Atari is coming after iPhone apps with even a ‘passing resemblance’ to their retro titles. Oh, it’s on. It’s on like Donkey Kong. Except not, because Donkey Kong is a Nintendo title and that phrase is also copyrighted. Shut up.
Vector Tanks, an app which was extremely similar to Atari’s classic Battlezone, was available for iOS for more than three years. That was, however, until really recently, when Atari sent the game’s developer, Black Powder Media, some of those nasty legal papers. Black Powder Media is now warning over developers that anything resembling an Atari game can expect the same.
Speaking to Develop, however, Atari are defending their actions. "While we have great respect for the indie developer community and greatly appreciate the enthusiasm that they have for our renowned properties, we need to vigorously protect our intellectual property and ensure that it is represented in highly innovative games," Atari said in a statement.
[Develop]
