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Hitch
4 years ago

Uh…speaking of copyrights, ain’t old Luigi there either trademarked or copyrighted or summat? One of you gaming nerds know?

El cochinote
4 years ago
Reply to  Hitch

The blurb says:
 

This book is a parody/satirical work and is in no way officially affiliated with Nintendo or the Super Mario Bros. franchise.

 
Which basically means: Sorry, Nintendo, you can’t sue me and you can’t stop me for publish this meme book and earn money with your IP because the law permits satire works without paying royalties.
 
But, I don’t know if that applies to the artwork.

Hitch
4 years ago
Reply to  El cochinote

It absolutely does not apply to trademarked characters or artwork. He can TALK about Luigi…but use the artwork for the character? NFW. “Fair use” allows parody–not outright, er, “borrowing” of the artwork from a franchise.
 
If he’s gotten away with it this long, lotsa luck on the longer term. Disclaiming it doesn’t help, any more than putting someone else’s artwork inside your book and crediting them somehow abrogates their copyright or their right to be paid for your use of it.

Kirsty
4 years ago
Reply to  Hitch

Yes, he’d have to get a parody illustration done as well.

Hitch
4 years ago
Reply to  Kirsty

Yupperdoodle. And nope, that ain’t no parody illustration that he’s got there.

Myk
Myk
4 years ago

I bet a hundred bucks this was written by Bob Chipman.

Hitch
4 years ago
Reply to  Myk

Uhhhh….Myk for those of us in the uncool, not-in-the-know seats, you’re gonna have to elaborate.

Myk
Myk
4 years ago
Reply to  Hitch

Bob Chipman aka MovieBob is a pushing-40 longtime YouTube personality known for his pseudointellectual bloviations on pop culture, in particular video games and movies. His commentary and Twitter feed are laced with snide diatribes that espouse his progressive politics and feminist viewpoints in a way that makes people think the worst about progressives and feminists. All of this wouldnt be so bad if he didn’t think of himself as some overimportant prince of the intelligensia that takes what he does so incredibly seriously.

His fanaticism for the Super Mario Brothers video game borders on fetishization, as he not only routine comments on the games but has cosplayed as Mario and even written a (terrible) memoir based on playing SMB3 and the effect it had on his life, thus making me think of him when I saw this.

Last edited 4 years ago by Myk
Hitch
4 years ago
Reply to  Myk

Well, thank you, Myk. I hate to expose my own uncoolness, but I’m now glad that I’ve been enlightened. Now I can make sure to avoid Mr. Chipman/Movie Bob at all costs. I mean, let’s face it–if we want to be lectured about progressive anything, and have it shoved in our faces, all we have to do is turn on the TV, watch the news, watch a show, watch a movie, or go on any social media site. 😉 They ain’t hard to find.

Nick
4 years ago

This is the most WTF cover I have seen in quite some time.