Intellectual Property
Ongoing coverage on Intellectual Property.
Latest coverage
Warner Bros. mentions existence of 'second installment of Hogwarts Legacy,' and that's about it
Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed that a sequel to the 2023 game Hogwarts Legacy is in development. This mention was made in a letter to shareholders, highlighting the company's expectation for the game to contribute to future profitability. The article also touches upon the controversy surrounding J. K. Rowling's political activism and its impact on the Harry Potter intellectual property.
ByteDance agrees to reel in its AI models to protect Hollywood IPs
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Motion Picture Association. This agreement aims to ensure that ByteDance's AI models will not infringe upon Hollywood's intellectual property rights.
Deus Ex director Warren Spector is "a little bitter" new Disney Plus series won’t credit him or the other Epic Mickey devs for Oswald's revival
Warren Spector, director of Epic Mickey, expressed disappointment that the upcoming Disney Plus series reviving Oswald the Lucky Rabbit does not credit him or the game's development team for their role in the character's resurgence. Spector highlighted that Epic Mickey was Oswald's first Disney role since 1928 and that his team developed key aspects of Oswald's personality and relationships. He feels the team deserves recognition for their work before the character's game history is forgotten.
Kingdom Hearts is One of Nine $1 Billion Franchises Under Disney
Disney has revealed that the Kingdom Hearts franchise is one of nine under its Games Group portfolio valued at over $1 billion. EVP Sean Shoptaw highlighted the importance of games in Disney's future strategy, mentioning successful partnerships with Epic Games and upcoming titles like Marvel's Wolverine. The company is preparing for a D23 panel on Kingdom Hearts, potentially offering more details on Kingdom Hearts 4, which is slated for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Mattel launches new global studios business to develop games based on its IP
Mattel has launched Mattel Game Studios, a new global development organization focused on creating games based on its intellectual property. This initiative builds upon the company's acquisition of Mattel163 and aims to develop original gaming experiences for various platforms, including mobile, PC, Roblox, and Fortnite. The studio's existing portfolio includes popular mobile titles like UNO!, and upcoming releases such as Skeletor: Until Next Time! and an unnamed Hot Wheels title.
Lego Marvel games cancelled in favour of Warner Bros. IP says leaker
A leaker claims that all Lego Marvel games have been put on hold indefinitely, with the next Lego game set to feature a major Warner Bros. intellectual property other than Harry Potter. This comes despite the success of Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight, and suggests a shift away from licensed Marvel content due to Warner Bros.' ownership of DC Comics.
Sony is spending £47,000,000 to create new mascot characters for PS5 and beyond
Sony is investing approximately £47 million (10 billion yen) to create new mascot characters for use across its various businesses, including anime and films, not just PlayStation. This initiative aims to develop recognizable intellectual property similar to Nintendo's successful characters, with a dedicated team established to test and develop new concepts.
Videogame lawyer says it's become 'just boilerplate' this year to include no-AI clauses in contracts:…
Videogame lawyer Haley MacLean states that 'no-AI' clauses are becoming standard boilerplate in contracts due to concerns over generative AI's reliance on copyrighted material. She explains that while companies are eager to use AI for cost-saving, legal ownership of AI-generated assets is complex, potentially leading to future lawsuits as legislation catches up.
Nintendo Operating Profit Rises in Spite of Sales Decrease - NintendoFuse
Nintendo reported a significant 150.5% year-over-year increase in operating profit for the first quarter of its fiscal year, despite a 9.5% decrease in net sales. The company highlighted strong adoption of the Nintendo Switch 2 and confirmed backward compatibility with Nintendo Switch software. Upcoming releases include new titles for Switch and Switch 2, alongside successful movie ventures like the Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
How Vampire Survivors became Vampire Crawlers: Six lessons from building a game based on another developer's IP
Andreas Firnigl of Nosebleed Interactive shares six lessons learned from developing Vampire Crawlers, a spin-off of Poncle's Vampire Survivors. The article emphasizes understanding and respecting the original IP, embracing external feedback, and fostering a unified vision within the development team to create a successful game based on another studio's intellectual property.
Japan asks US to stop using Mario, Pokemon and others in social media posts
Japan's government has requested that the Trump administration cease using popular intellectual properties such as Mario, Pokemon, and Naruto in social media posts. The Japanese Ministry expressed concern that such usage could potentially harm the value and reputation of these beloved brands.
Evening Metaverse
Japan has reportedly requested that the US cease using Nintendo's intellectual property, such as Mario and Pokemon, in social media posts. Separately, Prime Video announced a November 18th release date for Madden.
Japan has reportedly asked the US to stop using Mario, Pokemon, and others in social media posts
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reportedly asked the US government to stop using characters like Mario and Pokémon in social media posts. Concerns were raised over unauthorized use of intellectual property and potential damage to globally recognized brands. This follows several instances of US government agencies using game imagery for political messaging without permission.
Zelda at 40: Nintendo Signals a Bigger Push Beyond Games
Nintendo is signaling a significant expansion beyond video games, particularly for its The Legend of Zelda franchise, as it approaches its 40th anniversary. The company plans to release a live-action Zelda movie in 2027 and is exploring various avenues to increase engagement with its characters across different mediums, indicating a shift from its traditional focus solely on gaming.
Japanese officials have asked the U.S. Government to stop using Pokemon and Mario in social posts
Japanese officials have formally requested the U.S. Government cease using popular video game intellectual property such as Pokemon, Mario, and Naruto in social media posts without consent. Concerns were raised that such usage could be inappropriate and potentially harm the perception of these franchises. The U.S. Embassy in Japan was contacted regarding posts made by official government accounts, including one that superimposed a campaign slogan over Pokemon art and another that used clips from Wii Sports alongside military footage.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie drove 107.4% growth in Nintendo (NTDOY) Q1 FY27 IP related income
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has significantly boosted Nintendo's intellectual property-related income, driving a 107.4% growth in Q1 FY27 according to the company's earnings report. This success follows the positive impact of The Super Mario Bros. Movie on hardware sales. The report also indicated strong sales for the Nintendo Switch and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.
Azuki Opens Its IP to Remixing Inside Verse8’s AI Game Builder
Azuki's intellectual property is now officially registered and remixable within Verse8's AI-powered game creation platform. This integration, facilitated by Story's licensing layer, allows creators to use Azuki characters in new game environments, with revenue automatically split among creators, NFT holders, and IP owners. Verse8, which boasts a significant user base, aims to enable IP-native worldbuilding through this user-friendly, code-free approach.
Apple tells court 11 additional former staff may be tied to OpenAI trade-secret leak
Apple has informed a court that 11 additional former employees may be involved in the alleged leaking of trade secrets to OpenAI, expanding the case beyond the two engineers initially accused. The company is seeking an injunction to halt OpenAI's development of products suspected to be built on Apple's proprietary technology and is pushing for expedited discovery.
Apple claims that even more ex-employees may have given trade secrets to OpenAI
Apple is seeking expedited discovery in its lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that former Apple employees may have shared trade secrets with the AI company. The tech giant is pursuing legal action over potential intellectual property theft.
OpenAI calls Apple preliminary injunction 'careless, aggressive & oddly personal'
OpenAI has publicly criticized Apple's preliminary injunction filing, calling it 'careless, aggressive, and oddly personal.' The dispute centers on allegations that two former Apple employees who joined OpenAI improperly shared trade secrets. OpenAI denies these claims, stating that evidence is lacking and that Apple's system access management is at fault.
