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Kefka
11-25-2009, 01:32 AM
I brought this up here because I figure this thread gets the most attention, but this is about Games Workshop in general.

An American "Grindcore Metal" band Brutal Truth has released a CD which has clearly ripped off one of the images from WAR online. A link comparing the two images:
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2039/terrible1.jpg

Now, the Eight pointed star is not copyright (it is an old Buddhist symbol I do believe, correct me if I am wrong) but the Tzeentch Eye is certainly GW material, and in the bottom corner, you can see the WAR image silhouetted. Wether it is GW or EA Mythic, this band has done a terrible job at trying to rip-off this image. They have been selling CDs and shirts aswellas other merchandise with this image.
I am nol egal expert, but I do believe Either EA orGW needs to have a talk with these people.

Scoota
11-25-2009, 01:40 AM
Yep - looks exactly the same. You can even see the 'inlay' textures on both images.

Better get a lawyer son.
Better get a real good one.

Pi666
11-25-2009, 02:50 AM
And for the next record get a proper Photoshop artist For the Throne's sake, what a lame job!

Kefka
11-25-2009, 03:34 AM
P.S. /tg/ over at4chan is throwing a huge rage-fight over this...
http://zip.4chan.org/tg/res/6856119.html#6859115

It's pretty ridiculous...

sketchesofpayne
11-25-2009, 06:22 AM
In cases like these there is sometimes an infinitesimal chance that is was on purpose to get free publicity. In this case, however, I think someone was just being lazy and retarded.

Melissia
11-25-2009, 07:21 AM
Retarded is right. GW is probably gonna sue them over it.

Sister Rosette Soulknyt
11-25-2009, 07:38 AM
Who would love to sit in the court room the day that GW sues them. Can you imagine them explaing why they ripped off GW and how there so Scr$%ed in the Million + dollar law suet coming there way.

Lord Azaghul
11-25-2009, 07:38 AM
What you don't think the US is infected with the taint?:D

Alrik_40000
11-25-2009, 07:55 AM
Retarded is right. GW is probably gonna sue them over it.

I concur. They obviously have no idea of the terrible, wonderful power that is Games Workshop. Their lawyer will probably try to claim some kind of Andy Warhol pop-art defense. GW could win this case with Harvey Birdman as their attorney.

This is social Darwinism at its finest though. They've basically committed suicide here, which is great.... do we really need another crappy Korn knockoff wailing into a mic as loudly as possible?

Melissia
11-25-2009, 07:57 AM
Also, if GW doesn't legally lynch them, it's not gonna go over well with WFB/40K players whom have had their fansites ripped from the net for far lesser crimes.

Alrik_40000
11-25-2009, 08:17 AM
I thought you SoBs were'nt psykers... you posted that before I even finshed, I think!

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!

:D

unwieldysquig
11-25-2009, 08:46 AM
P.S. /tg/ over at4chan is throwing a huge rage-fight over this...
http://zip.4chan.org/tg/res/6856119.html#6859115

It's pretty ridiculous...

Linking 4chan is like trying to grab smoke and yes they are going to need to ressurect Perry Mason to save their bacon. Assuming of course GW goes after them.

Bigred
11-25-2009, 09:21 AM
Not 40k specific, moved to: Wargaming Corporate Discussion

By all means continue...

Lord Azaghul
11-25-2009, 09:28 AM
gw seems about as law-suit-happy as starbucks! Its probably costing them more then they are getting out of it!
Seriously ridiuclas at times this world is (and I'm channelling yoda today)

SkarBoy
11-25-2009, 09:43 AM
What you don't think the US is infected with the taint?:D

Heck, no, we're not tainted. Come on in, the water's fine. Skarbrand says so, and if you disagree with him, come talk to Lucius and Kharn. We're all having a great time ;)

Rapture
11-25-2009, 10:05 AM
Also, if GW doesn't legally lynch them, it's not gonna go over well with WFB/40K players whom have had their fansites ripped from the net for far lesser crimes.

I really don't think that WFB/40K players are considered a group influential enough to make any difference other than what kind of land raider has higher sales.

Besides, this isn't like this is Hannah Montana or U2 stealing an image. These guys seem like a few steps past playing the local bar. Maybe I am wrong, but I doubt there will be a million dollar law suit because it doesn't seem like the band's record is worth that much.

Lorizael
11-25-2009, 03:24 PM
This is just comical!

Brutal Truth are a very old and big Grind band. They've used the chaos arrows before on album covers and originally were on the same label (Earache Records) as Bolt thrower; a band which wrote whole albums about GW stuff and used a fair bit of artwork.

1. The picture on the left is the Brutal Truth artwork; the pic on the right is a comparison someone has added- it is not in the CD's artwork.
2. As a big band with early links to GW, I'm very sure that they checked out the artwork with GW before they used it.
3. The album was released in April this year and is still being sold with that cover.

Dark_Templar
11-25-2009, 03:33 PM
I really don't think that WFB/40K players are considered a group influential enough to make any difference other than what kind of land raider has higher sales.

Besides, this isn't like this is Hannah Montana or U2 stealing an image. These guys seem like a few steps past playing the local bar. Maybe I am wrong, but I doubt there will be a million dollar law suit because it doesn't seem like the band's record is worth that much.

And if they make it big and start selling millions of albums, what happens then?

Lorizael
11-25-2009, 04:16 PM
Brutal Truth already did make it big; in the early to mid 90s.
They were in the same league as Carcass, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, Obituary etc. Really big death/grind bands of the time.
No it's not major pop-chart success but it's definitely beyond playing in the local bar.

And as I said in my previous post; this album was released over 7 months ago and there has been no backlash.

