General Category > General Discussion
Kickstarter - Your source for retro games?
e_brugal:
After seeing those pages now I want a copy of that book
larryinc64:
--- Quote from: PX0 on July 03, 2016, 03:05:19 AM ---There also seem to be quite a few (double) pages with mostly screenshots and only like 5% original content (text).
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Yep, that is exactly the reason.
--- Quote ---The description of the book states that it is “mainly visual”, and the campaign shows pages of the book which consist simply of large screenshots copied directly from Nintendo’s video games.
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It's an art book full of stolen art.
They better hope Konami or Capcom does not go after them if/when they get Nintendo's approval, this book seems like it would be a nightmare to properly license. I kinda hope it gets made though, I would like a copy.
sheep2001:
I managed to buy this one through kickstarter - and it's way more of a copyright infringement.
It's just big N flexing their muscles. Really turns me off them as a company.
It is a beautiful book though. ;D
larryinc64:
--- Quote from: sheep2001 on July 03, 2016, 11:13:30 AM ---I managed to buy this one through kickstarter - and it's way more of a copyright infringement.
It's just big N flexing their muscles. Really turns me off them as a company.
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Maybe they did not see the original release, if the did they probably would have knocked it down, or maybe it fell under fair use with how it was represented. Also Nintendo HAS to flex it's muscles in order to protect it's rights, or else it could loose the ability too, If they kept letting these books slide and in the future they want to strike down a bigger release, them knowingly letting these books release without licensing could effect the outcome of the case. This book is clear for-profit copyright infringement, How is protecting their rights as content owners a turn off? IF people were reprinting my art without my permission, of coarse I'm going to shut them down.
On somewhat of a tangent, as everyone tries to push video games as art, people seem to hold the legal rights of video game content owners to a much lower standard than music, books, or movies. More so with internet content creators. People use Video Game soundtracks like stock music and complain when Nintendo claims music like Sony ATV or EMI or whatever. Nintendos rights to the 'Super Mario Bros. Theme' is the same to Lennon/McCartney's claim to "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
sheep2001:
It's just that a small print run of a niche book, using graphics from out of print games, is not the same as using a Beatles soundtrack for a major Hollywood blockbuster. These books are going to Nintendo fans. The company just wants to profit from that.....by squashing the small guy.
Now, if Nintendo themselves were producing a similar book, I could see why they would be upset, but they aren't. It's way too small of a fish for Nintendo to fry, so why get upset?
If it were your artwork, and you are not a major corporation, it's a bit different. However, if someone were to produce a book of all your artwork, telling anyone who bought it that it was your artwork, explaining the background to each piece, and didn't ask you for anything other than your blessing, would you be upset?
I don't think that video game art should be treated any differently to any other media, I just think that the copyright holder should apply a little logic to who it's worth pursuing, and who is actually giving them free publicity. The book is not using Nintendo art and passing it off as something else, or using it to sell something else (other than the book).
To me, it's a fan made product, aimed at a loyal fanbase, and to some degree Nintendo should be pleased, or at the very least, let it fly under the radar. But that's just me, with my rose tinted goggles on.