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Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

isle.pizza

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Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#11

Post by h4ck_th3_pl4n3t »

ktkaufman wrote: post #9
ranger_danger wrote: post #4

How is this legal? Specifically, distributing copyrighted assets and using their name/logo without permission.

TL;DR: it's in a gray area, but nobody with power actually cares (at least for now), so it's effectively fine. As I understand it, Lego is aware of the project (there's been a significant increase in interest in Lego Island in the past few years, with attempts to obtain the original source code) and simply does not care. It's an ancient IP and can't realistically compete with anything new, at least not in a way that…

Note that companies usually ignore fan projects like this and don't mention them at all. If they would mention and tolerate them, it weakens their intellectual property in a future lawsuit.

Once fan projects get too much traction, companies have to cease and desist them because that's the way intellectual properties work in the law. It usually has nothing to do with whether it was a cool project or not, it's just that there's way too much money at stake when not defending your IP.

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#12

Post by lpa22 »

this is one of those games that lives in my head. the quirky narrator and the personalities of all the characters felt really unique at the time.

seeing stuff like this, and backyard baseball, again in browser or modern apps just doesn't hit the same though

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#13

Post by WA »

ktkaufman wrote: post #9
ranger_danger wrote: post #4

How is this legal? Specifically, distributing copyrighted assets and using their name/logo without permission.

TL;DR: it's in a gray area, but nobody with power actually cares (at least for now), so it's effectively fine. As I understand it, Lego is aware of the project (there's been a significant increase in interest in Lego Island in the past few years, with attempts to obtain the original source code) and simply does not care. It's an ancient IP and can't realistically compete with anything new, at least not in a way that…

Nintendo and Lego are on the same level when it comes to sue people for trademark violations. There are several cease-and-desist orders against YouTubers for calling no-name bricks legos.

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#15

Post by eskathos »

h4ck_th3_pl4n3t wrote: post #11
ktkaufman wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TL;DR: it's in a gray area, but nobody with power actually cares (at least for now), so it's effectively fine. As I understand it, Lego is aware of the project (there's been a significant increase in interest in Lego Island in the past few years, with attempts to obtain the original source code) and simply does not care. It's an ancient IP and can't realistically compete with anything new, at least not in a way that…

Note that companies usually ignore fan projects like this and don't mention them at all. If they would mention and tolerate them, it weakens their intellectual property in a future lawsuit. Once fan projects get too much traction, companies have to cease and desist them because that's the way intellectual properties work in the law. It usually has nothing to do with whether it was a cool project or not, it's just tha…

Is there any way for a company, Lego in this case, to adopt a fan mod or remake, to make it legitimate IP/copyright wise?

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#16

Post by Krutonium »

eskathos wrote: post #15
h4ck_th3_pl4n3t wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that companies usually ignore fan projects like this and don't mention them at all. If they would mention and tolerate them, it weakens their intellectual property in a future lawsuit. Once fan projects get too much traction, companies have to cease and desist them because that's the way intellectual properties work in the law. It usually has nothing to do with whether it was a cool project or not, it's just tha…

Is there any way for a company, Lego in this case, to adopt a fan mod or remake, to make it legitimate IP/copyright wise?

Absolutely. They just have to license it, and that license can be for a nominal (think $1) cost.

That said, Lego doesn't own the game, so if it came down to it, they could strip all the references to "Lego" from it and probably be fine.

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#17

Post by Krutonium »

h4ck_th3_pl4n3t wrote: post #11
ktkaufman wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TL;DR: it's in a gray area, but nobody with power actually cares (at least for now), so it's effectively fine. As I understand it, Lego is aware of the project (there's been a significant increase in interest in Lego Island in the past few years, with attempts to obtain the original source code) and simply does not care. It's an ancient IP and can't realistically compete with anything new, at least not in a way that…

Note that companies usually ignore fan projects like this and don't mention them at all. If they would mention and tolerate them, it weakens their intellectual property in a future lawsuit. Once fan projects get too much traction, companies have to cease and desist them because that's the way intellectual properties work in the law. It usually has nothing to do with whether it was a cool project or not, it's just tha…

Amusingly I actually have Video of Atari's Lead of Marketing playing OpenRCT2 on Stream, giving away RCT2 Keys to promote RCT World. To this day, Atari has left us alone though, so yeah it's pretty much not worth it to them to try anything.

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#18

Post by debugnik »

ktkaufman wrote: post #9
ranger_danger wrote: post #4

How is this legal? Specifically, distributing copyrighted assets and using their name/logo without permission.

TL;DR: it's in a gray area, but nobody with power actually cares (at least for now), so it's effectively fine. As I understand it, Lego is aware of the project (there's been a significant increase in interest in Lego Island in the past few years, with attempts to obtain the original source code) and simply does not care. It's an ancient IP and can't realistically compete with anything new, at least not in a way that…

> the bad optics of taking legal action against a random fan project

Just last month LEGO shut down Masks of Power, the Bionicle fan game. They were really close to a release and LEGO had allegedly met the team and given them permission in the past.

I'm increasingly convinced that fan projects should be developed quietly and announced right on release, so they at least exist somewhere on the internet if they get shut down immediately after.

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#19

Post by voidUpdate »

WA wrote: post #13
ktkaufman wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TL;DR: it's in a gray area, but nobody with power actually cares (at least for now), so it's effectively fine. As I understand it, Lego is aware of the project (there's been a significant increase in interest in Lego Island in the past few years, with attempts to obtain the original source code) and simply does not care. It's an ancient IP and can't realistically compete with anything new, at least not in a way that…

Nintendo and Lego are on the same level when it comes to sue people for trademark violations. There are several cease-and-desist orders against YouTubers for calling no-name bricks legos .

Probably because they are "lego bricks", not "legos", in the same way that you don't call a bag of rice "rices"

Re: Show HN: Lego Island Playable in the Browser

#20

Post by stuaxo »

WA wrote: post #13
ktkaufman wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TL;DR: it's in a gray area, but nobody with power actually cares (at least for now), so it's effectively fine. As I understand it, Lego is aware of the project (there's been a significant increase in interest in Lego Island in the past few years, with attempts to obtain the original source code) and simply does not care. It's an ancient IP and can't realistically compete with anything new, at least not in a way that…

Nintendo and Lego are on the same level when it comes to sue people for trademark violations. There are several cease-and-desist orders against YouTubers for calling no-name bricks legos .

I don't know why, but the US invention "legos" is incredibly grating.

Its like a whole country called spaghetti "basgetti" as kids and just went with it.

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