Twill wrote:So, from what I understand (and I don't know much) we had to make the changes that we did because of potential copyright issues. I don't know what else you guys want me to say. That's all there is to it.
As to how ugly it is, sure, it can be revamped, and hopefully will be, it's not my favourite map right now
However, it's got to steer well clear of any possible copyright concerns.
Twill
That's ridiculous.
You can't copyright the concept of a map of the world. Basic copyright law states that you cannot copyright an idea - only an individual expression of that idea. If a map of the world was a copyright problem, there would only be one atlas ever published.
As long as CC hasn't scanned the actual Risk board map (which would be subject to copyright), then the classic world map is free of infringement - in fact, it has it's own copyright. Nor can you copyright the words 'attack', 'fortify' or 'cards'. If Hasbro has any copyright interest, then it's in the gameplay (which hasn't changed) and perhaps in the overall concept of a military campaign game - and there are enough of those around in various forms to suggest that that's not the problem, especially given the basic copyright law tenet above.
When the classic map is revamped (and that had better be soon), what else could it be but a map of the world? It will still be divided into continents (that's part of the gameplay), and continents will still be divided into regions. As far as I can determine, you can still call those regions exactly what you're calling them now - there can be no copyright on 'Western Australia', on 'New Guinea', or even on 'Kamchatka'. So the use of the map is not a copyright issue, and the use of the words describing parts of that map is not a copyright issue.
There may be a slight quesion mark over the bringing of all of these disperate elements together (which is, after all, what makes Risk unique), but then you're bringing the most unique of those elements together in all of the other maps as well - that is, it's the gameplay which is the deciding factor here, and that's still common among all the maps.
Just my latest contribution.
Craig Delahoy
Still a very unhappy customer.
hehee some people can be positive about anything. Thanks OP 
I'm gonna wait for a bit though.
I am allergic to rabbits! You are trying to kill me! I knew it.... 
