Body taken from http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/games/archives/2007/06/11/manchester_catheral_smites_sony.html

Japanese giant Sony are feeling the heat of the Church’s ire after an unfortunate legal oversight. The BBC reports that the heads of Manchester Cathedral are considering suing the software publisher if first person shooter Resistance: Fall of Man isn’t removed from shelves. Apart from the usual arguments citing the effects of violent games on the populace, the religious leaders suggest irresponsibility because the game features interiors of the Cathedral which were used without permission.

Sony are pleading innocence, claiming that while the interior shots are replicas of the holy building, the work is fiction, and therefore should be protected under fair use. Indeed, the CGI structure is in serious disarray after attacks from all sides by evil aliens. To remove it even further from reality, there’s nary a parishioner in sight.

However, fists are shaking because of the game’s violent theme, partly set in the city which has its fair share of gun crime.

Now I’m not a legal scholar, but I’d like to posit that this high-level dispute may have implications for the types of content that could be included in low-level independent and user-generated game development circles. At what point do the overseers of a real location need to be alerted to its use in a videogame? Why aren’t the creators of McDonalds: The Game and Disaffected! (set in a Kinko’s Copy store) getting their souls smite-d by these big businesses?

Im pretty sure Sony devote 50% of its annual budget for lawsuits

Thats a joke.The head preist in there was in the radio is saying loads of ########.He was interviewed on the radio and says that you go into the church and kill human beings.The last time I played risistance I was killing aliens.WTF! Also he says how there is an online community discussing what guns to bring into the church.

Wow, how greedy. I don’t remember anyone in San Andreas suing Sony and Rockstar stole the image of the whole damned city. Personaly I think this falls into fair use as well. So I’m not left out on the, “What weapons we want to bring to that church,” discussion, I think I’m going to bring an Auger. I’ll just have to pick one up at Walmart and catch a flight over to Europe.

I was thinking of bringing a jack hammer, and a 16 gal keg. 

Everyone knows that the M4A1 is the way to go.

Hypersteric - 12 June 2007 06:40 PM

Everyone knows that the M4A1 is the way to go.

Ya but its no fun with out the alcohol. 

ROFL on this topic:

http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20070613

Why do I get the feeling that the coffers in the church are running short?  So what better way than to sue a game that recreates your church?

One slight but big problem.  A patent on a build only last 50 years after the architect dies and I think he might of died so long ago that people probably killed each other for fun anyway.

Once they’re finished being complete ass holes with Sony; they can start working on the many movies over the years based in churches, that promote satanism, people being killed,etc.

I wish someone would just give these people a slap and if that doesn’t work; a serious kicking.  We’ll let’s face it; you can’t knock any sense out of someone who never had some in the first.