Kefka
11-25-2009, 09:54 PM
This is just comical!

Brutal Truth are a very old and big Grind band. They've used the chaos arrows before on album covers and originally were on the same label (Earache Records) as Bolt thrower; a band which wrote whole albums about GW stuff and used a fair bit of artwork.

1. The picture on the left is the Brutal Truth artwork; the pic on the right is a comparison someone has added- it is not in the CD's artwork.
2. As a big band with early links to GW, I'm very sure that they checked out the artwork with GW before they used it.
3. The album was released in April this year and is still being sold with that cover.

1. Not in the CD's artwork? Can you not see the Tzeentch eye? The designs through the star? The WAR symbol on the bottom left?
2. What early links to GW? Bolt Thrower was the only band allowed to produce a CD containing GW material. Can you show me otherwise instead of making a claim?
3. Yes, the album was released awhile ago. However, Brutal Truth is not nearly as big as they were years ago. It takes time for someone to notice this sort of thing, however blatant it may be. I have e-mailed this to the GW legal department, and they responded with "We are looking into the situation. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we will be contacting Brutal Truth and their record company about this." -That seems to me that GW just didn't find out about it. If BT is allowed to use this image, or there is no proper copywrite/IP claim, then there is no harm done. If it is stolen, then they will get what the law gives them.

Lorizael
11-26-2009, 05:59 AM
Here's a bigger picture:
http://www.musicaheavy.org/wp-content/uploads/evolutionrgb.jpg

1. Yes I can see the Tzeentch eye. The WAR symbol is not there though unless I'm completely blind.
2. Ok, I have no proof of this, just anecdotal evidence. As such I'll take it back. Brutal Truth have used the Chaos arrows on a previous album (though of course the Arms of Chaos are of Moorcock design).
3. I will be very surprised if Brutal Truth or Relapse Records haven't checked this out before using the artwork. I could be wrong, fair enough. But Relapse are big insofar as being an indie label and it would be stupidity on their part to not have checked the legal issues out.

Droofus
12-07-2009, 09:17 AM
Anyone bothered to look a the CD's legal notifications? Perhaps we'll find sentence about the "8-Sided Star of Chaos symbol is used by permission of Games Workshop LTD".

Doubtful, but possible.

WarSanguinius
03-04-2010, 01:08 PM
the 8 sided star of chaos was not created by gw niether was the all seeing eye, these are two very old symbols .i doubt very much that gw could copyright them

GentleBen
03-11-2010, 04:02 PM
I didn't even know this subforum was down here! This sort of thing happens all the time. There's even a website devoted to it. http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3/

As far as the image... copyright law is a fairly sticky wicket. One thing that will guarantee you get into trouble is making a thing similar to another thing in such a way that you capitalize on someone's pre-existing thing with your new thing. Its why the Fantasy Football mini manufaturers can run into trouble. Since this cd is for something completely unrelated to minis or MMO's its possible the photoshopping they did may make it distinct enough to not warrant a copyright violation. Even if there is a violation they will almost certainly be issued a cease and desist, which might require them to remove all copies of their album from store shelves, or at the very least mean art changes for any future releases of the album. But yeah, they could just get their pants sued off.

eldargal
03-22-2010, 03:37 AM
I realise this is an old post, but I thought I would point this out anyway. If a compmany fails to defend its intellectual property it can be declared public domain, hence the trigger happiness with the law suits. So says a lawyer friend of mine at any rate.


gw seems about as law-suit-happy as starbucks! Its probably costing them more then they are getting out of it!
Seriously ridiuclas at times this world is (and I'm channelling yoda today)

Gigawatt
09-01-2010, 02:05 AM
G W Stolen Inc is a private company categorized under Office Buildings and Parks and located in Madison, WI. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of 320,000 and employs a staff of approximately 5.http://sunrent.de/smileynormal.ico

Brass Scorpion
09-20-2010, 10:19 PM
As has been mentioned, GW does not own nor did they "invent" the 8-pointed Chaos star. The Chaos Star comes from some of the most popular fantasy fiction of the past 40 years written by British sword-and-sorcery author, Michael Moorcock.

His stories revolve around central and connected themes regardless of setting, time period or changes in characters. Law vs. Chaos is a main theme as are beings chosen in each time to fill the role of "eternal champion" (much like Phoenix Lords whose part is played by many taking on the role after an individual in that part dies).

Wiki or Google "Hawkmoon", "Corum" and "Elric Of Melnibone" and "Eternal Champion" for starters. Moorcock also popularized the idea of "Eternal Champions" (eternal warrior) and demon-possessed swords ("Stormbringer"). If you're a sword-and-sorcery fan and missed out on reading these books then you've missed a lot. Get thee to a library!

Interestingly, I was discussing this with someone the other day and they added a piece of the puzzle I hadn't heard before. Apparently, Bryan Ansell was personal friends with Michael Moorcock, which would explain even more why GW borrowed so many of his ideas very early on in their history of miniatures and game development.

The band Hawkwind even did an entire album devoted to Elric of Melnibone and Michael Moorcock comes out and reads from his books during one live performance that was turned into an album.

P.S. Yes, once upon a time I was a Moorcock fanatic. I read all the Corum and Hawkmoon stories, the Elric books up to Stormbringer and some of the tie-in Eternal Champion stories like the Ice Schooner too. I also own that live Hawkwind album.

Mauglum.
01-06-2011, 11:06 AM
HI all.
I dont think GW could sue them , as the image is NOT being used in context with its original tradmark , IE a minatures game.
However, EA could sue them as it is a deliberate (and sloppy copy) of THIER artwork !

TTFN