Ultima Creator Richard Garriott Plans to Reclaim Franchise Rights From EA Using Decades-Old Law
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Ultima creator Richard Garriott plans to use a 50-year-old copyright law to reclaim the rights to the legendary RPG franchise from EA.
Richard Garriott, the legendary designer better known to RPG veterans as Lord British, is making a definitive move to bring the Ultima franchise back under his control. According to a report by Connor Makar at Eurogamer, Garriott is preparing to leverage a specific provision in United States copyright law to reclaim the rights currently held by Electronic Arts. EA originally acquired the property when it bought developer Origin Systems back in 1992, and the publisher ultimately shuttered the studio in 2004. Despite occasional talks over the years regarding a potential revival, those discussions routinely stalled, leaving the influential series largely dormant since 2013.
The strategy hinges on Section 203 of the Copyright Act of 1976, which gives original creators the legal right to reclaim their copyrights after 35 years by submitting a formal written notice. With that window opening up next year, Garriott intends to utilize the statute to regain ownership of his foundational work. Legal experts and industry watchers note an important distinction between copyright and trademark in this scenario. While copyright protects the original source code, look, and feel of the classic titles, trademarks govern the active brand identity. This means that if Garriott successfully reclaims the copyright, he may not be able to use the exact Ultima title for a brand new project, but he would regain the rights to his original creations and code base, paving the way for a spiritual successor.
The timing of this legal maneuver aligns with recent trademark filings from EA for the Ultima IP, covering both downloadable games and general video game software. These filings suggest that EA is either finally planning to do something with the dormant franchise or simply bolstering its legal defenses against outside claims. For players who grew up on the pioneering mechanics of the Ultima series, the prospect of its original creator regaining control is an exciting development. Whether this leads to a true revival or a brand new spiritual successor built by the pioneer of the genre, the gaming community will be watching closely to see how this copyright battle unfolds. Source: Eurogamer.
Tags: Ultima, Richard Garriott, EA, RPG, Gaming History
Original article: Eurogamer