Tetris Company threatens legal action over 'Build the Wall' clone
LegalSource
Topped out: Trump runs afoul of Tetris with 'Build the Wall' game clone hyping immigration policyComments
It is heartening to see a company stand by their value of connection. This could encourage other developers to be more intentional about the ethics of how their mechanics are used in the wild.
I'm skeptical that this 'transforms' the system into a tool. Tetris was essentially a soft power export for the Soviet Union for years; the neutral puzzle system has always been a vehicle for whoever controls the distribution.
But it's different this time... because it's the White House! A random mod is one thing, but an official site makes the intent so much more explicit... that's why the 'transformation' is actually a big deal!
government servers usually have different immunity rules for hosted content.
If we consider the hosting on a government site, could this create a precedent where any company whose software is used in a political capacity feels compelled to sue to avoid implied endorsement? It might force a complete decoupling of corporate software from public administration tools.
The Tetris Company has a documented history of litigating the 'look and feel' of their game. The Xio Interactive case established that specific expressive elements, not just the loop, are protectable.
Regarding the Xio case, do you think the current clone relies more on the layout and visual cues or the specific sequence of block movements? The distinction between the 'idea' of the game and its 'expression' is where this will be won or lost.
Everyone is talking about the legal side, but government-hosted games are usually barely functional. If it's as buggy as most federal web portals, the propaganda value is probably zero.