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NEWS: Square Enix Wins $600,000 from Unlicensed Sword Sellers

"We appreciate the efforts of our fans in identifying those who seek to sell them cheap replicas that undermine our efforts to bring only top quality goods and content to our customers."

this suite is a disgrace hope some Japanese blacksmith sues square because they portrayed katanas(which far predate the games) in their FF series and contractors or architects who's designs are similar to any buildings in the FF series also sue them for copy right infringement and lets not forget clothing designers who's clothing lines are similar to the FF series but predate the games. bet you SE would crap themselves if people really picked their infringements apart as carefully as they seem to like doing so of others.

the line about selling top quality products to their fans is ludicrous since square enix does not sell real swords made of top quality steel they sell cheap knock offs themselves.

I also find it funny that instead of the "we regret selling unauthorized swords" it was more of "we regret getting caught knowingly importing and selling unauthorized swords."

At least leave with some dignity .

I'm sorry but this whole thing leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Sure Square Enix is technically right here. However, when you consider that they don't make and don't seem to have any plans to make, any kind of comparable product themselves, it just seems like a bit of a needless money grab. If these guys were selling posters or figures or at the very least something vaguely within the realm of normal memorabilia that an average FF fan might buy then fine. Swords are just so out there though. Does some company producing replica swords based on games or whatever really create any kind of problem for the company that produces that game?

now if only the anime industry in US and Japan would do these measures to those fansubs groups and illegal streaming sites and to the video websites that host them from the beginning,then maybe they wouldn't have lost so much money in this bad economy and Geneon Ent wouldn't have gone belly hop

Does some company producing replica swords based on games or whatever really create any kind of problem for the company that produces that game?

I can understand and would be firmly with Square on this if they were making prop swords.. but they aren't With the rationale used here, you might as well clamp down on cospalying altogether. Technically every single cosplayer can be sued.

dragoneyes001 wrote:

this suite is a disgrace hope some Japanese blacksmith sues square because they portrayed katanas(which far predate the games) in their FF series and contractors or architects who's designs are similar to any buildings in the FF series also sue them for copy right infringement and lets not forget clothing designers who's clothing lines are similar to the FF series but predate the games. bet you SE would crap themselves if people really picked their infringements apart as carefully as they seem to like doing so of others.

Wow are you off base. There's a huge difference between producing something with a similar design ("a katana") and selling something as a licensed replica ("a Buster Sword"). These people lost because they were selling unlicensed products, not because they were selling cleverly veiled and slightly similar looking items like a "Busting Blade". They knew what they were doing and clearly only regret getting caught so why defend them? I've seen these swords in person, they're garbage, they aren't even well made.

Emerje

configspace wrote:

I can understand and would be firmly with Square on this if they were making prop swords.. but they aren't With the rationale used here, you might as well clamp down on cospalying altogether. Technically every single cosplayer can be sued.

Why don't we go after the fanfic writers and fan artists, too? The big difference is, though, fanfic writers/fan artists/cosplayers are not selling anything for profit, even if they're technically violating copyrights. Some of the money from these swords does go back to Squeenix, but that's the ONLY reason it's even semi-defensible on their part.

Emerje wrote:

dragoneyes001 wrote: this suite is a disgrace hope some Japanese blacksmith sues square because they portrayed katanas(which far predate the games) in their FF series and contractors or architects who's designs are similar to any buildings in the FF series also sue them for copy right infringement and lets not forget clothing designers who's clothing lines are similar to the FF series but predate the games. bet you SE would crap themselves if people really picked their infringements apart as carefully as they seem to like doing so of others. Wow are you off base. There's a huge difference between producing something with a similar design ("a katana") and selling something as a licensed replica ("a Buster Sword"). These people lost because they were selling unlicensed products, not because they were selling cleverly veiled and slightly similar looking items like a "Busting Blade". They knew what they were doing and clearly only regret getting caught so why defend them? I've seen these swords in person, they're garbage, they aren't even well made. Emerje

LMAO!!!

you are aware they quite literally take everything in their games and movies as being their property that means EVERYTHING including those Katana used by sephiroth which is licensing something they not only don't have the right to (because they did not invent them) but also are not the first to use them which means they are infringing on another groups copy rights.

sure the sellers probably were stupid enough to actually sell those swords with references to cloud or FF effectively screwing themselves and the swords were most likely total garbage that should have been exactly why SE should have left it be because the product is not a real copy of their product. let me guess you'll support SE if they sue cosplayers who make their own cardboard swords because it looks like a buster sword?

the problem with the suite is simple its not the swords they should have sued about but the sales method referring to SE's games and movies because by making it the items then SE will have to be responsible for any item they use in any of their games and movies which resembles someone else's work. I really do hope they get burned by someone who has a patent on something they happen to have tossed into one of their games without a care about copy rights.

a quick example is shoe wear I'll guarantee there are footwear designers who have previously designed boots and shoes which would be carbon copies of those used by SE as soon as SE tries to say everything in their games and movies is their property its a direct violation of those designers copy rights because I'll be damned if SE payed anyone royalties for footwear designs.

I'm sorry but this whole thing leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Sure Square Enix is technically right here. However, when you consider that they don't make and don't seem to have any plans to make, any kind of comparable product themselves, it just seems like a bit of a needless money grab. If these guys were selling posters or figures or at the very least something vaguely within the realm of normal memorabilia that an average FF fan might buy then fine. Swords are just so out there though. Does some company producing replica swords based on games or whatever really create any kind of problem for the company that produces that game?

Simple: Square doesn't get all the money they could get. They are right to sue, someone was using their name without permission.

now if only the anime industry in US and Japan would do these measures to those fansubs groups and illegal streaming sites and to the video websites that host them from the beginning,then maybe they wouldn't have lost so much money in this bad economy and Geneon Ent wouldn't have gone belly hop