[Population: One] More on the WW/Sony Thang

[bryant]

I’ve gotten my hands on the complaint in the White Wolf vs. Sony case. (Link to the complaint replaced, since the people hosting it found a beefier server.) Be warned: there are big fat spoilers for Underworld in the complaint. Some notes, thusly.

The key White Wolf titles are Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, Guide to the Camarilla, Guide to the Sabbat, The Book of Nod, Caine’s Chosen: The Black Hand, Under A Blood Red Moon, Children of the Night, Time of Thin Blood, and Transylvania Chronicles One: Dark Tides Rising. And, of course, Nancy Collins’ The Love of Monsters, which is apparently set in the World of Darkness.

There’s an extensive list of similarities between Underworld and various White Wolf titles. I have no doubt the similarities exist, but I think they’re on the same level as the similarities between L.A. Story and When Sally Met Harry. “Hey, the protagonists fell in love! And they live in major American cities!”

Some examples:

56. In the World of Darkness, some vampires are capable of amazing speed. In Underworld, some vampires move with amazing speed.

57. In the World of Darkness, vampires “have the strength of ten men.” In Underworld, vampires “have the strength of ten men.”

71. In the World of Darkness, the history of the vampires is written in an ancient text. In Underworld, the history of the vampires is written in ancient texts.

Cause, you know, histories of ancient secretive races are usually written in modern texts.

There are more specific correspondences, but nothing that doesn’t exist in prior art. White Wolf just doesn’t have the copyright on “tall and lithe” vampire assassins. Even female ones with “a dusky, classical tone to her skin and black hair.”

Comments

[multiplexer.livejournal.com]

My favorite is #97.

97: In the World of Darkness, silver weapons harm werewolves. In Underworld, silver weapons harm werewolves.

I've seen frivolous complaints, and then I've seen this. This makes me giggle. I've actually saved a copy!

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is exactly the sort of thing I meant when I said in a comment to the previous post that showing unique correlations would be difficult. I was almost hoping that the suit wouldn't be frivolous, but only because I'm tired of frivolous suits along these lines.

Also, Bryant, you're terrific and I fawn over you daily, but you got the title of the Crystal/Ryan/Reiner movie backwards and mispunctuated. It's ...When Harry Met Sally.

[bryant]

But I hate the movie with an all-abiding passion, so I don't mind getting it wrong. :)

[clauclauclaudia]

Well, a more serious error, then: your link to the pdf lacks an "http://", I believe--it's acting as a relative link.

[bryant]

Well, I'm a dork. Works now.