EA Claims First Amendment Protections For Battlefield 3 Helicopters

[senordesol]

I get the sense that several games (and other forms of media) have featured real-world content before. For example, if you're watching a movie or TV show and a Vovlo just happens to appear in the background, did they have to pay Volvo?

I realize there's a bit of a difference since time had to be spent building and modelling and scripting the aircraft (therefore, was in no way 'incidental'). But I could definitely see the 'fair use' argument when it comes to military equipment. The army is a public entity and in order to accurately depict the army in media, you need to reflect the (non-classified) equipment it uses. Racing games are different (I think) because they are not reflecting a public entity.

Or that can be complete bullshit, I don't know. I just find it hard to believe that all the military shooters obtain licenses from the manufacturers of all the depicted equipment (particularly foreign manufacturers like Russian, Chinese, German, and British weapons...not to mention THEIR vehicles too.)

 

[nsqared]

A SOPA supporter trying to protect their freedom of speech. How ironic...

EA should shut up though because they support SOPA.

EA decision making makes no sense to me. Trying to restrict rights of others but using those same rights to protect themselves.

You all realise of course, the difference between copyright infringement and freedom of speech, don't you? There's no point being disingenuous here. And please note that EA has gone to a body which is perfectly capable of telling them to stop being so stupid and get back to work. Which they've done for SOPA as well. If SOPA passes, blame your lawmakers, not it's supporters. If they win the rights to use the helicopters in this trial, blame your lawmakers, not EA.

I thought that the only reason that SOPA and PIPA have gotten so far was because they were pushing it to the congressmen who don't know anything about the internet, and that's why our protests around the web have not had much of an effect.
I just think it's ironic that a company is fighting for it's use of a patented helicopters in a game when it's also pushing an act that will hurt the internet and blow up in our faces.
It may say that entertainment companies can block websites that have copyright infringement, but you've seen how far these companies will go, they'll sue 12-year-olds over something so trivial.

 

[an874]

A SOPA supporter trying to protect their freedom of speech. How ironic...

EA should shut up though because they support SOPA.

EA decision making makes no sense to me. Trying to restrict rights of others but using those same rights to protect themselves.

You all realise of course, the difference between copyright infringement and freedom of speech, don't you? There's no point being disingenuous here. And please note that EA has gone to a body which is perfectly capable of telling them to stop being so stupid and get back to work. Which they've done for SOPA as well. If SOPA passes, blame your lawmakers, not it's supporters. If they win the rights to use the helicopters in this trial, blame your lawmakers, not EA.

I thought we were allowed to blame both if SOPA passes.

We are. When rich people or big corporations campaign to have a law passed and that law passes, we are well within our rights to tell said parties to go fuck themselves.

 

[Akimoto]

Well, isn't it? I mean, I'm not about to try it, but I'm pretty sure I could take a dozen 5.56mm bullets to the chest and still be alive. I mean, all I have to do is hide behind cover for a couple of seconds, right?

I suspect a sarcastic nod to games like MW, if so a cookie for you good sir.

Still, not possible, unless you are pumped full of adrenaline and a cocktail of drugs. The closest to a combat simulator on the PC is VBS 2 which is used in the U.S, Australian and Singapore Army. Sorry Ea and Dice, your games are fun and I appreciate stuff like bullet drop but proper combat experience is still in combat itself.

OT: EA for God's sake, make up a name, change the features or something. How lazy can you get?