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New York Times is targeting Wordle clones with DMCA takedowns

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Re: New York Times is targeting Wordle clones with DMCA takedowns

#11

Post by c3534l »

mryall wrote: post #2

> In a statement to 404 Media, the Times said: > > The Times has no issue with individuals creating similar word games that do not infringe The Times’s “Wordle” trademarks or copyrighted gameplay. Can you really copyright “gameplay”? This seems like pointless bullying by the Times, who is probably just upset they haven’t got a positive ROI on their acquisition of a free game.

Especially considering wordle has no unique gameplay. Its a very, very old game with a million variations. There was even a TV show called lingo or something that did competetive wordle. The only thing NYT owns is a brand since the game is hundreds of years old.

Re: New York Times is targeting Wordle clones with DMCA takedowns

#12

Post by sidewndr46 »

mryall wrote: post #2

> In a statement to 404 Media, the Times said: > > The Times has no issue with individuals creating similar word games that do not infringe The Times’s “Wordle” trademarks or copyrighted gameplay. Can you really copyright “gameplay”? This seems like pointless bullying by the Times, who is probably just upset they haven’t got a positive ROI on their acquisition of a free game.

When you have the kind of connections the NYT does and the lawyers to go along with it, sure!

Re: New York Times is targeting Wordle clones with DMCA takedowns

#14

Post by phire »

mryall wrote: post #2

> In a statement to 404 Media, the Times said: > > The Times has no issue with individuals creating similar word games that do not infringe The Times’s “Wordle” trademarks or copyrighted gameplay. Can you really copyright “gameplay”? This seems like pointless bullying by the Times, who is probably just upset they haven’t got a positive ROI on their acquisition of a free game.

Gameplay can't be copyrighted, but in the case of Worldle, the word lists are probably copyrightable.

Any clone that derives their own word list is probably fine, but any clone that copy/pastes the exact word lists from wordle (especially the shorter list of 2,315 possible solutions) is probably infringing copyright.

Re: New York Times is targeting Wordle clones with DMCA takedowns

#16

Post by [deleted] »

kepler1 wrote: post #7

A company wants to enforce its copyright, etc., fine. That's their right to do so. Although I beg to differ with our copyright laws. No, what I find objectionable about the NYT games team, such as their spelling bee puzzle, is that they selectively deem certain words not valid responses. Not curse words or words with no redeeming value, but words that are perceived to be derogatory against disadvantaged groups or "of…

[deleted]

Re: New York Times is targeting Wordle clones with DMCA takedowns

#19

Post by anthk »

This is just Mastermind with words. I remember word puzzles like that in several newspapers and magazines across the world for -decades-.

In Spanish media it was usually called "Deducción".

Link in Spanish as proof:

http://pasatiemposmatematicosdelaprensa.blogspot.com/2013/10...

The last puzzle it's from 1999.

Re: New York Times is targeting Wordle clones with DMCA takedowns

#20

Post by archontes »

mryall wrote: post #2

> In a statement to 404 Media, the Times said: > > The Times has no issue with individuals creating similar word games that do not infringe The Times’s “Wordle” trademarks or copyrighted gameplay. Can you really copyright “gameplay”? This seems like pointless bullying by the Times, who is probably just upset they haven’t got a positive ROI on their acquisition of a free game.

You cannot copyright gameplay.

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/intellectual_property_law....

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