Ubisoft sued over alleged infringement of Assassin's Creed storyline. | Forums

[SleezeRocker]

Did anyone read Beiswenger's official complaint? (http://www.bannerwitcoff.com/_docs/U..._Complaint.pdf) Aside from the complaint almost solely consisting of a few several points getting repeated over and over again in regards to all AC media, some of his points are just absurd.

"33. In Link, characters experience notable and accurate historical
moments through their ancestors’ memories; this is a major plotline of Link.
34. In the Assassin’s Creed video game series, characters experience
various historically accurate times in history through their ancestor’s memories;
this is a major plotline of the Assassin’s Creed video games and books."

Does he have copyright on this too?

"37. Throughout Link, the phrases “ancestral memories,” “link,”
“synchronize,” and “assassins,” and similar variations thereof, are used.
38. Throughout the Assassin’s Creed video games, videos, and books, the
phrases “genetic memories of ancestors,” “link,” “synchronize,” and “assassins,”
and similar variations thereof, are used."

Just... how, how does he even dare to try and claim copyrights to words?! What a disgrace. I don't recall hearing the word "link" all too often in the games, if I did at all.

These made 'LOL' the most, especially line 37-8.

When I read through the lines 37-38, I think of the movie I saw in Economics/Government class senior yr high school, I think it was called, Flash of Genius.
If I remember correctly, the main charcater tries to defend his patents or something about making windshield wipers or something (I saw this like 3-4 years ago)

there was court scene were the M.character reads a book out loud and say among the lines "this a book called _____, author by _______.
*reads one paragraph* OK now: Does the author own the word: "_____"? how about "______"?
*I believe the defendant or someone nods in disagreement*
Main guy- 'Exactly! so the all author did was, took diffrent words accesible to everyone and created a new book! whereas I took parts accesible to create car wipers!'

It was something like that don't fully remember, but anyways that is what I think about.
Any chance they may know what movie im talking about?

[freddie_1897]

i read an article somewhere that said in a newspaper interview he originally saw the game and thought 'hey they liked the book, cool!' but then saw that they had made it so different and that's what he didn't like.

correct me if I'm wrong, but that argument would work only if AC was based on the book, which it isn't.


and i am VERY glad that this is a jury trial, it will make it a lot more fair

[Azurefeatherfly]

I believe this article below is what freddie_1897 was referring to:

http://business.financialpost.com/20...ns-creed-game/

Beiswenger is claiming 35 instances of copyright infringement, and last week filed a suit in federal court in Harrisburg, Pa., seeking more than $5-million in damages and an injunction against Ubisoft further infringing on his rights. That means the next installment of the series: Assassin’s Creed III, which is due out in October, could be delayed by this suit.Beiswenger there are too many similarities in the stories in the video games for it to be mere coincidence.
“My initial reaction was, ‘Hey, that’s neat, they liked the book.’ But then when I found out how much they liked it and what the game was like, it didn’t relate to the book at all. I felt damaged at that point,” he said in a newspaper interview.

[Jamison_J_B]

I believe this article below is what freddie_1897 was referring to:

http://business.financialpost.com/20...ns-creed-game/

LOL And how does Mr. Beiswenger come to the notion that a writer from Ubisoft obtained, liked and duplicated his book? I mean seriously... This article says it all and the rationale behind this pointless lawsuit. Dear god...

[TheLeoCrow]

They should all be sued by Frank Herbert's ghost for stealing his ideas about inheriting genetic memories from ancestors

[MasterSimaYi]

LOL And how does Mr. Beiswenger come to the notion that a writer from Ubisoft obtained, liked and duplicated his book? I mean seriously... This article says it all and the rationale behind this pointless lawsuit. Dear god...

Most likely narcissism. He probably thinks every mutual thing in his books and AC belongs to him and he is the only one who ever could have come up with him. They can't possibly have come up with it themselves and not have read his book, that would be just silly, wouldn't it?

[Rycay]

Okay, I've been reading this for the past couple of hours and it is a little amusing. Personally, I don't think Ubisoft ripped off his book in anyway. I didn't even know about this book until I read this nor do I want to look into it further. You "can't" claim copyright to words because millions of people use those everyday, written and spoken. That is ridiculous. And the good vs. evil theme? I agree with everyone else here. That's been used a hundred times. Besides, I was under the impression that in AC each side inhabited a grey area. One side isn't necessarily 100% good and the other side isn't necessarily 100% bad. No one's that saintly and no one's that evil. He has a right to look into this, but a lot of the things I've read so far are ridiculous.

Maybe I don't have a complete understanding of the situation, but this is my opinion. I'm looking forward to this game and I'll be really annoyed if it's ruined for me in anyway.

[OriginalMiles]

How about this, if anyone lives close to a library, borrow the book if it's there, and read it, then post how similar (if it even is) it is.

[CounterNinja]

How about this, if anyone lives close to a library, borrow the book if it's there, and read it, then post how similar (if it even is) it is.

I like this idea, sadly though there aren't any Libraries in my town. And i'm not even going to buy this guys book and make him even more money.

[EmmaBemma]

I was planning on going to the library next week but I doubt they'll have his book, since it's only a small library.

My initial reaction was, ‘Hey, that’s neat, they liked the book.’ But then when I found out how much they liked it and what the game was like, it didn’t relate to the book at all.

*facepalm* "Oh hey, this game has some similarities to my book... but it's also completely different. They stole my ideas!" Seriously, I don't think this guy can be particularly widely read.