and not too bright on the part of consumers either, when they could have gotten the same thing by buying an official copy and a Gameshark.
Basically, anything that changes the original form of a 'piece' is considered violation of copyright. I have even read a case where a school dressed up a statue and the artist sued the school and won.
What about all those DJs that mix different songs together and call it their own original creation? Would they be liable in the same way?
What about people who do photomanips? Are they at risk to be sued over copyright infringment?
DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
Let's think, what would I put in it...