So Alsciende of NetrunnerDB has been sent a cease & desist by FFG. Link.
Hi guys. I’m very sad to report that I received a C&D email from FFG, asking me nicely, but under the threat of legal action, to immediately shut down my website http://netrunnerdb.com .
It seems they want everyone to use CardGameDB. What can be done to stop this madness?
I was just about to put this up. Seems like FFG has become the megacorp, or at least a cheap imitation. Other fan sites are also being targeted. Is Stimhack next?
stimhack is not using their card text and images (copyrights in general). dont think forum can be targeted anyway. they should put netrunnerdb as a replacement for this builder they got there.
I am very sad to see this development. Any loss of community support is a bad thing IMO. Don’t bother defending FFG as I understand their legal rights and their interests in maintaining their copyrights. They definitely get a “bad publicity” in my book.
Honestly, I think all of the deckbuilding websites could have learned from the others. They all have a deficiency that can be fixed by looking at each other. I like meteor the best, but netrunnerdb is a close second. I’m sure Meteor will feel the ax soon enough, unfortunately.
AEG can call me when they re-release 7th sea. Doomtown had some serious issues when it was a CCG, and it was enough for me avoid it the second time around.
You don’t have to do anything like this to maintain copyrights. You might be thinking of trademarks here, which are not threatened.
I actually looked it up before I posted, and copyright seemed most fitting because they are reproducing the image in a digital medium. A trademark would only be referring to the “FFG” icon based on what I read.
I could be absolutely wrong. I am definitely not a lawyer.
Copyright violation is indeed the actual reason they are using to shut it down, but they don’t do it to protect their copyrightsm, because copyrights are not threatened by this kind of thing.
The biggest reason I got in to this game initially was because of the excellent online presence and resources available. Cardgamedb is not one of those resources. This hurts. Not quite rage quit hurt, but enough for me to seriously reconsider future purchases.
I’d suggest Doomtown as an alternative, but dang they bungled the art in my opinion. It is fugly. AEG still has a long way to go to earn my trust again, as well, but that’s a story for another time.
Everyone, please send a polite but sternly worded email to FFG expressing your displeasure about this. Threaten to quit the game. Threaten to stop organizing play, say whatever. They should know that this hurts the community.
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_atencion.asp
Meteor Decks has not received a C&D yet. It’s possible it will escape notice due to no direct affiliation with Jinteki.net or NDB.
I will keep everyone updated here, on BGG, and on Reddit as the situation unfolds.
I wonder if Jinteki.net didn’t use netrunnerdb for images that this wouldn’t have happened. The C&Ds usually happen when playing online is involved.
NetrunnerDB is light-years ahead of CardGameDB, so this definitely sucks. Meteor is close but the JS-powered UI is often janky.
Hopefully, FFG will clarify with @Alsciende what their beef is with his site and he can work around it; if I had to guess it is around re-use of the art, since they’re leaving other deckbuilders alone. Here’s hoping!