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NAMCO Takes Down Student Pac-man Project

An anonymous reader writes "The core of how people first learn to do stuff — programming, music, writing, etc. — is to imitate others. It's one of the best ways to learn. Apparently a bunch of students using MIT's educational Scratch programming language understand this. But not everyone else does. NAMCO Bandai sent a takedown notice to MIT because some kids had recreated Pac-man with Scratch. The NAMCO letter is pretty condescending as well, noting that it understands the educational purpose of Scratch, but 'part of their education should include concern for the intellectual property of others.'"

2 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. MIT just needs to make it a parody by Anarchduke · · Score: 5, Funny

    Say, have NAMCOman eat the developing brains of college students while being chased by the ghosts of creativity. Then NAMCOman can eat a copy of the DMCA and kill off the creative spirits one by one.

    --
    who prays for Satan? Who in 18 centuries has had the humanity to pray for the 1 sinner that needed it most? ~Mark Twain
  2. Re:Play for free? by Fluffeh · · Score: 4, Funny

    Makes me wonder if Google got the same take down notice??

    No, it probably went like this:

    Namco: I am big company! Hear me RAWR!
    Google: I eat companies like you for breakfast. HEAR ME RAWR!!
    Namco: *whimpers*
    Google: Yeah, that's right. Back away slowly little one, else Imma buy you and get EVIL on your ass.

    Okay, so it was probably done with more legal talk and less Rawrs, but that would have been the idea - or close to it.

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