Tuesday, January 17, 2023

UnExciting Events and the Epic lawsuit: Fortnite creators sue UK SME

Before July 2017, ?Fortnite was a misspelling. Under two years later and it represents a global phenomenon, inextricably interwoven into popular culture through its mass appeal amongst the gaming generation and ability to carry equal credibility in the world of the celebrity as it does in the school playground.

It is also seriously big business. Fortnite owes its popularity in part to the fact that the majority of the games are free to download. However, its creator, Epic Games, possesses a virtually inexhaustible golden goose in the form of in-game purchases that enable players to customise the visual appeal of their characters. Epic Games is understandably coy as to its value but with hundreds of millions of players worldwide, revenue from in-game purchases and advertisements was understood to exceed $1bn before its first birthday in July 2018.

A sorry saga

Given these numbers and its mass-market appeal, it is unsurprising that others have sought to benefit by association. Amongst these was UK SME, Exciting Events Limited.

In February 2019, it organised Fortnite Live: Norwich, a family day out piggybacking on the brand’s success. Unfortunately, bad execution led to disastrous reviews and the East Anglian funfair making international headlines for all the wrong reasons including comparisons with the pinnacle of failed events, the Fyre Festival.

Exciting Events quickly deactivated its Facebook page and cancelled two upcoming Fortnite Live events. No doubt, it believed that whilst wounded, it would live to fight another day.

[metaslider id=”131358″]

However, as in the Battle Royale game itself, a bad plan costs you dearly.

Exciting Event’s fatal flaw was their apparent misbelief that the free to download nature of the game meant that they were entitled to associate with it without first seeking permission and, if required, paying for that privilege.

Unsurprisingly, the fallout has seen Epic Games swiftly making clear that it was not associated with, and did not authorise, the event. Taking the fight to Exciting Events further, this was backed up with a legal claim in the High Court.

Given their prevalence in the public domain, it is perhaps easy to forget that legal rights attach to the names and imagery featuring in games like Fortnite. The temptation to utilise them as an opportunity to profit is understandable but, as Exciting Events has now found out to its cost, whilst the in-game Fortnite world is one of fantasy, the rights underpinning it are anything but.

In much the same way as entities are entitled to protect and enforce their rights in tangible property, Epic Games holds intellectual property rights in the images, names, logos and goodwill derived from Fortnite. Underpinned by these, Epic’s claim likely alleges that Exciting Events infringed its copyright and/or trademarks in addition to ?passing off its event as associated with the brand.

A happy ending?

Not for Exciting Events. Unfortunately, it cannot pay damages in V-Bucks (the in-game currency of Fortnite) and has paid the ultimate price, entering into liquidation. Exciting Events is not the first company to make this mistake. In the gaming context alone, cases have hit the news where Pokemon and Mariokart’s rights holders successfully secured a judgment against the organisers of events in the USA and Japan.

Whilst the largest of the two awards was only around ?65,000, it demonstrates that the owners of the equivalent of Jack’s magic beans will pursue legal action to enforce their rights in the resulting beanstalks even where the financial incentive is minimal.

However, some tales have a happy ending. In 2016, Nickelodeon’s threat of an injunction was sufficient to cause the Greene King pub chain to cancel a series of Paw Patrol themed breakfasts. However, less than a year later, with appropriate authorisations from Nickelodeon, the companies successfully organised a joint UK-wide campaign.

As this shows, with appropriate planning and agreement, UK businesses can properly collaborate with rights holders and share in the potential riches on offer.

Image: Epic Games

Make your business stand out

Google Analytics 4

what is operating profit  how to calculate operating profit

self assessment deadline

Prosper Loyalty

chatbots

branding

menopause in the workplace

employee experience

site performance

three tips for success

how to mold top-performing employees

smart1 recruitment

tech launch

investing in well-being

financial forecast

remote working

pitch deck design

search engine rankings

Fortnite chapter 2 season 6 wallpapers. We offer you to download wallpapers fortnite burnout skin, fortnite, main characters, blue stone background, burnout, fortnite skins, burnout skin, burnout fortnite, fortnite characters from a set of categories games necessary for the resolution of the monitor you for free and without registration. 3840x2400 download wallpaper 4k, burnout, grunge art, fortnite battle royale, fortnite characters, burnout skin, red abstract rays, fortnite, burnout fortnite for desktop with resolution 3840x2400.

inflation

loneliness

cheesgeek

demographic

business reputation

elon musk buys twitter

grove communication

best tools for creative freelancers

spring statement 2022

BRAND

G-Cloud 13

lewis hamilton

access group

International Women's Day

litalist

crowdfunded publisher

business leaders

productivity

russian invasion

LGBT+ History Month

creators

parental leave

valentine's day

Talisker Whiskey

skincare

self-doubt as an entrepreneur

Hiring process

ocean club holidays

private capital

thrive

covid rules

data

rewards

print magazines

make the most out of the new year

simplify your small business

elizabeth holmes

burnout

sleep

plagiarism

laptop

Christmas TV advert

new omicron restrictions

narce media

chanel

Lush

cybersecurity

diversity

greenwashing

Talisker Rowing Challenge

pay rise

TikTok Resumes

wages

50 most-used passwords exposed

For example, 1,911,938 people used the password '123456', while 345,834 simply used the word 'password'. If anything, don't use the first six...

XY Automation Office

Business downtime – a period during which normal production stops, often

burnout fortnite wallpaper

how to improve diversity in the workplace

Diversity is the key to creating an inclusive, successful and productive

Make your business stand out

Separating your business from the pack is key to success in

US Companies House

Companies House is an organisation in the United Kingdom which enables

How To Change Your Tax Code UK

Need to know how to change your tax code? You can

Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 is just around the corner, so it’s time

If you enjoyed this article,
why not join our newsletter?

We promise only quality content, tailored to suit what our readers like to see!

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

UnExciting Events and the Epic lawsuit: Fortnite creators sue UK SME Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Fortnite Bux

0 Comments:

Post a Comment